The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), acting on recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA), has implemented temporary restrictions on Telegram in India. The calibrated, time-bound measures aim to curb misinformation, fake paper leaks, and exam-related fraud ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21, 2026.
Key Regulatory Actions
- Platform Access Restriction: Under Section 69A of the IT Act, access to Telegram is restricted across India until June 22, 2026, covering the exam and its immediate aftermath.
- Message-Editing Feature Disabled: To prevent the fabrication of retroactive “evidence,” Telegram must disable its message-editing feature for existing Indian messages until June 30, 2026. This prevents scammers from altering older posts to insert actual question papers post-exam while retaining original timestamps.
Background and Enforcement
The decision follows extensive coordination by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and state police forces in Bihar, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Prior to this platform-wide restriction, authorities dismantled numerous channels demanding significant fees for fraudulent access to the question paper.
Notably, the Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch recently dismantled a syndicate operating eight Telegram channels that amassed ₹1.5 crore through these scams.
The NTA clarified that no papers have been leaked outside the secure chain, calling all online offers fraudulent. While acknowledging the inconvenience caused to legitimate users, the NTA emphasized that these measures are essential to ensure a fair and secure examination environment. Candidates have been advised to rely solely on official NTA channels for updates.