BENGALURU: When 17-year-old Samiksha Narsale walked out of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in May, she thought the past two years of preparation were finally behind her.

A week later, allegations emerged that the NEET question paper had been leaked on Telegram. Authorities ordered a retest the following month. 

Even then, the Telegram channels she followed were flooded with rumours that the new test paper had also been leaked.

About 2.2 million students took the NEET in 2026. India’s national qualifying exam for aspiring doctors and dentists, it is one of the country’s most competitive entrance tests. 

“Suddenly, everyone felt they had to be on Telegram because you didn't know what information might appear there,” Narsale told CNA.

Acting on the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) recommendations, India temporarily blocked the Telegram messaging app from Jun 16 to 22.

The NTA said the ban was “in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates” ahead of the re-examination on Jun 21. 

Telegram challenged the temporary ban, but a New Delhi court upheld the government’s decision, ruling that the restrictions were legal and reasonable. 

For investigators and cybersecurity researchers, the NEET controversy was only the latest example of a larger trend. Telegram has become a recurring feature in India’s cybercrime investigations.