India Blocks Telegram Till June 22 Ahead Of NEET Re-Examination

Published 16 June 2026 · india

India Blocks Telegram Till June 22 Ahead Of NEET Re-Examination Published By, Last Updated: June 16, 2026, 10:56 IST The government has also directed Telegram

India Blocks Telegram Till June 22 Ahead Of NEET Re-Examination Published By, Last Updated: June 16, 2026, 10:56 IST The government has also directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30. The action was taken in response to the organised use of Telegram by cheating rackets. (Source: Reuters/PTI) In a major step aimed at preventing any attempt to leak or manipulate examination material, the Centre has blocked the instant messaging platform Telegram in India until June 22 ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination. The move follows recommendations by the Testing Agency (NTA), which said the restriction is limited to the examination period and its immediate aftermath. The government has also directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.

According to the NTA, the feature has been misused in the past to fabricate “paper leak" evidence by allowing administrators to edit previously posted messages and replace attached files while retaining the original timestamp. “The feature… permits a channel administrator to edit the content of a previously posted message—including the substitution of attached files such as PDFs—while the original send-time stamp is retained. This capability has been used… to fabricate after-the-event ‘paper leak’ artefacts," it stated. The agency said the action was taken in response to the organised use of Telegram by cheating rackets targeting candidates appearing for the NEET re-examination scheduled on June 21. “Both measures have been taken in the interest of public order, in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination," said the NTA.

It added that authorities had already removed numerous channels, groups and bots allegedly promoting fraudulent claims of access to the question paper, but platform-level intervention became necessary after intermediate measures proved insufficient. While acknowledging that the temporary restriction would inconvenience lakhs of legitimate users, the NTA said the measure was intended solely to safeguard the integrity of one of the country’s most important entrance examinations. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Prisha Vibhavari Prisha is the Chief Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than 10 years of experience in national and international news. She specialises in editorial leadership, sharp news judgment, and high-impact st...