India has restricted access to Telegram in an effort to stop elaborate fraud networks from tricking candidates ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 medical admissions retest. The move marks an unusual clash between the government and the messaging platform over an alleged exam leak scheme.
The orders were issued under Section 69A of India’s IT Act, following recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA). The agency said it had removed channels and bots operating under names such as “PAPER LEAKED NEET” and “Private Mafia,” which allegedly demanded payments ranging from thousands to millions of rupees in exchange for supposed access to the exam paper.
Officials said the claims were entirely fake and that there had been no breach outside the exam’s security chain. Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov sharply criticized the measure, saying India had “punished” more than 150 million regular users. He argued the temporary ban did not stop the scammers, who simply moved to other messaging apps.
The NTA described the restriction as a “last resort,” saying earlier efforts focused on specific channels had not produced a sufficient response from the platform. The case underscores growing concern over organized cheating attempts around one of India’s most important entrance exams.
