• Source:JND

Telegram became inaccessible to millions of users across India on Tuesday after major telecom operators blocked the messaging platform temporarily and tech giants Apple and Google removed it from their app stores, following directions from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) till June 22. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has criticised the temporary restriction on the messaging platform ahead of the NEET-UG test, claiming it unfairly affects millions of users.

The move has been called part of the government's efforts to prevent examination-related fraud ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and tighten control over the circulation of unauthorised content online.

The government said the measure was necessary to prevent the spread of examination-related fraud, misinformation campaigns and cheating networks ahead of the NEET (UG) re-examination scheduled for June 21.

What Telegram CEO said?

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov claimed that India's IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because "some users shared leaked exam questions" and that "leaks have moved to other apps".

"India's IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions. This punishes 150M+ ordinary Telegram users in India -- not the insiders who leaked the exam materials. And the ban hasn't stopped anything. The leaks just moved to other apps," he said in a post on X, reacting to the Internet Freedom Foundation press release.

The National Testing Agency will conduct the rescheduled NEET-UG exam on June 21.

meanwhile, The Internet Freedom Foundation release objected to the directions announced today in the National Testing Agency's statement on action concerning the Telegram platform.

"On the NTA's recommendation, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, restricted access to the whole of Telegram in India until 22 June 2026, and has separately ordered the platform to switch off message-editing for every Indian user until 30 June 2026...," the press release said.

ALSO READ: Why Telegram Was Banned Ahead Of NEET UG Re-Exam? How Internet Is Reacting

NTA Director General Abhishek Singh told news agency PTI, "We will not allow any kind of malpractice. We will take every possible step to ensure that the exam is conducted without any malpractices."

ALSO READ: Telegram Faces Temporary Ban Ahead Of NEET UG Re-Exam Over 'Cheating Network' Fears

Singh confirmed that the action wasn't due to any specific new paper leak. Instead, officials acted to address the spread of fake messages that were causing anxiety and mental stress among candidates.

 


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