Temporary Block on Telegram in India
The Indian government has temporarily blocked access to the Telegram messaging app ahead of the nationwide rerun of the medical entrance exam, scheduled to take place on June 21. This move is aimed at preventing cheating in the exam, as authorities fear that the app could be used to leak question papers or facilitate other forms of cheating.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts India's largest entrance examinations, announced that local authorities had ordered Telegram to restrict access to the app across India until June 22, one day after the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate courses (NEET-UG) is reheld. Additionally, the government directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.
Reasons Behind the Block
Authorities explained that scammers had previously exploited the message-editing feature by posting fake exam questions before the test and later replacing them with the real questions, making it appear as though they had leaked the exam in advance. This tactic was used to deceive candidates and their families, who were offered access to leaked exam papers for a fee, sometimes amounting to several thousand dollars.
More than 2 million candidates are scheduled to retake the exam on June 21, after the original test, held in May, was scrapped following allegations that question papers had been leaked. The incident triggered nationwide protests and calls for the resignation of India's education minister.
Actions Taken by Authorities
The NTA stated that Indian cyber authorities had removed a substantial number of Telegram channels, groups, and bots that advertised fraudulent access to leaked exam papers. Police in Ahmedabad arrested members of a cyber fraud ring accused of operating eight Telegram channels using the same scheme, which had moved approximately 15 million rupees (about $159,000) through fraudulent bank accounts and contacted around 1,000 mobile numbers in a single month.
Similar investigations are underway elsewhere in India, as the NTA acknowledged that the temporary restrictions would cause inconvenience to millions of legitimate Telegram users. However, the agency argued that the measures were necessary to protect the integrity of the examination.
Criticism from Digital Rights Advocates
Digital rights advocates criticized the move, arguing that blocking the platform was unlikely to address the root causes of exam fraud. The Internet Freedom Foundation, an Indian digital rights organization, called the restriction a "reactive and ineffective" response that would punish ordinary users while failing to address vulnerabilities within the examination system itself.
The organization pointed out that many students rely on Telegram study groups and educational resources in the final days before the exam and argued that any genuine paper leak would originate from insiders involved in the printing and logistics process rather than from the messaging platform. The group stated, "If the exam is secure and no leak exists, what is being suppressed is rumor, and rumor cannot justify closing a platform when targeted blocking and criminal prosecution remain available."
Telegram had not publicly commented on the restrictions at the time of publication. The NEET-UG examination serves as the primary gateway to medical education in India and has repeatedly faced controversy over allegations of leaks and irregularities.
- The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate courses (NEET-UG) is scheduled to take place on June 21.
- More than 2 million candidates will retake the exam after the original test was scrapped due to allegations of leaked question papers.
- The Indian government has temporarily blocked Telegram until June 22 and directed the app to disable its message-editing feature until June 30.
Source: The Record