NEET re-test: Govt bans Telegram app until June 22. Here's why

In a decisive move to maintain the integrity of the upcoming NEET re-examination, the government has imposed a temporary ban on the Telegram app, effective until midnight on June 22. This action follows alarming reports of paper leak channels that have potentially compromised the examination for over 23 lakh students. Scheduled for June 21, the NEET re-exam comes in the wake of a significant paper leak incident in May. According to the National Testing Agency (NTA), the ban is a result of extensive monitoring of Telegram channels that were allegedly facilitating cheating and cyber fraud. Channels with names like "PAPER LEAKED NEET" and "Private Mafia" brazenly offered access to the exam paper, demanding payments that ranged from thousands to several lakhs of rupees from candidates and their families. In a bid to prevent further manipulation, the NTA has mandated that Telegram disable its message editing feature for previously posted messages in India until June 30, 2026. This feature has reportedly been exploited to create false evidence of paper leaks by editing older messages to include actual exam questions after the examination had taken place. The NTA emphasized that this measure is crucial in combating the historical use of fabricated artifacts as proof of pre-exam leaks. The agency described these steps as "calibrated and bounded in time," indicating that they were implemented only after other attempts, such as removing specific channels and groups, proved ineffective. The temporary ban on Telegram has been labeled a "measure of last resort" aimed at enhancing public order and safeguarding the integrity of the NEET-UG re-exam. Moreover, the NTA reassured students that no actual exam paper exists outside the secured examination framework, reiterating that any claims of possessing such materials are fraudulent. The agency believes that this ban will significantly contribute to creating a "safe and secure" environment for the hundreds of thousands of students participating in the medical entrance exam this Sunday.