Who is Kamakoti, IIT-Madras director, Priyanka Gandhi called 'gaumutra' expert'
What's the story
V Kamakoti, the director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras, has found himself in the middle of a political storm after he was named a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-powered task force on exam reform. The panel is headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and also includes former ISRO chairman S Somnath, former Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Deka, former education secretary Anita Karwal, and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.
Academic credentials
Kamakoti's journey at IIT-M
Kamakoti, who holds a Master of Science (MS) and a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT-Madras, joined the institution as faculty in 2001.
He became the director of IIT-Madras in January 2022.
His areas of expertise include computer architecture, information security, and VLSI design.
Kamakoti's research team developed India's first indigenous microprocessor, Shakti. He also heads the microprocessor development program and the information security education and awareness program at IIT-Madras.
Political backlash
Political controversy over appointment
His work has earned him several awards, including the Padma Shri award in 2026 for his contributions to computer architecture research and national security.
However, Kamakoti's appointment has sparked a political controversy.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday slammed the inclusion of a "gaumutra expert" in the panel during a Lok Sabha debate on an anti-paper leak bill.
She questioned the government's reliance on yet another committee to reform the examination system, invoking the earlier Radhakrishnan Committee.
Exam security
BJP's response to Vadra
"And in this new committee there is an ex-IB chief, owner of an IT company and there is also a 'gaumutra' (cow urine) expert," she said.
Responding to Vadra's remarks, BJP's Anurag Thakur defended Kamakoti as one of India's top scientists and professors.
"I thought Priyanka Gandhi ji would be better than Rahul Gandhi...But after the remarks she made....perhaps they are consuming something that affects the proper functioning of the brain. Maybe they should consume cow urine instead," he added.