Central Government Imposes Temporary Telegram Ban Ahead of NEET (UG) 2026 Re-Examination
Government Action to Prevent Examination Fraud
File image of protest against NTA over alleged question paper leak in the NEET-UG, in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)
New Delhi, June 16: In an effort to combat examination-related fraud, the Central government has temporarily restricted access to the messaging platform Telegram across the country until June 22. This decision follows recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA) in anticipation of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination set for June 21.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) implemented this directive under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, to block access during this critical examination period and shortly thereafter.
On Monday, the NTA announced, "These measures are taken to maintain public order, responding to the organized exploitation of the platform by cheating syndicates targeting candidates for the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination scheduled on June 21, 2026."
In addition to the access restriction, Telegram has been instructed to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30. This feature has been misused in the past to create false evidence of examination paper leaks by allowing users to alter previous messages while keeping the original timestamps intact.
The NTA noted that these directives were issued after ongoing concerns were raised with the Centre regarding the increasing use of Telegram by organized examination fraud networks.
"The directives from MeitY were made following references from NTA and the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, highlighting the limitations of individual channel actions and advocating for broader platform-level compliance," the agency stated in a press release.
Numerous Telegram channels have been found openly advertising supposed access to examination papers and soliciting money from candidates and their families.
"In recent weeks, channels operating under names like 'PAPER LEAKED NEET', 'Re-NEET 2026', 'Private Mafia', and 'REE NEET MAFIAA' have demanded amounts ranging from thousands to several lakhs of rupees from candidates and their families in exchange for alleged access to the re-examination paper," the statement revealed.
The agency reiterated that no examination paper had been leaked and cautioned candidates against falling prey to such fraudulent claims.
According to the NTA, these latest restrictions were enacted after previous takedowns and enforcement measures proved inadequate to address the scale of the issue.
The agency characterized this decision as a measured and temporary response aimed at imposing the least restrictive measures necessary to protect the integrity of the examination.
The NTA also emphasized the involvement of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, in coordinating actions against Telegram-based fraud and misinformation campaigns targeting NEET aspirants.
Regarding the impact on legitimate users, the agency acknowledged, "NTA understands that the access restriction affects millions who use Telegram for valid personal, educational, professional, and informational purposes, and sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused. This restriction is explicitly limited to the period ending June 22, 2026 — the day after the examination."
It reiterated that the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination will proceed as planned on June 21 and urged candidates to rely solely on official channels for updates.
Citizens are also encouraged to report any suspicious activities or fraudulent claims through the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.