Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 16: The government has temporarily restricted access to the Telegram messaging platform in India ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination, citing concerns over the spread of alleged paper leak claims and online fraud targeting students.
The move comes just days before the NEET (UG) re-examination scheduled for June 21, with the National Testing Agency (NTA) asserting that no one has access to the question paper before the exam and warning candidates against falling prey to misinformation and scams.
According to the NTA, the government has issued directions under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, restricting access to Telegram in India until June 22, covering the examination period and its immediate aftermath.
The agency said the decision followed months of monitoring Telegram channels allegedly used by organised cheating rackets and cyber fraud networks. Several channels reportedly claimed to offer leaked question papers, advance access to the examination and guaranteed success in exchange for money.
NTA stressed that no examination paper exists outside its secured system and described all such offers as fraudulent attempts to exploit students and their families. It has repeatedly dismissed claims of leaked or sold question papers as false and misleading.
One of the key concerns raised by the agency relates to Telegram's message-editing feature. According to NTA, some channel administrators allegedly posted ordinary messages before examinations and later edited those posts after the exam to insert the actual question paper. Screenshots of the edited posts were then circulated as fabricated evidence that the paper had been leaked in advance.
To address this issue, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has also directed Telegram to disable the editing of already-posted messages in India until June 30.
NTA described both measures as temporary and carefully calibrated, saying they were introduced only after large-scale takedowns of channels, groups and bots failed to fully curb the spread of misinformation.
The agency also revealed that the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), along with state police forces, has been conducting operations against Telegram-based fraud networks. Multiple channels and groups have reportedly been removed, while investigations into cyber fraud and fake paper leak claims continue.
NTA highlighted recent actions by law enforcement agencies, including arrests linked to fake paper leak schemes and cyber fraud operations targeting NEET candidates.
Acknowledging that many students use Telegram for legitimate educational purposes, the agency expressed regret for the inconvenience caused by the temporary restrictions.
However, it maintained that the measures were necessary to protect the integrity of the examination process.
“The security of the examination is unaffected by the action taken; it is, in fact, the very purpose of the action,” the agency said.
NTA has urged students and parents to ignore rumours, avoid individuals offering question papers for sale and rely only on official communications regarding the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.