The National Testing Agency (NTA) has defended its decision to temporarily block Telegram during the re-NEET examination process, stating that the messaging platform was extensively misused by fraudsters to circulate fake question papers and scam students.
NTA Director General's Statement
Speaking on the issue to ANI, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said the move was necessary to protect candidates from exploitation by individuals claiming to possess leaked NEET question papers. This step comes ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21.
"We had to take this drastic step because the platform was continuously being misused by scamsters and fraudsters sharing fake question papers as genuine and trying to fool people into paying for those question papers," Singh said.
Over 200 Channels Blocked
Singh revealed that the NTA held discussions with Telegram officials and requested stricter monitoring of groups falsely claiming to offer leaked NEET papers. "We had a meeting with Telegram officials and requested them not to allow creation of any group that clearly says it's a NEET leak paper. We had to block 200 channels, but sometimes in the time taken by them to take action, some people get defrauded," he said.
The NTA chief also referred to the May 3 NEET examination, later cancelled for unrelated reasons, noting that some Telegram channels circulated misleading videos claiming the question paper had been leaked in advance. "What we found was that there were some Telegram channels floating a video showing the actual question paper of May 3 as being shared on May 1," Singh said.
Concerns Beyond Examination Fraud
Highlighting broader concerns, Singh said reports linked Telegram to several forms of illegal activity beyond exam-related scams. "There are substantial reports about misuse of the Telegram platform for other crimes, drugs, crypto, fake investment advice, prostitution, and child sexual abuse. This has been done in the interest of examinations," he said.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered the restriction under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, acting on recommendations from the NTA. The block is time-bound, with access restricted until June 22, covering exam day and its immediate aftermath. In a separate direction, Telegram has been told to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.
