The Indian government has temporarily restricted access to Telegram across the country until June 22, 2026, just days before the NEET-UG re-examination.
The decision is part of a wider effort to stop examination fraud, fake question papers and misleading paper-leak claims from spreading through the messaging platform. The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination is scheduled to take place on June 21.
The National Testing Agency welcomed the move, saying that Telegram had been repeatedly misused by organised groups targeting students and their families.
Why Has Telegram Been Blocked in India?
According to the NTA, several Telegram channels were allegedly claiming to have access to the upcoming NEET question paper. Some of these groups reportedly asked students and parents to pay large amounts of money in exchange for supposed leaked papers.
Authorities believe many of these offers were designed to defraud candidates rather than provide genuine examination material.
The NTA had earlier sought the removal of individual channels and misleading posts. However, the agency said that taking down content one channel at a time was not enough to stop organised groups from creating new accounts and continuing the same activity.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology then issued directions temporarily restricting access to Telegram under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
The restriction will remain in place until June 22, covering both the examination day and its immediate aftermath.
Telegram’s Message-Editing Feature Also Restricted
The government has also directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India for previously published content until June 30.
Authorities say this feature has been used to create false evidence of paper leaks. For example, a channel administrator can publish an ordinary message before an examination and edit it after the test to include questions that appeared in the paper.
Since the original timestamp may remain visible, screenshots of the edited post can then be circulated as proof that the questions were shared before the examination.
The NTA believes that temporarily disabling this feature will make it harder for fraudsters to create such misleading claims after the NEET retest.
NEET-UG Retest Scheduled for June 21
The NEET-UG examination originally held on May 3, 2026, was cancelled following allegations of a question paper leak.
A fresh examination will now be conducted on June 21 for medical aspirants across the country. The NTA has introduced additional security measures to protect the examination process and prevent another leak.
The Telegram restriction is one part of a coordinated operation involving the NTA, MeitY, cybercrime authorities and state police agencies.
Officials have also been monitoring social media platforms for fake question papers, impersonation accounts and groups claiming to provide guaranteed access to examination material.
Will Telegram Work Normally After June 22?
The current restriction is temporary and is expected to end after June 22 unless the government issues another order.
However, the direction concerning the editing of previously posted messages is expected to remain in effect until June 30.
Telegram users may experience different levels of access while internet service providers implement the order. Some users could lose access immediately, while others may continue to use the app for a limited period during the rollout.
The government has described the restriction as a limited measure introduced to protect candidates and maintain the integrity of the examination.
Telegram had not issued a detailed public response to the restriction at the time of publication.
Students Warned Against Fake Paper-Leak Claims
Students appearing for the NEET-UG retest should rely only on updates published on the official NTA notice board.
Candidates should avoid Telegram channels, social media accounts or private groups claiming to sell question papers, answer keys or guaranteed examination results. Payments made to such groups may lead to financial loss and could also expose personal information.
Any suspicious account or message offering leaked examination material should be reported to the cybercrime authorities.
The temporary Telegram block is expected to remain a major talking point until the NEET-UG re-examination is completed on June 21. Further updates may follow if the government, NTA or Telegram announces any change to the restrictions.
