NEW DELHI, June 16: The Government has restricted access to the Telegram messaging platform across India until June 22 ahead of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21, citing concerns over malpractice and cheating networks.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) welcomed the decision of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), stating that the temporary restriction will remain in force during the examination and its immediate aftermath to ensure the fair conduct of the test.
In addition, Telegram has been directed to disable its message-editing feature for already-posted messages until June 30. According to the NTA, the feature had allegedly been misused to create fabricated claims of question paper leaks after examinations.
The agency said both measures were taken in the interest of public order and to curb the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets seeking to exploit candidates appearing for the re-examination.
Expressing gratitude to MeitY for the timely intervention, the NTA said the steps would help ensure the safe, secure and transparent conduct of the examination in the interest of students. (Agencies)
