Why India Temporarily Restricted Telegram Ahead of NEET UG 2026 Re-Test
Telegram has been temporarily restricted in India till June 22, 2026, as part of a government crackdown on the circulation of fake NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination papers and exam-related fraud ahead of the June 21 re-test.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday, June 16 said it welcomed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's (MeitY) action, describing it as a calibrated step to protect the integrity of the examination process.
A separate direction requires the platform to disable its message-editing feature for already-posted messages until June 30. Both directions were issued on recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA).
NTA welcomed the move, saying the measures were necessary to prevent organised fraud networks from exploiting the platform to spread false paper leak claims and defraud students.
NTA has stated unequivocally that no such paper exists outside the secured examination chain. "The promise of any such material is, in every instance, a fraud," its statement said.
NTA alleged that this was used to fabricate paper leak evidence. Administrators would post an ordinary message before an exam, then edit it afterwards to insert the actual question paper.
The altered post, carrying the earlier timestamp, was then circulated as proof that the paper had been available in advance. The June 30 direction on message editing is intended to close this window after the examination concludes.
The NTA further said independent action by state law enforcement agencies had reinforced the seriousness of the issue. It noted that the Bihar Police Economic Offences Unit had issued a public advisory on June 9 warning candidates against fraudulent claims linked to the NEET re-examination.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday, June 16 said it welcomed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's (MeitY) action, describing it as a calibrated step to protect the integrity of the examination process.
A separate direction requires the platform to disable its message-editing feature for already-posted messages until June 30. Both directions were issued on recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA).
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NTA welcomed the move, saying the measures were necessary to prevent organised fraud networks from exploiting the platform to spread false paper leak claims and defraud students.
Why Was Telegram Blocked Ahead of the NEET Re-Exam?
In the weeks before the action, Telegram channels operating under names such as ‘Paper Leaked NEET’, ‘Re-NEET 2026’, ‘Private Mafia’ and ‘RE NEET Mafia’ demanded payments ranging from a few thousand to several lakh rupees in exchange for purported access to the question paper.NTA has stated unequivocally that no such paper exists outside the secured examination chain. "The promise of any such material is, in every instance, a fraud," its statement said.
How Telegram's Edit Feature Raised Concerns Over NEET Paper Leak Claims
A specific Telegram feature drew the agency's concern. The platform allows channel administrators to edit previously posted messages including replacing attached PDF files while retaining the original timestamp.NTA alleged that this was used to fabricate paper leak evidence. Administrators would post an ordinary message before an exam, then edit it afterwards to insert the actual question paper.
The altered post, carrying the earlier timestamp, was then circulated as proof that the paper had been available in advance. The June 30 direction on message editing is intended to close this window after the examination concludes.
The NTA further said independent action by state law enforcement agencies had reinforced the seriousness of the issue. It noted that the Bihar Police Economic Offences Unit had issued a public advisory on June 9 warning candidates against fraudulent claims linked to the NEET re-examination.
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