NEET UG 2026 re-exam: Telegram restrictions imposed to curb fake paper leak claims

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has supported temporary restrictions on Telegram in India, saying the measure will help prevent fraud and misinformation linked to the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.

In a statement issued on June 15, the agency said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), acting on its recommendations, has ordered a temporary restriction on Telegram access in India until June 22.

The government has also directed the platform to disable its message-editing feature in the country until June 30.

According to the NTA, the measures are aimed at preventing organized cheating networks from using the platform to circulate false claims of question paper leaks and deceive students appearing for the medical entrance examination.

The agency said Telegram's message-editing feature has allegedly been misused to fabricate evidence of paper leaks.

Officials explained that administrators of channels could edit older posts after an examination concludes, replace attachments with actual question papers, and retain the original timestamp. These altered posts were then presented as proof that the paper had been leaked before the exam.

Officials said the temporary suspension of the editing feature would help prevent the creation and circulation of such misleading content during the examination period.

The NTA also credited the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs for coordinating action against fraud and misinformation networks operating on Telegram.

It said several channels, groups, and bots claiming to provide NEET question papers have already been removed.

The statement referred to enforcement actions by state authorities, including a public advisory issued by Bihar Police warning students against fraudulent paper leak claims.

It also cited an operation by the Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch, which reportedly arrested members of an interstate cyber fraud network allegedly running multiple Telegram channels.

Investigators claimed the group handled transactions worth around ₹1.5 crore and contacted nearly 1,000 mobile numbers within a month.

Reiterating that no NEET question paper exists outside the secured examination system, the agency urged candidates not to trust claims circulating on social media or messaging platforms.

It said several Telegram channels had allegedly sought payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to several lakh rupees in exchange for supposed access to the re-examination paper and described all such offers as fraudulent.

The NTA acknowledged that the restrictions may inconvenience legitimate users but said the measures are temporary and focused on safeguarding the examination process. It added that disabling message editing will not affect users' ability to send or receive new messages.

The agency emphasized that the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination will be conducted as scheduled on June 21 and said the security and integrity of the test remain intact.

Separately, the NTA has launched a dedicated online portal to allow students, parents, and members of the public to report suspicious activities linked to the examination.

The platform enables users to flag alleged paper leak claims, unauthorized access to question papers, impersonation attempts, and other misleading content.

According to the agency, information submitted through the portal will be reviewed by the relevant authorities and may be shared with law enforcement agencies when necessary.

The NTA urged students not to fall for rumors or trust individuals claiming to have access to the NEET-UG question paper.

Candidates have been advised to rely only on official announcements and updates issued through NTA's authorized channels and to promptly report suspicious claims.

The reporting portal is part of a broader effort to strengthen examination security. Authorities have already announced enhanced monitoring measures and increased coordination among agencies ahead of the re-exam.

With lakhs of candidates expected to take the test, the agency said public cooperation can help identify and prevent the spread of false information.

It also warned that strict action will be taken against those found spreading rumors or attempting to compromise the examination process.