Telegram blocked in India until June 22; government's major decision to curb paper leaks..

The Central Government has taken a significant step to ensure the security and transparency of the NEET UG 2026 re-examination. According to reports, the government has temporarily blocked the instant messaging platform Telegram in India until June 22. This decision follows a recommendation by the National Testing Agency (NTA) aimed at preventing the spread of misinformation, rumors regarding paper leaks, or fraudulent activities related to the exam.

The ban is set to remain in effect only for the duration of the examination and the period immediately following it. The NTA stated that Telegram had recently been utilized by certain groups claiming to provide students with fake question papers and misleading information regarding alleged paper leaks.

**Edit Feature Disabled Until June 30**
Reports indicate that the government has also directed the suspension of Telegram's message-editing feature until June 30. According to the NTA, this feature had been misused in some instances where old messages were subsequently edited to include fake documents or question papers. This created the false impression that the information had been available beforehand, when in reality, it had not.

NEET UG is one of the country's most critical medical entrance examinations, with lakhs of students appearing for it annually. Consequently, maintaining the exam's credibility is considered paramount. The NTA noted that while it had previously taken action to remove specific Telegram channels, groups, and bots, the situation necessitated intervention at the platform level.

Although this decision may cause temporary inconvenience to regular Telegram users, officials believe the step is essential to uphold the integrity and fairness of the examination.

The NTA stated that the Indian Cyber ​​Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)—operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs—along with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the CBI, and the police forces of Bihar, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, are actively addressing the matter. The Bihar Police has already advised students to remain cautious of such fraudulent claims.

 Rely Only on Official Sources
Relevant officials will release further information regarding the restoration of the Telegram service and its features in due course. Students are advised not to believe any rumors and to rely solely on information obtained from official sources—specifically the website neet.nta.nic.in and NTA’s official social media handles.

If any student or parent encounters fraud or suspicious activity related to alleged paper leaks, they should immediately report it to the National Cyber ​​Helpline at 1930 or via cybercrime.gov.in.

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