Telegram ban: Abhishek Singh, Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA), defended the government’s decision to block access to Telegram in India on Tuesday. This decision was taken ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21. He acknowledged that the measure is not entirely foolproof; some operators might still bypass the block using VPNs. However, if a large number of students do not use these channels, the market for fraud networks collapses.
Even if they run channels via VPN (Virtual Private Network), the fraud will come to a stop due to a lack of customers, and students will be spared the waste of time and money associated with fake leaked question papers.
In an interview with news agency ANI, the NTA DG stated that security agencies, including the I4C, state police, Special Task Forces, and investigative bodies, have been actively monitoring such channels for a long time. He explained that identifying and removing these channels takes time, during which fraud can occur.
These channels often resurface under new names. He noted that given how these networks are interconnected via Telegram, file-sharing tools, and payment gateways, the agency was left with no option but to implement a complete block, especially with the re-examination scheduled for this Sunday.
Responding to criticism that the government was taking drastic measures, such as deploying IAF aircraft, ramping up security, and blocking an entire platform, for a relatively minor issue, Singh asserted that every step taken was in the interest of student safety.
He pointed out that the NEET re-examination had to be organised in just 37 days, whereas such exams typically allow for five to six months of preparation. Tasks ranging from question paper preparation, proofreading, and translation into 13 languages to the printing and transportation of 2.2 million papers all had to be completed within this compressed timeframe.
The Ministry of Defence and the Air Force helped reduce the transportation time from 15–20 days to three or four days. He stated, “Our role is not merely to issue warnings and threats, but also to take action when necessary in the interest of our young students.”
Regarding security measures for the upcoming examination, the DG noted that the NTA has incorporated multiple layers of security at every stage, from the setting of question papers to translation, printing, storage, and transportation. He added that the agency has engaged the Ministry of Home Affairs, paramilitary forces, the Department of Posts, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of External Affairs, state governments, state police, and local administrations to ensure the exam is conducted smoothly across 5,440 centers in India and centers abroad.
Also Read: Admit Card for the NEET UG 2026 (Re-Examination) Have Been Released on neet.nta.nic.in.
