India temporarily blocks access to Telegram over exam fraud fears

India has issued an order banning the Telegram app until June 22 over concerns that scammers are using the messaging platform to target candidates ahead of a re-take of the country’s largest entrance exam.

The move was announced on Tuesday by India’s National Testing Agency, which administers the National Eligibility Test (Undergraduate) (NEET(UG)), the medical college entrance test taken by millions of students every year. The agency said the restrictions are aimed at preventing cheating networks from using Telegram to sell fake exam papers and spread misleading information ahead of the NEET re-examination on June 21.

The restrictions include a temporary nationwide ban on Telegram until June 22, one day after the retest. The agency also wants the platform to disable the message editing feature until June 30, arguing that the feature has been used to fabricate evidence of exam papers being leaked after exams were taken.

“Both the actions have been taken in the interest of public order, in response to the systematic use of the platform by cheating to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET (UG) 2026 examination,” the agency said.

The agency said the order was issued under Section 69A of the Indian Information Technology Act, which is the country’s legal mechanism for blocking online services and content.

This move sparked immediate criticism from digital rights advocates. Digital advocacy group the Internet Freedom Foundation said the restrictions were a “disproportionate” response to exam fraud, and questioned whether Section 69A allowed the government to ban an entire platform rather than specific content.

“Shutting down Telegram is a temporary solution and a disproportionate answer to exam fraud,” the group said. He said In a statement.

The re-test comes after NEET (UG). It was rocked by the paper leak scandal last month, prompting a federal investigation and renewed scrutiny of the exam system. Indian authorities have since sought to tighten security measures around such national tests.

India is a telegram The largest market is by downloadsWhich makes the temporary ban one of the most important restrictions imposed on the messaging service.

However, Telegram remained available in India at press time, and its message editing feature appears to be working normally.

Telegram and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology did not immediately respond to requests for comment.