Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan held a meeting with representatives of major social media platforms including Meta, Google and Telegram yesterday, raising serious concerns over the growing spread of misinformation related to competitive examinations, particularly through Telegram channels and anonymous online groups.

The meeting was crucial ahead of the re-examination of NEET (UG) 2026 on 21st of June.

Officials noted that several such channels become highly active in the run-up to major examinations, circulating fake paper leak claims, clickbait content and unverified information that triggers panic, anxiety and confusion among students and parents. It was highlighted that many such links redirect users to automated bots and fake groups designed to amplify misinformation.

In another meeting, the Education Minister stressed the need for heightened vigilance and foolproof security arrangements to ensure a safe, secure and fair conduct of the upcoming NEET-UG Re-Examination.

Mr Pradhan said this while chairing a high-level review meeting with Central Security and Intelligence Agencies in New Delhi yesterday.

During the meeting, serious concerns were also raised over the growing spread of misinformation related to competitive examinations through anonymous online groups.

Taking cognisance of the issue, Mr Pradhan directed a focused crackdown on such networks, including proactive identification, blocking and takedown of channels spreading fake information.

The Minister emphasised that social media platforms must work in close coordination with the Ministry of Education, National Testing Agency and law enforcement agencies to curb misinformation swiftly and protect the integrity of the examination system.