The Government of India took the unprecedented step of temporarily restricting Telegram in India from approximately June 18 to June 22, 2026, covering the period of the Re-NEET UG 2026 examination on June 21, to prevent organised fraud networks from using the platform to circulate fake question papers and mislead medical aspirants. In addition to the Telegram restriction, authorities also disabled the message-editing feature on Telegram until June 30, 2026, to prevent retroactive modification of messages used in scam operations.
The coordinated action was taken by NTA, I4C (Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre), MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology), and state police cyber cells after fraudsters were found running channels demanding money from NEET aspirants in exchange for “leaked papers” — all of which NTA confirmed were fake.
What the Telegram Restriction Covers
| Action | Duration |
|---|---|
| Temporary Telegram restriction in India | Until June 22, 2026 |
| Telegram message-editing feature disabled | Until June 30, 2026 |
| Fraudulent channels removed | Ongoing coordinated action |
| Reporting mechanism | cybercrime.gov.in and helpline 1930 |
NTA’s Warning to Students
The NTA officially stated that no question paper for Re-NEET UG 2026 was leaked. All content circulating on Telegram and WhatsApp claiming to be the NEET 2026 paper is fabricated. Students who purchased materials from such channels were scammed financially and also risk criminal action under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024.
NTA confirmed: “The integrity and sanctity of Re-NEET UG 2026 examination is fully intact. All claims of paper leak are false and mischievous.”
What Students Must Know
- If you receive any message on Telegram, WhatsApp, or any platform claiming to carry the NEET paper — do not open or share it
- Report such content immediately at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930
- Focus only on revision using your own notes and standard NCERT material tonight
- The provisional answer key for Re-NEET 2026 is expected between June 24 and June 27, 2026 at neet.nta.nic.in
