New Delhi [India], June 16 (ANI): National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh on Tuesday defended the government’s decision to temporarily restrict Telegram ahead of the re-NEET-UG 2026 examination, saying there was “no option” left as the platform was being misused by fraudsters to sell fake question papers and exploit anxious students.
In an interview with ANI, Singh also alleged that some of the channels involved in selling fake papers were being operated from countries “which are not the best friends of India.”
The Centre imposed temporary restrictions on Telegram in India ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21, citing widespread misuse of the platform by fake paper leak channels and delays in removing such content despite repeated complaints.
“We had to take this drastic step because the platform was continuously being misused by scamsters and fraudsters who were sharing fake question papers as genuine papers and trying to fool students and parents into paying for them,” Singh said.
“It may appear to be a sledgehammer (being used to crack a nut), but when it is in the interest of the students, when it is in the interest of the careers of our 22 lakh young minds, every step will be taken. The strong arm of the law will come down when it is required. We are not there to just issue warnings and threats, but to also act when it is needed in the interest of our young students,” Singh added.
Addressing concerns that some users could bypass the restrictions through Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or operate channels from outside India, Singh acknowledged that such possibilities existed but said the move would still break the chain between fraudsters and students.
“Some people can operate channels by using VPNs, or they can operate them from outside India. We found that some channels were being operated from countries which are not the best friends of India. They may continue to operate these channels, but if there is no clientele and students cannot access them, the fraud will be prevented, and students will be protected from losing money and wasting their time chasing fake question papers,” he said.
Singh said the NTA and other agencies had identified and blocked nearly 200 such channels. However, he raised concerns over Telegram’s editing feature, which allows users to alter older messages while retaining the original timestamp, making it easier for fraudsters to falsely claim they had access to examination papers before the exam.
He said the government’s decision was also aimed at protecting the morale of more than 22 lakh NEET aspirants.
“Not every student will qualify. We do not want students who fail to believe that they lost because someone else had access to a leaked paper. They should have confidence that the examination is based purely on merit,” he said.
Emphasising that the temporary restriction was taken in the interest of conducting a fair examination, Singh said the NTA was committed to ensuring a completely malpractice-free NEET-UG 2026 examination on June 21.
He said multiple layers of security had been added to protect the preparation, translation, printing, transportation and storage of question papers. The NTA has coordinated with the Ministry of Home Affairs, paramilitary forces, Department of Posts, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of External Affairs, state governments and law enforcement agencies to safeguard the examination process.
“We have taken every possible precaution. This is India’s commitment to its young minds, and we will ensure that the examination is conducted in a flawless manner across all 5,040 centres in India and 14 centres abroad,” Singh said. (ANI)