Telegram Access Temporarily Restricted in India Until June 22 Ahead of NEET 2026 Re-Exam

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has ordered a temporary restriction on Telegram access in India until June 22, 2026. The move comes following recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA), aimed at preventing exam-related fraud and paper leak activities ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.

The restriction was implemented on Tuesday after concerns were raised about the misuse of the platform by cheating networks and scam groups. Authorities stated that the decision is part of stronger security measures to ensure a fair and transparent examination process.

According to the official notification issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, access to Telegram in India has been limited for a defined period ending June 22, 2026, which includes the exam day and the immediate period after it.

In addition, the government has also directed the platform to disable its message-editing feature for previously sent messages until June 30, 2026. This step has been taken to prevent the creation or manipulation of fake “paper leak” evidence that could disrupt national examinations.

Officials emphasized that these measures are temporary and focused specifically on maintaining the integrity of the NEET (UG) 2026 examination process.