India Temporarily Bans Telegram Over Exam Fraud Concerns

India has issued an order to block Telegram until June 22 over concerns that fraudsters are using the messaging platform to target candidates ahead of a re-test of the country's biggest entrance exam. The move was announced on Tuesday by India's National Testing Agency, which administers the National Eligibility Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET (UG)), a medical college entrance exam taken by millions of students each year. The Agency said the restrictions were aimed at preventing cheating networks from using Telegram to sell fake exam papers and spread misinformation before the June 21 re-test of NEET.

The restrictions include a nationwide, temporary ban on Telegram until June 22, a day after the re-test. The Agency also wants the platform to disable its message-editing feature until June 30, arguing that the feature has been used to fabricate evidence of exam paper leaks after tests have been conducted. "Both measures have been taken in the interest of public order, in response to the organized use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination," the agency said.

The order was issued under Section 69A of India's Information Technology Act, the country's legal mechanism for blocking online services and content, the agency said. The move has drawn immediate criticism from digital rights advocates. Digital advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation said the restrictions were a "disproportionate" response to exam fraud, and questioned whether Section 69A permits the government to block an entire platform rather than specific content.

"Shutting down Telegram is a band-aid solution and a disproportionate answer to exam fraud," the group said in a statement. The re-test comes after NEET (UG) was rocked by a paper leak scandal last month, prompting a federal investigation and renewed scrutiny of the exam system. Indian authorities have since sought to tighten security around such national tests.

India is Telegram's biggest market by downloads, making the temporary block one of the most significant restrictions imposed on the messaging service. That said, Telegram remained accessible in India at the time of publication, and its message-editing feature appeared to function normally. Telegram and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The temporary ban on Telegram highlights the challenges governments face in balancing security concerns with the need to protect digital rights. This move may have significant implications for the millions of Telegram users in India, who rely on the platform for communication. As the country prepares for future exams, authorities must ensure that their measures to prevent cheating do not unduly restrict access to legitimate online services.