3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jun 18, 2026 03:51 PM IST
The National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General, Abhishek Singh, on Tuesday defended the government’s decision to block Telegram access in India, ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21. He admitted that the move is not foolproof. Some operators could still use VPNs to get around the block. However, without a large pool of students accessing these channels, the fraud network loses its market.
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“Even though they can continue operating channels using VPNs, if there is no clientele, the fraud will be prevented, and students will be protected from losing money and wasting their time dealing with fabricated question paper leaks.”
The NTA DG, in an interview with news agency ANI, said security agencies, including the I4C, state police, special task forces, and investigative agencies, have been proactively tracking such channels for a long time. He explained that detection and takedown time, and during that window, fraud can occur. Channels often resurface under new names. He said the way these networks link to Telegram, file-sharing tools and payment gateways left the agency with no option but to impose a blanket block, especially with the re-exam scheduled for this Sunday.
Responding to criticism that the government is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut by deploying IAF planes, ramping up security, and blocking an entire platform, Singh said every step taken is in the interest of student safety.
He pointed out that the NEET re-exam had to be organised in just 37 days, compared to the usual five to six months of preparation time. Question paper setting, proofreading, translation into 13 languages, printing of 22 lakh papers, and transportation all had to be compressed into that window. Defence Ministry and Air Force support cutting transport time from 15-20 days down to three or four. “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,” he said.
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On security measures for the current exam, the DG said NTA has added multiple layers of protection at every stage, from question paper creation to translation, printing, storage, and transport. He said the agency has roped in the Ministry of Home Affairs, paramilitary forces, the Department of Post, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of External Affairs, state governments, state police and administration to ensure the exam runs without compromise across 5,440 centres in India and 14 centres abroad.
