Telegram Access Temporarily Restricted in India Amid NEET Exam Fraud Crackdown

Telegram has been temporarily restricted in India till June 22, 2026, as part of a government crackdown on the circulation of fake NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination papers and exam-related fraud ahead of the June 21 re-test.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Monday said it welcomed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's (MeitY) action, describing it as a calibrated step to protect the integrity of the examination process.

In a statement, the NTA said MeitY, acting on the agency's recommendations, issued directions under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, restricting access to Telegram in India for a "defined and limited period" ending June 22, covering the re-examination and its immediate aftermath.

The ministry has also directed Telegram to disable, within India, its message-editing feature for content already posted until June 30. According to the NTA, this feature had been misused in several recent examinations to fabricate after-the-event "paper leak" evidence by editing older messages after an exam had concluded.

The NTA said the measures were 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 thanked MeitY for the "timely action" and said the restrictions would help ensure the examination is conducted safely and securely.

The agency said the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been coordinating operational action against Telegram-based fraud and misinformation targeting NEET candidates. Working with state law enforcement agencies and based on continuous monitoring of public channels, groups and bots, I4C has facilitated the removal of a substantial number of Telegram accounts that openly advertised fraudulent services.

According to the NTA, the government opted for a platform-level restriction only after intermediate measures, including coordinated takedowns, failed to adequately curb the spread of misinformation. It said the action had been narrowly tailored to the examination window and was intended to minimise disruption while addressing public concerns.

The agency also flagged the rise of Telegram channels carrying names such as "PAPER LEAKED DETT", "Re-NEET 2026", "Private Mafia", "REE NEET MAFIAA" and similar formulations. These channels, it said, demanded payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to several lakhs from students and their families by falsely promising 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 NTA further said independent action by state law enforcement agencies had reinforced the seriousness of the issue. It noted that the Bihar Police Economic Offences Unit had issued a public advisory on June 9 warning candidates against fraudulent claims linked to the NEET re-examination.