The Centre has restricted access to Telegram in India until 22 June as authorities intensify efforts to curb fraudulent claims surrounding the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2026 re-examination scheduled for 21 June.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) welcomed the move by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), describing it as a targeted intervention to protect the integrity of the examination process and prevent candidates from falling prey to online scams.
According to the NTA, MeitY issued directions under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, restricting access to Telegram in India for a "defined and limited period" ending on 22 June. The restriction covers the examination period and the immediate aftermath of the re-test.
Editing Feature Disabled
In a parallel measure, the ministry has directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature for existing posts within India until 30 June. The NTA said the feature had been misused in recent examinations to create fabricated evidence of paper leaks by altering messages after examinations had concluded.
The agency said the restrictions were imposed in the interest of public order and in response to organised cheating networks that have been using the platform to spread misinformation and defraud candidates appearing for the NEET-UG re-examination.
The examination body thanked MeitY for its "timely action" and said the measures would help ensure the examination is conducted in a safe and secure manner.
Crackdown On Fraud
The NTA said the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been coordinating action against Telegram-based fraud and misinformation campaigns targeting NEET aspirants.
Working alongside state law enforcement agencies and through continuous monitoring of public channels, groups and bots, I4C has facilitated the removal of several Telegram accounts that openly advertised fraudulent services linked to the examination.
According to the agency, the government opted for a temporary platform-level restriction only after intermediate measures, including coordinated takedowns of offending channels, failed to adequately curb the spread of misinformation.
The NTA said the action had been narrowly tailored to the examination window to minimise disruption while addressing public concerns over the fairness and credibility of the examination process.
Students Warned
The agency also flagged a growing number of Telegram channels operating under names such as "PAPER LEAKED DETT", "Re-NEET 2026", "Private Mafia", "REE NEET MAFIAA" and similar variants.
According to the NTA, these channels sought payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to several lakh rupees from students and their families by falsely claiming to offer access to the re-examination paper.
"NTA has placed on the record, and reiterates, that there is no such paper available outside the secured examination chain. The promise of any such material is, in every instance, a fraud," the statement said.
The agency added that state law enforcement authorities have also issued public warnings against such scams. It cited an advisory issued by the Bihar Police Economic Offences Unit on 9 June cautioning candidates against fraudulent claims relating to the Neet re-examination.
The temporary restrictions underscore the government's growing focus on tackling examination-related misinformation and online fraud as it seeks to ensure a credible and disruption-free conduct of one of the country's largest entrance examinations. |
