In an unprecedented move aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination, the Centre has ordered a temporary restriction on access to Telegram in India until June 22 and directed the platform to disable its message-editing feature through June 30, citing its misuse by organised cheating rackets and cyber fraud networks.
The action follows recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which said Telegram had become a key channel for fraudsters attempting to deceive students with fake claims of leaked examination papers ahead of the NEET re-examination scheduled for June 21.
According to an NTA statement, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) invoked provisions under the Information Technology Act to impose a time-bound restriction on Telegram access during the examination period. Simultaneously, the platform has been directed to disable its message-editing feature in India, a tool authorities say has been exploited to fabricate false "paper leak" evidence after examinations are conducted.
"The measures are calibrated and bounded in time," the NTA said, adding that the restrictions are intended to protect candidates and maintain public order in the run-up to one of the country's largest entrance examinations.
The agency revealed that several Telegram channels openly operating under names such as "PAPER LEAKED NEET," "Re-NEET 2026," "Private Mafia," and "REE NEET MAFIAA" were allegedly demanding payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to several lakh rupees in exchange for purported access to examination papers.
"NTA reiterates that no such paper is available outside the secured examination chain. The promise of any such material is, in every instance, a fraud," the agency said.
Authorities argued that while individual channels and groups had been removed over the past several weeks, platform-wide intervention became necessary because channel-by-channel enforcement was insufficient to curb the scale of the activity.
Why Message Editing Feature Was Targeted
A major concern highlighted by the NTA was Telegram's message-editing capability, which allows administrators to alter previously posted messages while retaining the original timestamp.
According to the agency, the feature has been misused in multiple examinations to create misleading evidence of paper leaks. In such cases, administrators allegedly edited older messages after the exam to insert actual question papers, making it appear that the content had been shared before the examination.
"The resulting chat is then circulated as purported evidence that the paper was in circulation before the examination," the NTA noted.
By suspending the editing feature until June 30, authorities hope to eliminate this avenue of misinformation during the post-examination period.
Multi-Agency Operation
The crackdown involved coordinated action by several government agencies. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been monitoring Telegram channels and coordinating takedowns based on inputs from NTA and state police agencies.
The NTA credited I4C and MeitY for facilitating the removal of numerous fraudulent channels, groups, and bots that were promoting fake paper leaks and scams targeting students.
State law enforcement agencies have also intensified investigations. The Bihar Police Economic Offences Unit issued a public advisory warning students against paper-leak scams, while the Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch recently arrested members of an interstate cyber fraud syndicate allegedly operating eight Telegram channels linked to the racket.
Investigators found transactions worth approximately ₹1.5 crore routed through fraudulent accounts, with nearly 1,000 mobile numbers contacted within a month.
While acknowledging that the temporary restriction will affect millions of legitimate Telegram users, the NTA described the move as a "measure of last resort" taken after less restrictive remedies failed to adequately address the threat.
The agency emphasised that the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination will proceed as scheduled on June 21 and that the security of the examination remains uncompromised.
"Every candidate and parent is reassured of NTA's commitment to conducting a fair, secure and credible examination," the statement said.
Students have been advised to rely only on official NTA communications and avoid unverified claims circulating on social media platforms. The agency also urged candidates to report suspicious solicitations through the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) or the Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
The original NEET (UG) 2026 examination, conducted on May 3, was officially cancelled after allegations of large-scale paper leak and irregularities.
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