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The Central Government has decided to temporarily suspend the messaging platform Telegram. This move follows the decision to hold a re-examination for NEET 2026. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has welcomed the government's decision to temporarily ban Telegram ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 medical entrance re-examination. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued directives to temporarily suspend Telegram's services in India until June 22, 2026. This step aims to ensure the fairness and security of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.

**NTA explains the reason for the Telegram ban**
The NTA believes this decision will help curb the spread of exam-related question papers, rumors, and misinformation. The agency stated that maintaining the transparency and credibility of the examination process is its top priority. According to the NTA, incidents involving the alleged circulation of misinformation and exam materials via social media and messaging platforms during various competitive exams have been reported in recent years. Consequently, this decision has been taken as a precautionary measure. The NTA has urged candidates appearing for the re-examination to rely solely on the official website and authorized information channels, and to avoid any unverified information or rumors.

**Ban on Telegram's message-editing feature until June 30**
A statement issued by the NTA notes that the temporary ban on Telegram has been imposed under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and will remain in effect until June 22, 2026. Under a separate order, Telegram is required to disable the feature allowing users to edit previously sent messages in India until June 30, 2026. The objective is to prevent the misuse of this feature, which has previously been used to fabricate evidence of fake paper leaks following national examinations. The objective of these two measures is to maintain public order and curb organized gangs that were using Telegram to defraud students appearing for the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.

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