Telegram app to remain banned across India till June 22 in wake of NEET fraud crackdown
PTC News Desk: The Centre on Tuesday a temporary ban on the messaging app Telegram across India amid paper leak and cheating rackets. The app will remain suspended in the country until June 22 ahead of the upcoming NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.
"Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued notification a direction under Section 69 A 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. A direction requiring the platform to disable, in India, the message-editing feature in respect of messages already posted, for a defined period ending 30 June 2026, addressing the specific structural feature through which the platform has been used to fabricate after-the-event “paper leak” evidence in respect of national examinations," the statement read.
According to the National Testing Agency, the measures were aimed at preventing organised networks from exploiting the platform to spread false claims of question paper leaks and to defraud the students appearing for the medical entrance examination.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs, acted as the nodal agency in a crackdown on fraudulent online channels, groups, and bots involved in exam-related scams.
Police agencies from Bihar, Gujarat, and Rajasthan continuously provided intelligence on channels using names such as "PAPER LEAKED NEET" and "Private Mafia." These groups allegedly cheated students and their families by promising leaked exam papers and charging amounts ranging from thousands to lakhs of rupees.
In a major breakthrough, the Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch recently dismantled an inter-state gang that was running eight such channels. Investigators traced financial transactions linked to the operation worth nearly ₹1.5 crore.
According to the testing agency, restrictions imposed on the platform were taken only as a last resort. Officials said repeated attempts to have individual fraudulent channels removed did not result in sufficient cooperation or compliance from the platform. As a result, broader temporary restrictions were introduced to curb the spread of exam-related scams and protect students from being exploited.
- PTC NEWS
