Major Action Against Telegram: IT Ministry Orders Temporary Ban in India Until June 22

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has welcomed the government directives issued regarding the Telegram platform in India. According to the NTA, the Government of India issued two key directives against Telegram based on its recommendation. The first directive was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, imposing a temporary ban on the Telegram app in India until June 22, 2026. The second directive requires Telegram to disable the message editing feature for previously posted messages in India until June 30, 2026. The NTA stated that this step was taken in the interest of students, with the decision made in view of the NEET examination.

First Directive Regarding Telegram

According to the NTA, a directive has been issued to restrict access to the Telegram platform in India under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. This restriction will remain in effect until June 22, 2026. This period encompasses the day of the NEET UG 2026 re-examination and the time immediately following it.

Directive on Message Editing Feature

The government has directed Telegram to disable the message editing feature for previously posted messages in India until June 30, 2026. According to the NTA, this measure addresses the specific feature that was used to fabricate evidence of paper leaks—after the fact—regarding national examinations.

What the NTA Said

The NTA stated that both measures were taken in the interest of public order. According to the NTA, the Telegram platform was being used by organized cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET UG 2026 re-examination.

NTA Expresses Gratitude to the Ministry

The NTA thanked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The NTA stated that this timely step, taken in the interest of students, will help in conducting the NEET UG 2026 re-examination on June 21, 2026, in a safe and secure manner.