NTA STATEMENT REGARDING ACTION ON TELEGRAM PLATFORM IN INDIA
New Delhi, 16 June 2026The National Testing Agency (NTA) welcomes the directions issued today in respect of the Telegram platform in India. These directions, issued on the recommendations of NTA, are calibrated, proportionate and time-bound:
(a) a direction under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, restricting access to the Telegram platform in India for a defined and limited period ending 22 June 2026, covering the day of the NEET (UG) 2026 Re-examination and its immediate aftermath; and
(b) a direction requiring the platform to disable, in India, the message-editing feature in respect of messages already posted, for a defined period ending 30 June 2026, addressing the specific structural feature through which the platform has been used to fabricate after-the-event “paper leak” evidence in respect of national examinations.Both measures have been taken in the interest of public order and examination integrity, in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets seeking to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET (UG) 2026 Re-examination scheduled on 21 June 2026.
NTA expresses its gratitude to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for this timely intervention in the interest of students and the integrity of the examination process.Throughout the period leading up to the present action, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs has served as the principal nodal agency coordinating the operational response to Telegram-based fraud and misinformation targeting NEET (UG) 2026 candidates.
Acting on inputs received continuously from NTA, State law-enforcement agencies, including the police forces of Bihar, Gujarat and Rajasthan, and from its own monitoring of public channels and platforms, I4C has secured the prompt takedown of a substantial number of Telegram channels, groups and bots openly advertising fraudulent services. This effort has been carried out with the active support of MeitY.NTA places on record that the intelligence-sharing and coordinated enforcement action led by the Ministry of Home Affairs through I4C, together with MeitY, has been continuous, prompt and substantive, and remains the operational backbone of the response. This sustained inter-agency effort, undertaken well in advance of the present platform-level action, has significantly mitigated the impact of these criminal activities.The directions issued today follow references made by NTA and the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, highlighting the limitations of channel-by-channel enforcement and seeking graduated platform-level compliance.
These directions represent a measure of last resort, adopted only after intermediate remedies, including extensive takedown efforts coordinated by I4C, had been pursued and found insufficient to address the evolving threat.Over recent weeks, channels operating openly on Telegram under names such as “PAPER LEAKED NEET”, “Re-NEET 2026”, “Private Mafia”, “REE NEET MAFIAA” and similar variants demanded sums ranging from a few thousand rupees to several lakhs from candidates and their families in exchange for purported access to examination papers. NTA reiterates unequivocally that no examination paper is available outside the secured examination chain. Any promise of such access is fraudulent and intended solely to exploit students and parents.The direction requiring Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India through 30 June 2026 addresses a separate but closely related concern.
The feature currently permits administrators to edit previously posted messages, including substituting attached files such as PDFs, while retaining the original timestamp. This capability has been misused in relation to multiple examinations to fabricate after-the-event “paper leak” artefacts by inserting actual question papers into earlier messages after examinations have concluded and subsequently presenting them as purported evidence of prior circulation. The direction closes this avenue of manipulation during the post-examination period when such fabricated claims have historically emerged.Independent action by State law-enforcement agencies has further underscored the seriousness of the threat.
The Bihar Police Economic Offences Unit issued a formal advisory on 9 June 2026 warning candidates against fraudulent claims of pre-examination access to question papers circulated through Telegram and other platforms. The Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch has also arrested members of an inter-State cyber-fraud network allegedly operating multiple Telegram channels, with documented fraudulent transactions amounting to approximately ₹1.5 crore and outreach to nearly one thousand mobile numbers within a single month. Investigations remain ongoing in several States.NTA acknowledges that the temporary access restriction affects many citizens who use Telegram for legitimate personal, educational, professional and informational purposes, and sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused.
The restriction is expressly limited to the period ending 22 June 2026, while the feature-specific direction concerning message editing does not affect the ordinary use of the platform for sending or receiving new messages.The NEET (UG) 2026 Re-examination will be conducted as scheduled on 21 June 2026. The security of the examination remains fully intact; indeed, the purpose of these measures is to further strengthen that security. NTA reassures every candidate and parent of its unwavering commitment to conducting a fair, secure and credible examination.Candidates are advised to focus on their preparation, disregard unverified claims circulating on any platform, and rely exclusively on official communications issued through the NTA website and verified NTA channels for examination-related updates.
Any encounter with fraudulent solicitations—whether in person, by telephone or through any online platform—should be reported immediately through the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. NTA’s helplines remain available at 011-40759000, 011-69227700, and neetug@nta.ac.in.NTA places on record its sincere appreciation of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for the timely and calibrated directions issued; the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre for sustained operational coordination; the Central Bureau of Investigation for its parallel inquiry into the underlying offences; and the police forces of Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan and other States for their independent enforcement efforts. Each of these institutions has contributed significantly to protecting the integrity of one of the country’s most consequential examinations and safeguarding the interests of its
