Government Imposes Ban On Telegram Till June 22 Under Section 69A; NTA Thanks MeitY For Prompt Action, Select Features To Remain Blocked Till June 30

The government has blocked access to Telegram until June 22, taking action against cheating networks allegedly using the platform to scam students ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. Acting under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), on recommendations from the National Testing Agency, imposed the restriction just days before lakhs of medical aspirants appear for the retest scheduled on June 21.

The ban is temporary and time-bound, with access remaining restricted through June 22, covering both the exam day and the immediate aftermath. In a separate directive, Telegram has also been instructed to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30. The move targets a tool that, according to the NTA, was being misused to fabricate fake “paper leak” evidence after examinations conclude.

The NTA described the action as calibrated and necessary, stating that the measures were taken “in the interest of public order” to counter organised cheating rackets targeting NEET (UG) 2026 candidates. It also acknowledged MeitY’s swift intervention and said the steps would help ensure the smooth conduct of the re-exam on June 21.

The background to the decision is significant. The original NEET-UG exam was cancelled after allegations of question paper leaks, with the re-examination later scheduled for June 21. In the aftermath, Telegram channels reportedly began exploiting the confusion, rapidly monetising claims of access to leaked papers.

Why the message-editing feature was targeted

Along with the platform restriction, authorities also focused on Telegram’s message-editing function. The feature allows admins to alter previously sent messages—replacing files while retaining original timestamps. According to the NTA, fraudsters exploited this by editing old harmless posts and inserting exam papers after the test, then circulating them as “proof” of prior leaks. Disabling the feature for a limited period is intended to prevent such post-facto manipulation. The NTA clarified that normal messaging activity remains unaffected.

Several Telegram groups allegedly involved in the scams operated under names such as “PAPER LEAKED NEET,” “Re-NEET 2026,” and similar labels, openly advertising access to question papers. Reports suggest they demanded payments ranging from a few thousand to several lakhs from aspirants. The NTA has maintained that no genuine paper exists outside the secure system and that all such claims are fraudulent.

Multi-agency crackdown

The action has been coordinated through the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, working alongside state cyber cells in Bihar, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, as well as inputs from the NTA. Multiple fake channels, groups, and bots have already been taken down as part of the ongoing crackdown.

State-level enforcement has also intensified. Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit issued an advisory warning students against fake paper claims. Meanwhile, Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch in Gujarat arrested members of an inter-state gang operating multiple Telegram channels and allegedly handling large-scale fraudulent transactions. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also conducting parallel investigations.

Why a broader ban was enforced

Officials said that taking down individual channels was not sufficient, as new ones kept emerging rapidly. As a result, a temporary platform-level restriction was deemed necessary during the critical exam window. The NTA described the move as a last-resort, narrowly tailored intervention to prevent disruption.

While acknowledging that the restriction may inconvenience regular users who rely on Telegram for legitimate communication, the agency reiterated that the priority is to ensure a fair and secure examination process. Candidates have been urged to rely only on official updates from the NTA website (neet.nta.nic.in) and to report suspicious activity via the cybercrime helpline 1930.