Days before the NEET UG 2026 re-examination, the government has temporarily restricted access to Telegram in India, citing concerns that organised cheating and cyber fraud networks were using the platform to spread fake paper leak claims and exploit students.
After months of monitoring the social media platform, the NTA describes Telegram channels allegedly promising access to examination papers, collecting money from candidates and circulating misleading content related to the country’s largest medical entrance examination.
According to the NTA, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued two separate directions. The first temporarily restricts access to Telegram in India until June 22, covering the June 21 re-examination and its immediate aftermath. The second requires Telegram to disable its message-editing feature for already-posted messages in India until June 30.
According to the NTA, some channel administrators allegedly posted ordinary messages before examinations and later edited those messages after the exam had concluded. By inserting the actual question paper into older posts while retaining the original timestamp, screenshots could then be circulated as supposed proof that the paper had leaked before the test. The agency said this method was used to create fabricated evidence of paper leaks and fuel rumours surrounding national examinations. To prevent such misuse, authorities have directed Telegram to temporarily disable the feature in India.
The NTA claimed several Telegram channels openly advertised access to NEET question papers and sought payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to several lakh rupees from students and their families. The agency reiterated that no examination paper exists outside the secured examination process and warned candidates against trusting anyone claiming otherwise. “The promise of any such material is, in every instance, a fraud,” the agency said.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), working with the NTA and state law enforcement agencies, has reportedly coordinated action against multiple Telegram channels, groups and automated bots linked to misinformation and fraud. The agency also cited enforcement measures taken by state authorities, including advisories issued to students and investigations into alleged cyber fraud networks operating through Telegram.
With lakhs of students preparing for the NEET UG 2026 re-test, authorities have urged candidates to rely only on official announcements and ignore any claims of leaked question papers circulating online.