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TELEGRAM BAN IN INDIA 2026: FULL NTA PRESS RELEASE PDF

NTA Telegram Ban Press Release NEET UG 2026

NTA STATEMENT REGARDING THE ACTION ON TELEGRAM PLATFORM IN INDIA

National Testing Agency (NTA) – Press Release Dated 16 June 2026, New Delhi

Reference NTA Press Release

Issuing Authority NTA, Ministry of Education

Date 16 June 2026

Re-exam Date 21 June 2026

Telegram Access Restriction

Till 22 June 2026

Under Section 69A of IT Act, 2000

Message Editing Disabled

Till 30 June 2026

Prevents after-event paper leak fabrication

NEET (UG) Re-exam

21 June 2026

As scheduled, unaffected by action

Key Directives & Actions

Section 69A Restriction: MeitY has issued 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.
Message Editing Feature Disabled: A separate direction requires Telegram to disable the message-editing feature in India for messages already posted, for a defined period ending 30 June 2026. This addresses the specific structural feature used to fabricate after-the-event "paper leak" evidence.
Purpose of Action: Both measures are taken in the interest of public order, in response to the organised use of Telegram by cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.
I4C Coordination: 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 targeting NEET candidates.
Channel Takedowns: I4C has secured the prompt take-down of a substantial number of Telegram channels, groups and bots openly advertising fraudulent purposes — with active support from MeitY.
Measure of Last Resort: The platform-level directions were issued only after intermediate remedies, including channel-by-channel take-downs, had been pursued and had not produced the required platform-level response.
Fraudulent Channels: Channels operating openly under names like "PAPER LEAKED NEET", "Re-NEET 2026", "Private Mafia", and "REE NEET MAFIAA" demanded sums ranging from a few thousand to several lakhs of rupees for purported access to the re-examination paper.
No Paper Leaked: NTA reiterates that there is no such paper available outside the secured examination chain. The promise of any such material is, in every instance, a fraud.

Key Highlights & Conditions

Message Editing Exploit: Telegram's message-editing feature allows a channel admin to edit the content of a previously posted message — including substituting attached PDFs — while retaining the original send-time stamp. This has been used to fabricate after-the-event "paper leak" artefacts.
State Police Action: The Bihar Police Economic Offences Unit issued a public advisory on 9 June 2026 warning candidates against fraudulent claims. The Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch arrested members of an inter-State cyberfraud gang operating eight Telegram channels, with documented transactions of approximately ₹1.5 crore.
Regret for Inconvenience: NTA acknowledges that the access restriction affects lakhs of citizens who use Telegram for legitimate purposes and sincerely regrets the inconvenience. The restriction is expressly confined to the period ending 22 June 2026.
Examination Unaffected: The security of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination on 21 June 2026 is unaffected by the action taken; it is, in fact, the very purpose of the action.
Report Fraud: Any encounter with fraudulent solicitations should be reported immediately to the National Cyber-Crime Helpline at 1930 or through cybercrime.gov.in.
NTA Helplines: 011-40759000 / 011-69227700 and neet@nta.ac.in remain available for candidate queries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why has Telegram been restricted in India?

Telegram access has been restricted under Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000 till 22 June 2026 to prevent organised cheating rackets from defrauding NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination candidates through fraudulent paper leak claims.

For how long is Telegram access restricted?

The access restriction is for a defined and limited period ending 22 June 2026 — covering the NEET UG re-exam day (21 June) and its immediate aftermath.

What is the message editing disablement about?

Telegram's message-editing feature has been exploited to fabricate after-the-event "paper leak" evidence. Admins edit older messages to insert actual question papers after the exam, while the original timestamp remains. This feature is disabled till 30 June 2026 to close this avenue of fabrication.

Is the NEET (UG) 2026 re-exam still happening?

Yes. The NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination will be conducted as scheduled on 21 June 2026. The security of the examination is unaffected; the Telegram action is taken precisely to ensure a fair and secure exam.

How can I report fraudulent paper leak claims?

Report immediately to the National Cyber-Crime Helpline at 1930 or through the portal cybercrime.gov.in. You can also contact NTA helplines at 011-40759000 / 011-69227700 or email neet@nta.ac.in.

Were any arrests made in connection with the Telegram fraud?

Yes. The Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch arrested members of an inter-State cyberfraud gang operating eight Telegram channels, with documented transactions of approximately ₹1.5 crore routed through fraudulent bank accounts.

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