Centre restricts Telegram access during NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination period, NTA announces

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a notification directing temporary restrictions on access to the Telegram platform in India under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

According to the notification, access to Telegram will remain restricted across India for a defined and limited period ending on June 22, 2026. The measure covers the scheduled day of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and the immediate period following the examination.

The NTA stated that the move has been undertaken as part of efforts to safeguard the integrity of the examination process and to prevent the circulation of misleading or unauthorised content related to the national-level medical entrance examination.

In addition to restricting platform access, the notification also directs Telegram to disable the message-editing feature in India for messages that have already been posted. This restriction will remain in effect until June 30, 2026.

According to the agency, the measure addresses concerns linked to the use of message-editing capabilities to allegedly create fabricated post-event narratives and false “paper leak” claims associated with national examinations.

The temporary directions have been issued under the provisions of Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which empowers the government to direct blocking of public access to online information under specified circumstances.

The NTA said the restrictions are time-bound and aimed at ensuring transparency, maintaining public confidence in the examination process, and preventing the spread of misinformation during the conduct of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination period.