Telegram Restricted Till June 22, NTA Flags Fake NEET Re-Exam Paper Leak Claims

The Centre on Tuesday temporarily restricted Telegram in India till June 22 after the National Testing Agency (NTA) raised concerns over fake paper leak claims and fraud linked to the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.

The National Testing Agency said the restriction will remain in force until June 22, covering the June 21 re-test and the period immediately after it. The government has also directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.

According to the agency, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the directions under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, following recommendations made by the NTA.

The agency described the move as a targeted step aimed at protecting the integrity of the examination process and preventing the spread of misleading content during the re-examination period.

Why Telegram Was Restricted?

The NTA noted that authorities decided on the temporary restriction after concerns over the use of Telegram channels and groups to circulate false claims linked to the examination.

According to the agency, the platform's message-editing feature had been misused in recent examinations to create misleading "paper leak" claims by altering older messages after an exam had already concluded.

The government moved to a platform-level restriction after earlier measures failed to adequately contain the spread of misinformation, the NTA noted.

The agency added that the action was limited to the examination window and was intended to address public concerns while minimising wider disruption.

Fraud Claims Under Watch

The agency said several Telegram channels were allegedly seeking money from candidates and their families by falsely claiming to provide access to the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination paper.

According to the NTA, channels operating under names such as "PAPER LEAKED NEET", "Re-NEET 2026" and "Private Mafia" advertised such services and demanded payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to several lakh rupees.

The agency maintained that no examination paper exists outside the secured examination process. In a statement, the NTA said, "There is no such paper available outside the secured examination chain. The promise of any such material is, in every instance, a fraud."

The NTA also said the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), working with state law enforcement agencies, had facilitated the removal of several Telegram accounts, channels and groups linked to alleged fraud and misinformation.

The agency further noted that Bihar Police's Economic Offences Unit had issued a public advisory on June 9 warning candidates against fake claims related to the NEET re-examination and paper leak scams.