New Delhi, June 16 (APAC Media): In an unusual move aimed at ensuring the integrity of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, the Central Government has temporarily suspended Telegram services in India till June 22. The decision comes days before the re-exam scheduled for June 21.
NTA STATEMENT REGARDING THE ACTION ON TELEGRAM PLATFORM IN INDIA
1. The National Testing Agency (NTA) welcomes the directions issued today in respect of the Telegram platform in India. The directions, issued on recommendations of NTA are calibrated and bounded in time:
Advertisement(a) a…
— National Testing Agency (@NTA_Exams) June 16, 2026
The National Testing Agency (NTA) welcomed the move, saying it would help curb the spread of rumours, fake information and misleading claims of question paper leaks.
According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the temporary restriction has been imposed under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Why Telegram Has Been Targeted?
The NTA said several groups had allegedly been using Telegram channels to mislead students and parents in the name of leaked question papers.
Channels carrying names such as “Paper Leaked NEET” and “Re-NEET 2026” were reportedly demanding large sums of money from candidates by claiming they had access to the examination paper.
However, the agency clarified that the NEET-UG 2026 question paper remains completely secure and is not accessible before the examination.
To every NEET candidate and parent – please watch this. A few minutes that could save you serious money and stress this week.
Scammers on Telegram were running two rackets targeting you:
1️⃣ Channels demanding ₹14,000 to ₹25,000 – some even ₹10 lakh – claiming they’ll send you… pic.twitter.com/aqpickJLAv— National Testing Agency (@NTA_Exams) June 16, 2026
Telegram Message Edit Feature Also Restricted
In a separate order, Telegram has been directed to disable its message editing feature in India till June 30.
According to the NTA, some users were allegedly exploiting this feature to create fake proof of paper leaks.
Officials said that after an examination was over, old messages were edited to include the actual question paper, making it appear as though it had been shared in advance.
The agency believes that restricting the feature will help prevent the creation and circulation of false claims.
Students Asked to Ignore Rumours
The NTA urged candidates and parents not to rely on unverified information circulating on social media platforms.
Students have been advised to obtain updates only from the official website, neet.nta.nic.in and the agency’s verified social media handles.
The restrictions are temporary and have been introduced solely to ensure the fair and secure conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
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