India has temporarily blocked the Telegram messaging app, citing its use in attempts to defraud candidates for a national medical entrance test. The exam had previously been hit by allegations of leaked papers, leading to the cancellation of results for millions of students.
Background of the Ban
The ban, described as unprecedented in India, was announced by the Ministry of Education's National Testing Agency on Tuesday. It stated that the action was taken "in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test 2026 re-examination scheduled on 21 June 2026." The restriction is in effect until June 22.
Previous Exam Controversy
Last month, the Indian government cancelled the NEET undergraduate entrance exam for medical colleges after authorities began investigating allegations that its questions had been leaked. The government claimed that Telegram was used by unnamed channels that purported to sell access to the exam paper.
Following the alleged paper leaks and the cancellation of exam results for 2.3 million students, protests erupted across various parts of India. Demonstrations included those by the viral Cockroach Janta Party, which demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Legal Basis and Reactions
The restriction on Telegram was issued under a provision of India's IT law that allows the government to block access to online sites in the "interest of sovereignty and integrity of India."
Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, criticised the ban, stating that it punishes more than 150 million ordinary Telegram users in India, "not the insiders who leaked the exam materials." He added, "And the ban hasn't stopped anything. The leaks just moved to other apps," in a post on X.
As of 1200 GMT, the Telegram application was not functioning in India. An activist group also condemned the ban, calling it an infringement of free speech that would not solve the underlying problem.
