Telegram restrictions become latest anti-cheating measure
The NTA on Tuesday announced that the Centre has temporarily restricted access to Telegram in India till June 22 and directed the platform to disable its message-editing feature until June 30, citing concerns over exam-related fraud ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.
The restriction will remain in place through the examination period and immediately afterward. The curbs on editing functionality are intended to stop the creation of fabricated “paper leak” evidence.
According to the agency, the decision followed concerns over the organised use of Telegram by cheating networks attempting to target candidates appearing for the re-examination. NTA said the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been coordinating with NTA, state police forces and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to remove Telegram channels, groups and bots allegedly promoting fraudulent access to exam papers.
The agency said earlier efforts focused on removing individual channels but were insufficient given the scale of the issue. It described the platform-level restrictions as a “last resort” designed to impose only the minimum limitations required to safeguard candidates and maintain public order.
NTA also said Telegram’s message-editing feature had been misused during recent examinations. According to the agency, administrators were able to edit older messages and replace attached files without altering timestamps, creating the impression that exam papers had been circulated before the test. The temporary suspension of editing is intended to prevent such post-exam manipulation.
Complaint portal launched for reporting suspicious activity
To strengthen exam integrity and tackle misinformation, the NTA has launched a dedicated online complaint portal for students and the public to flag suspicious activities linked to the re-examination.
The portal is intended to collect information related to possible irregularities connected to the examination process. Students, parents and members of the public can report alleged paper leaks, illegal access to question papers, impersonation attempts or any misleading information.
NTA said all submissions will be examined by relevant authorities and, where required, details may also be shared with law enforcement agencies.
Question paper handling brought under tighter control
Authorities have strengthened safeguards around question paper preparation and distribution through stricter access protocols and restricted communication channels.
Question setters are being kept inside self-contained insulated rooms without internet or phone access. Draft materials are destroyed after use and final papers are stored in encrypted form on a master computer.
Movement of question papers is being monitored under a controlled chain of custody, with transportation tracked at several stages to reduce the risk of leaks.
Multiple paper sets, including reserve versions, have been prepared. The A/B/C/D labels have been replaced with longer non-standard codes, and answer choices are being rearranged across versions to make leaked fragments difficult to match with any specific paper.
Transport and storage systems have also been reinforced. Question paper packets are being moved from hub cities under enhanced security arrangements involving GPS tracking, airlift operations and security escorts.
The Indian Air Force has been tasked with airlifting consignments, while CRPF and CISF personnel are providing two-layer security for both outbound question papers and the return movement of OMR sheets.
Question papers will be directly airlifted from printing facilities to highly secured distribution centres across states to minimise tampering risks during transit.
AI surveillance and real-time monitoring
Technology-driven monitoring has been expanded significantly for the re-examination.
CCTV feeds from examination centres will be tracked simultaneously by NTA control rooms, district and state authorities, the Ministry of Education and central institutions.
AI-powered surveillance systems will also be deployed to detect unusual behavioural patterns. A central command centre will oversee feeds from across the country, while flying squads and observers carry out on-ground inspections in real time.
Additional verification at examination centres
At examination venues, candidates will undergo Aadhaar-based biometric verification supported by facial recognition and live photography to reduce the risk of impersonation and proxy candidates.
Security screening has also been tightened. Candidates will pass through multiple layers of frisking, including metal detector checks, with separate arrangements for male and female candidates.
Electronic devices including mobile phones, smartwatches and calculators will remain prohibited.
Secured return of answer sheets
After the examination concludes, answer sheets will be transported back through the same secured system.
OMR sheets will be sealed and escorted by CRPF and CISF personnel. They will remain under CCTV surveillance until packaging and dispatch for evaluation are completed.
Candidate-friendly changes introduced
Alongside tighter security, NTA has announced several measures aimed at improving the examination experience for students.
NEET (UG) 2026 will now be conducted from 2 pm to 5:15 pm, increasing the total examination window to 195 minutes, with an additional 15 minutes added to the duration.
The agency has also doubled the rough-work space in question booklets from two pages to four pages to provide more room for calculations and reasoning.
Another change is intended to support left-handed candidates. Earlier, rough-work pages were placed only at the end of the booklet. Under the revised format, two rough-work pages will now appear immediately after the instruction page, while additional pages remain at the end in both English and regional-language booklets.
Centre and states strengthen coordination
Administrative oversight has also been intensified ahead of the re-test. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan recently chaired a high-level review meeting with state governments to assess security arrangements, logistics, law and order preparedness and coordination mechanisms.
During the meeting, states, Union territories and central agencies were directed to strictly implement security protocols and ensure smooth conduct of the examination without disruptions.
The review also examined logistical preparedness and coordination at examination centres to reduce operational challenges on exam day.
NTA has already informed the Supreme Court that NEET-UG is expected to transition to computer-based testing (CBT) from 2027, a move aimed at reducing reliance on physical paper handling and improving monitoring systems.
