Government Bans Telegram in India Until June 22 to Curb NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak Fraud

NEW DELHI: In an unprecedented move to ensure the integrity of the upcoming National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2026 re-examination, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has temporarily blocked the Telegram messaging app across India. Implemented at the request of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the ban will remain effective until June 22. This sweeping action aims to dismantle organized cyber rackets that are actively exploiting the platform to defraud students by promising early access to question papers.

Key Highlights:

• Temporary Nationwide Ban: Access to the Telegram app is completely restricted in India until June 22, 2026.
• Editing Feature Disabled: To prevent the creation of fake “leak” evidence, Telegram’s message-editing feature has been suspended until June 30.
• Massive Cyber Fraud Busted: Multiple Telegram channels offering fake question papers in exchange for hefty sums have been taken down.
• Multi-Crore Scam: Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch recently arrested an inter-state gang operating eight Telegram channels, uncovering fraudulent transactions worth Rs 1.5 crore.

Why Was Telegram Targeted?

The original NEET-UG exam held on May 3 was canceled following widespread allegations of a paper leak, prompting the government to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for the June 21 re-test. Investigations led by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and various state police forces revealed that Telegram had become a safe haven for scammers. Fraudulent channels and bots operating under names like “PAPER LEAKED NEET”, “Re-NEET 2026”, and “Private Mafia” were actively soliciting thousands to lakhs of rupees from vulnerable candidates and their parents, falsely guaranteeing access to the re-exam question paper.

The ‘Message Editing’ Loophole Addressed

Authorities identified Telegram’s message-editing feature as a primary tool for fabricating post-exam evidence. Scammers would traditionally post a generic message before the exam. Once the exam concluded and the actual paper became public, they would edit the old message to include the real questions while retaining the original, pre-exam timestamp. This created a highly deceptive narrative that the paper was leaked beforehand. To completely shut down this avenue of misinformation, the IT Ministry has ordered the disabling of the edit feature in India until June 30.

Widespread Arrests and Strict NTA Advisory

Law enforcement agencies across the country, including the Bihar Police Economic Offences Unit (EOU), have intensified their crackdown on these digital cheating syndicates. Highlighting the scale of the fraud, the Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch recently dismantled a gang that had contacted nearly 1,000 mobile numbers within a month, routing over Rs 1.5 crore through proxy bank accounts.

While acknowledging that millions of Indians use Telegram for legitimate educational and professional communication, the NTA expressed regret for the temporary inconvenience. However, the agency emphasized that this time-bound restriction is crucial for national security and public order. The NTA has reassured candidates that the examination system remains fully secure and no paper exists outside the official chain. Students are strongly advised to ignore online rumors and report any suspicious activity to the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930.