The National Testing Agency (NTA) said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a notification imposing temporary restrictions on access to the Telegram platform across India under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The move is time‑bound and aimed at protecting the integrity of the NEET (UG) 2026 re‑examination process by preventing the spread of misleading or unauthorised content.
According to the notification, access to Telegram will be restricted nationwide for a defined period ending on June 22, 2026, covering the scheduled day of the NEET (UG) 2026 re‑examination and the immediate period that follows. The NTA framed the measure as necessary to limit the circulation of content that could compromise the conduct or perceived fairness of the national medical entrance exam.
In addition to platform access limits, the directions require Telegram to disable its message‑editing feature in India for messages already posted; that restriction will remain in effect until June 30, 2026. The agency said this step responds to concerns that message‑editing capabilities have been used to create fabricated post‑event narratives and false “paper leak” claims tied to national examinations.
The temporary directions invoke Section 69A of the IT Act, which empowers the government to block public access to online information under specified circumstances. The NTA emphasised the measures are limited in time and designed to ensure transparency, maintain public confidence in the examination process, and reduce the risk of misinformation during the NEET (UG) 2026 re‑examination period.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/national/story/centre-restricts-telegram-access-during-neet-ug-2026-re-examination-period-nta-announces-1408855-2026-06-16?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-06-16 11:29:00
