India’s National Testing Agency (NTA) has ordered a temporary nationwide ban on Telegram until 22 June to prevent organised cheating syndicates from selling leaked papers and spreading misinformation ahead of the crucial NEET (UG) medical entrance re-test on 21 June.
Strict Restrictions to Combat Exam Fraud
The emergency measure targets the National Eligibility Entrance Test (Undergraduate), a high-stakes medical college entrance exam taken by millions of candidates across the country. To safeguard the integrity of the upcoming re-test, the government has imposed a complete suspension of the messaging application. Furthermore, the NTA has demanded that Telegram disable its message-editing feature until 30 June, claiming fraudsters have previously used the tool to fabricate post-exam evidence of paper leaks.
According to the testing agency, these drastic steps were deemed necessary under Section 69A of India’s Information Technology Act, which serves as the legal framework for blocking online services. The NTA stated that both interventions were implemented in the interest of public order, specifically targeting organised cheating rackets attempting to defraud candidates.
Telegram CEO Criticises ‘Disproportionate’ Move
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov criticised the block, arguing that the week-long restriction unfairly penalises over 150 million Indian users. Durov questioned the efficacy of the ban, asserting that paper leaks would simply migrate to alternative messaging platforms.
In a subsequent post on his official Telegram channel, Durov clarified that the platform had already shut down hundreds of channels associated with exam leaks and scams in India. He also noted that Telegram had updated its interface to make the “edited” label more visible, reducing the risk of backdating fraud.
Durov later escalated his criticism, accusing Indian telecommunications giant Reliance of disrupting Telegram access for users outside the country through unauthorised internet routing. Reliance has not yet commented on the allegations.
Digital Rights Groups Condemn the Shutdown
The government’s decision has sparked immediate pushback from digital rights defenders. The Internet Freedom Foundation described the platform-wide block as a “disproportionate” response to academic fraud, questioning whether Section 69A legally permits blocking an entire service rather than specific offending content.
The advocacy group stated that shutting down the application serves as a mere “band-aid solution” that fails to address the root of the problem.
Government Defends the Strategy
Conversely, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh defended the ban. Whilst acknowledging that some illicit channels operate via VPNs or from foreign jurisdictions, Singh argued that restricting local access would successfully shrink the pool of potential victims.
“Even though they can continue operating the channels, if there is no clientele, the fraud will be prevented, and the students will be protected,” Singh explained to local media outlets.
A Market Under Scrutiny
The upcoming re-test follows a major paper leak scandal last month that disrupted the initial NEET (UG) exam, triggering a federal investigation and intense political scrutiny. Since the incident, Indian authorities have scrambled to implement stricter security protocols for national examinations.
India represents Telegram’s largest global market. Data from Sensor Tower indicates the platform has accumulated nearly 600 million downloads in the country, boasting approximately 354 million monthly active users.
Despite the official announcement and the subsequent removal of the Telegram app from the Google Play Store in India, the service remained partially accessible to some users, with the message-editing function still operating normally at the time of reporting. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has not responded to requests for comment.