The Central Government has temporarily blocked access to the messaging platform Telegram across India until June 22 and directed the platform to disable its message-editing feature until June 30, citing concerns over attempts to compromise the integrity of the upcoming NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.
The move follows recommendations by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which said the restrictions were necessary to prevent organised cheating networks from exploiting the platform ahead of the re-examination scheduled for June 21.
According to the NTA, Telegram has been widely used by groups claiming to have access to NEET question papers and other confidential examination material. The agency said several channels operating under names such as “Paper Leaked NEET,” “Re-NEET 2026,” and “Private Mafia” allegedly attempted to deceive candidates and their families by demanding payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to several lakh rupees in exchange for purported access to examination papers.
The NTA stated that authorities had already taken action against multiple channels, groups and bots involved in such activities. However, it said platform-level intervention became necessary after initial measures proved insufficient.
In addition to the temporary suspension of Telegram services, the government has directed the platform to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30. The NTA said the feature had previously been misused to fabricate false “paper leak” evidence by allowing administrators to alter previously posted messages and replace attached documents while retaining the original timestamp.
“The feature permits a channel administrator to edit the content of a previously posted message, including attached files, while retaining the original send-time stamp. This capability has been used to create misleading post-event paper leak claims,” the agency said.
The NTA maintained that both measures were taken in the interest of public order and to protect the credibility of one of India’s largest entrance examinations.
At the same time, the agency acknowledged the inconvenience caused to millions of legitimate Telegram users across the country.
“NTA acknowledges that the access restriction affects lakhs of citizens who use Telegram for personal, educational, professional and informational purposes and sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused,” the agency said.
Telegram has remained under scrutiny amid the NEET-UG 2026 controversy, with several channels allegedly claiming to provide leaked examination papers and confidential material for money, prompting investigations by authorities.
The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination is scheduled to be conducted on June 21, following the cancellation of the earlier examination amid allegations of a question paper leak.
