India Temporarily Blocks Telegram Over Alleged NEET Exam Fraud

Overview

• The National Testing Agency ordered a nationwide block of Telegram on Tuesday that officials say will stay in place until June 22 under an Indian IT law used to protect sovereignty and integrity.
• The action follows the May cancellation of the original NEET medical‑entrance exam after reported question leaks that invalidated results for about 2.3 million candidates.
• Unnamed government sources told outlets that Google and Apple were instructed to temporarily remove Telegram from their app stores while major telecom firms had not publicly confirmed whether they had implemented operator‑level blocking.
• Telegram founder Pavel Durov and the Internet Freedom Foundation criticized the restriction as disproportionate, saying it punishes ordinary users and that leaking activity has migrated to other apps; officials say prior removal requests to Telegram failed.
• Investigations into the original leaks and organised fraud networks remain underway and the block raises practical questions about enforcement, everyday internet access for millions of users, and whether the step will stop or merely displace exam cheating.