India Temporarily Blocks Telegram Over Medical Exam Fraud
The move follows reports that cheating networks used Telegram to sell fake papers and extort candidates, with more than 2.28 million students affected.
- On Tuesday, the Union government blocked Telegram in India until June 22 to prevent cheating rackets from defrauding candidates appearing for the National Eligibility Entrance Test re-examination scheduled for June 21.
- Following last month's cancellation of the NEET due to leaked questions, the National Testing Agency reported that various Telegram channels were selling false question papers to scam aspirants.
- The Ministry of Education also ordered Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30, as the NTA alleged the tool was used to fabricate misleading "paper leak" evidence.
- Officials labeled the ban a measure of "last resort" issued in the "interest of sovereignty and integrity of India," though the government "regrets the inconvenience caused" to legitimate users.
- Authorities have scheduled the re-examination for June 21, implementing strict security measures including Air Force transport for exam materials and isolating question paper setters to prevent further leaks.
129 Articles
129 Articles
Telegram & NEET: When Governance Fails, Censorship Steps in
Invoking exam security to suspend access to a platform used by millions raises serious questions about proportionality, transparency and the growing tendency to restrict communications whenever governance challenges arise.
Saudi Gazette
AlKhaleej TodayTelegram challenges temporary restrictions in India over medical entrance exam
NEW DELHI — Social media platform Telegram has approached a court in India challenging government directions restricting the platform ahead of a crucial medical college entrance test scheduled for June 21.The matter was mentioned before a bench of the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, which agreed to hear it on an urgent basis, Press Trust of India reported.India's National Testing Agency said on Tuesday that the restriction had been imposed for a …
From India to Iran: Why is Telegram banned, blocked or restricted across the world?
Telegram, with over one billion users, faces restrictions in countries including India, China, Iran, Russia, Brazil, and Pakistan. India's June 2026 temporary block followed the Neet-UG controversy, while Telegram founder Pavel Durov remains at the centre of a major French judicial investigation
Why India temporarily blocked Telegram ahead of the NEET re-test: Inside the fraud networks, cybersecurity gaps, and the accountability crisis plaguing NEET
Just days before the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for 21st June, the Central government took an unprecedented step that immediately sparked nationwide debate. Acting on a request from the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Centre temporarily blocked access to the messaging platform Telegram across India until 22nd June. The move was aimed at preventing cheating rackets from exploiting the platform to spread fake question papers and scam…
India blocks Telegram messaging app until June 22, government says
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