Message editing disabled till Jun 30
Re-examination on Jun 21
NTA welcomes Centre’s action
Srinagar, Jun 16: The Central government has ordered a temporary block on Telegram in India till June 22 and directed the platform to disable its message editing feature for existing posts till June 30, following recommendations made by the National Testing Agency (NTA) ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination scheduled on June 21.
The move has also led to the Telegram app being removed from the Google Play Store in India, adding to the restrictions imposed ahead of the examination.
In a statement issued on Monday, the NTA welcomed the action, saying the measures are “calibrated and bounded in time” and aimed at ensuring the safe and secure conduct of the examination.
According to the agency, a direction issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, restricts access to the Telegram platform in India for a defined and limited period ending June 22, 2026. The restriction covers the day of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and its immediate aftermath.
The NTA further said Telegram has been directed to disable, in India, the message editing feature for messages already posted until June 30, 2026.
The agency alleged that the feature had been used to fabricate after-the-event “paper leak” evidence related to national examinations.
“The direction addresses 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 said.
The NTA said both measures have been taken in the interest of public order and in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets seeking to defraud candidates appearing in the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.
The examination is scheduled to be held on June 21, 2026. The NTA also expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for what it described as timely action, saying the restrictions would help ensure a safe and secure examination process for students across the country.
