Paper leaks through encrypted messaging platforms a continuing concern

A group of aspirants from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds recently approached the Supreme Court, alleging that the question paper of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2026 had been leaked ahead of the examination and circulated through a social media application, Telegram. On January 7, 2026, the Court dismissed the petition, noting that the results had already been declared and that it was too late for judicial intervention at that stage. While the plea did not proceed further, the allegations point to a deeper and recurring concern. This is not the first time that alleged leaks of competitive examination papers have been linked to online groups, particularly those operating on Telegram.

Also Read: Supreme Court declines to entertain plea seeking probe into alleged CLAT 2026 paper leak

In 2024, similar allegations surfaced following claims of a leak in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG (Under Graduate). The National Testing Agency (NTA), however, maintained that many of the claims circulating online were false. Although the Supreme Court observed that a leak of the NEET UG 2024 paper at Hazaribagh in Jharkhand and Patna in Bihar was “not in dispute” at the preliminary stage, it declined to order a re-examination, citing the absence of evidence of a widespread leak. Separately, according to an earlier report by The Hindu, the alleged circulation of a “doctored” screenshot of the University Grants Commission, National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) question paper, conducted for admission to Ph.D. programmes and for the post of Assistant Professor, on Telegram led to the cancellation of the examination. The test was called off after the Union Home Ministry alerted the NTA to a possible “breach”, officials said.

Also Read: Over 100 channels with ‘false’ information on NEET found

That year also saw the introduction of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which came into force in June. The law provides for a minimum imprisonment of three to five years to curb cheating, while those involved in organised examination fraud face imprisonment of five to ten years and a minimum fine of ₹1 crore. Despite these measures, similar concerns resurfaced in 2025. As per The Hindu report, on May 2, two days before the examination, the NTA said that, acting on inputs received through its Suspicious Claims Reporting Portal, it had found that a majority of the claims circulating across 106 Telegram channels and 16 Instagram accounts were misleading and aimed at spreading misinformation among students.

Also Read: CBI likely to file chargesheet against youth in UGC-NET paper leak case

Even now, aspirants of several national-level examinations continue to allege that question papers or study materials are being promised in advance of exams in exchange for payments of up to ₹20,000. In a couple of groups joined by this reporter, Telegram channels were found claiming to provide question papers a day in advance for amounts as much as ₹20,000. Whether these claims are genuine or entirely fabricated remains to be verified. However, the larger concern lies in the growing influence of such Telegram groups, which draw thousands of anxious aspirants into their fold; one such channel has nearly 12,000 subscribers.

Anonymity, scale aid misuse

Shikha Goel, IPS, Director General of Police, Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau, speaking to The Hindu, said that the problem of tracing such groups on social media platforms was not limited to examination leaks alone, noting that platforms such as Telegram were being used for a wide range of illegal activities. “We have seen these platforms being used for offering mule accounts, selling SIM cards, cybercrime-related jobs, and even circulating child sexual abuse material,” she said.

According to her, one of the biggest challenges for investigating agencies is the lack of cooperation from these platforms. “They consistently take the position that, due to encryption, they do not know what is happening on their platforms. They claim they do not read messages and therefore cannot share information,” she shared. She further said that investigative access itself is a major hurdle. “Many of these are closed groups. You cannot enter unless someone verifies and adds you. For the police, entering such spaces is extremely difficult unless done covertly,” she said, adding that the sheer number of such groups makes surveillance nearly impossible. Another difficulty, she said, is that members of such groups, who may themselves be victims often do not cooperate with investigations. “People are reluctant to share details of these groups because they themselves may be legally implicated,” she noted.

On students joining groups that claim to sell question papers, she warned that they could face legal consequences. “If there is a paper leak and you are found to be part of such a group, you will be legally liable,” she said. She also added that students also run a high risk of being scammed. “More often than not, these are frauds. There is no guarantee that any paper will actually be provided,” she said.

While Telegram groups can host up to around 2,00,000 members, WhatsApp groups are comparatively smaller, with around 1,000 members. An intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Telegram’s ability to accommodate a far larger number of users in a single group, along with its features, contributes to the proliferation of such activities. These features include anonymity, where usernames and phone numbers are not visible, group names masking individual identities, hidden administrators and members, and restrictions on screenshots and message forwarding. The official added that even when complaints are received, IP details are often obtained much later from the platform. “By then, most traces have vanished, leaving only a postmortem study,” the official said.

Not an isolated issue

Meanwhile, Sikharam Narahari, president of the Parents’ Association of Andhra Pradesh (PAAP), said that the problem of examination paper leaks has existed for a long time, particularly with the rise of the privatisation of education. He noted that those behind such leaks continually reinvent methods to reach students and aspirants. According to him, the issue cannot be addressed in isolation. “Paper leaks are likely to stop only when the focus is not limited to enforcement, but extended to improving the learning environment, strengthening educational institutions, and increasing job opportunities,” he said.

He emphasised the need for better laboratory infrastructure from an early age to allow students to experiment and learn, rather than rely on rote memorisation. “For that, we need well-equipped labs in schools,” he added. He further shared that increasing the number of quality educational institutions would reduce the intense competition to enter a handful of institutes, while a rise in job opportunities would eventually reduce the desperation that fuels examination malpractices.

(This is written by Bhaskar Basava, an independent journalist based in Hyderabad, covering politics, human rights, and environmental issues, primarily from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He is now expanding his work to include education across all States.)

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Published – January 14, 2026 05:02 pm IST