The NTA welcomed the government’s decision, describing the measures as calibrated, limited in duration, and necessary to protect the integrity of the examination process.

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“The directions have been issued 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,” the agency said in a statement.

The agency also expressed gratitude to MeitY for what it termed a timely intervention, saying the measures would help ensure the safe and secure conduct of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination on June 21.

The restrictions come amid heightened efforts by authorities to curb misinformation, impersonation, and organised cheating networks linked to national-level entrance examinations.

The press release sheds light on an organised fraud ecosystem that flourished on Telegram in the weeks leading up to the exam. Channels operating under self-descriptive names openly solicited desperate students and their families, demanding sums ranging from a few thousand to several lakh rupees in exchange for purported access to the re-examination question paper.

NTA has categorically stated that no such paper exists outside the secured examination chain, and that every such promise is, without exception, a fraud designed to extort money from anxious aspirants.

The fake paper leak trick

The modus operandi, as documented by NTA, works as follows: a channel administrator posts an innocuous message before the exam. After the exam is conducted and the actual question paper becomes publicly available, the administrator edits that old message to insert the real question paper — crucially, while retaining the original timestamp. The fabricated chat is then circulated virally as “proof” that the paper was leaked before the exam, causing public panic and undermining the credibility of the examination process.

The MeitY direction to disable the editing feature is designed to close this post-examination window of fabrication.

NTA acknowledged in its press release that the access restriction will affect lakhs of ordinary citizens who use Telegram for legitimate personal, educational and professional purposes, and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused. The agency clarified that the block is strictly temporary, ending the day after the exam on June 22. The feature-level direction on message editing, which extends to June 30, does not affect the ability to send or receive new messages on the platform.

The agency urged candidates to focus on their preparation, ignore unverified content on any platform, and rely exclusively on official channels for examination-related updates.

National Cyber-Crime Helpline: 1930

National Cyber-Crime Reporting Portal: cybercrime.gov.in

NTA Helplines: 011-40759000 / 011-69227700

NTA Email: neetug@nta.ac.in

Official Website: http://www.neet.nta.nic.in

Candidates who encounter fraudulent solicitations — online, by phone or in person — are urged to report immediately.