New Delhi: Access to the Telegram platform in India has been restricted until June 22, 2026, following recommendations made by the National Testing Agency (NTA), as authorities intensify efforts to curb fraud and misinformation ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, NTA said it welcomed the directions issued in respect of Telegram in India. According to the agency, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has ordered a temporary restriction on access to the platform under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The restriction will remain in force until June 22, covering the day of the re-examination and its immediate aftermath.
“Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued notification a direction under Section 69 A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, restricting access to the Telegram platform in India for a defined and limited period ending 22 June 2026, covering the day of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and its immediate aftermath. A direction requiring the platform to disable, in India, the message-editing feature in respect of messages already posted, for a defined period ending 30 June 2026, addressing the specific structural feature through which the platform has been used to fabricate after-the-event “paper leak” evidence in respect of national examinations.”
The NTA said the decision was taken in the interest of public order and in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination. It added that the temporary measures are intended to support the conduct of safe and secure examinations on June 21.
The agency also detailed the role played by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs in addressing Telegram-based fraud and misinformation. According to NTA, I4C coordinated with state police agencies, including those in Bihar, Gujarat and Rajasthan, and identified a substantial number of Telegram channels, groups and bots that openly advertised fraudulent services and misleading claims related to the examination.
NTA said references had been made to MeitY and the Department of Higher Education regarding the limitations of channel-by-channel enforcement and the need for broader platform-level compliance. It described the latest directions as measures of last resort after intermediate remedies, including coordinated takedown efforts, were found insufficient to address the issue.
The statement also noted that several Telegram channels operating under names such as “PAPER LEAKED NEET”, “Re-NEET 2026”, “Private Mafia”, “REE NEET MAFIAA” and similar formulations had allegedly demanded money from candidates and their families by claiming access to examination papers. NTA reiterated that no paper was available outside the secured examination chain and stated that such claims were fraudulent.
In addition to the temporary restriction on platform access, Telegram has been directed to disable the message-editing feature for already posted messages in India until June 30. NTA said the feature had been used in recent examination-related incidents to alter previously posted messages and create misleading impressions that question papers had been circulated before examinations.
The agency further said that state law-enforcement agencies had taken independent action in recent weeks, while the Bihar Police Economic Offences Unit had issued a public advisory on June 9 warning candidates against fraudulent claims linked to examination papers.
BI Bureau
