Government Restricts Telegram Access Ahead Of NEET UG 2026 Re-Exam

In a significant step to protect the integrity of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination, the Central government has temporarily restricted access to the messaging platform Telegram across India until June 22.

The decision follows recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which raised concerns about the misuse of the platform for spreading misinformation, facilitating cheating networks and promoting fraudulent paper leak claims ahead of the examination scheduled for June 21.

According to the NTA, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the directive under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The restriction will remain in place during the examination period and immediately afterwards to minimise the risk of organised malpractice and digital fraud targeting candidates.

Telegram has also been directed to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30, as authorities claim it was misused to create fake paper leak evidence.

The NTA said the move follows unsuccessful efforts to curb exam-related fraud through channel removals. It also warned students against scams run by groups falsely claiming to offer leaked NEET papers, reiterating that no paper leak had occurred.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has played a key role in identifying and dismantling Telegram-based fraud networks.

Authorities have removed several Telegram channels, groups and bots linked to exam scams.

While acknowledging the platform’s legitimate uses, the NTA said the temporary restriction was necessary to protect the integrity of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.

The NTA urged students to rely on official updates and report suspicious activities through cybercrime reporting channels.

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