India blocks Telegram before a nationwide medical college entrance exam

The Indian government has banned the use of the Telegram messaging app until June 22, ahead of a retest of a nationwide medical college entrance examination which was cancelled after a scandal involving a question paper leak.

The government said Telegram was used to "defraud candidates" appearing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) medical entrance test.

The measure on Telegram was taken "in response to the organized use of the platform by cheating ​rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET 2026 re-examination scheduled on 21 June 2026," said the Ministry of Education's National Testing Agency.

India's 'Cockroach' movement — and why it matters

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The government said it "regrets the inconvenience caused" by blocking the messaging app, a measure bound to affect hundreds of thousands of people, saying it was a "last resort," after efforts to take down ⁠such content from the platform "had not produced" results.

The government has blocked Telegram under a stringent provision of the IT law, ​which allows it to block access to online sites in the "interest of sovereignty and integrity of India."

Activists have questioned the provision, arguing it is used to curb free speech in the country.

What is the NEET controversy?

Students need to sit the NEET exam to qualify to take admissions to medical colleges across India. Last month, the authorities cancelled the exam, after they found its question paper was leaked.

The cancellation of the highly competitive NEET exam sparked outrage across the country.

Indian media reportedsuicide cases among teenagers following the fiasco over the NEET exam.

The paper leak also led to large-scale protests by the newly formed satirical Cockroach Janta Party, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Telegram has seen rapid growth in India, making the country its biggest market by download, though WhatsApp remains the dominant messaging platform.

Edited by: Rana Taha