Telegram temporarily banned in India till June 22 ahead of NEET (UG) 2026 re-exam

New Delhi: In a major move aimed at curbing examination-related fraud, the Central government has imposed a temporary restriction on the messaging platform Telegram across India until June 22, following recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA). The measure has been taken to prevent alleged paper leaks, misinformation campaigns and cheating networks ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.

According to an NTA statement, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a direction under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, restricting access to Telegram in India for a limited period ending June 22. The restriction covers the examination day and its immediate aftermath.

In addition, Telegram has been directed to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30. The NTA stated that the feature has been misused in the past to create fabricated “paper leak” evidence by editing older messages and inserting examination papers after the tests had already been conducted, while retaining the original timestamp.

The NTA said both measures were implemented in the interest of public order and to counter the organised activities of cheating syndicates that allegedly used the platform to defraud candidates appearing for the re-examination. The agency expressed gratitude to MeitY for what it described as a timely intervention aimed at ensuring a fair and secure examination process.

The agency further highlighted the role of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which has coordinated efforts against Telegram-based fraud and misinformation targeting NEET candidates.

The NTA has said that state police forces and its own monitoring mechanisms, I4C, reportedly facilitated the removal of numerous Telegram channels, groups and automated bots that openly advertised fraudulent examination-related services.

According to the NTA, this action was supported by MeitY and formed part of a broader inter-agency effort involving central and state authorities. The agency described the intelligence-sharing and enforcement measures undertaken by I4C and other agencies as critical in limiting the impact of examination-related fraud.

The NTA said the latest restrictions were imposed only after other measures, including channel-specific takedowns and enforcement actions, were found insufficient to address the scale of the problem. Officials described the move as a calibrated and temporary response designed to impose the minimum restrictions necessary during a sensitive examination period.

The agency alleged that several Telegram channels operating under names such as “Paper Leaked NEET”, “Re-NEET 2026”, “Private Mafia” and similar titles had been demanding payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to several lakh rupees in exchange for purported access to the examination paper. The NTA reiterated that no examination paper had been leaked and warned that any claims offering advance access to question papers were fraudulent.

The direction relating to Telegram’s message-editing feature was introduced to address concerns over the creation of manipulated digital evidence. According to the NTA, the feature allows administrators to edit previously posted messages and replace attached files while retaining the original posting time. Authorities believe this capability has been exploited to falsely suggest that examination papers were available before the test.

State law-enforcement agencies have also launched independent actions against alleged fraud networks.

The Bihar Police Economic Offences Unit recently issued a public advisory warning students against fraudulent claims of access to examination papers through social media and messaging platforms.

The Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch arrested members of an inter-state cyber fraud network allegedly operating multiple Telegram channels linked to examination scams. Investigators are also pursuing related cases in several other states.

Acknowledging that Telegram is widely used for legitimate educational, professional and personal communication, the NTA expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to genuine users. However, it stressed that the temporary restriction was necessary to safeguard the integrity of one of India’s most important entrance examinations.

The agency reassured students and parents that the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination will be conducted as scheduled on June 21 and maintained that the security of the examination process remains intact. Candidates have been advised to focus on their preparation, avoid unverified information circulating online and rely solely on official NTA channels for examination-related updates.

The NTA also urged citizens to report any fraudulent approaches or suspicious claims through the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. It reiterated its commitment to ensuring a fair, transparent and credible examination process for all candidates.

The agency further thanked MeitY, the Ministry of Home Affairs, I4C, the Central Bureau of Investigation and police forces across multiple states for their coordinated efforts in protecting the integrity of the examination system and safeguarding the interests of students.

–IANS