India Blocks Telegram to Prevent NEET-UG 2026 Exam Leaks

The Government of India temporarily blocked the messaging platform Telegram nationwide from June 16 to June 22, 2026, to safeguard the integrity of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) re-examination on June 21. Acting on recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. To further prevent the fabrication of fake paper leaks, the government ordered Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.

NTA Director General Abhishek Singh defended the move as necessary to protect 22 lakh aspirants from cheating syndicates that use the app to defraud candidates. The government also implemented military-grade security for the re-test, utilizing the Indian Air Force for logistics and paramilitary forces for paper delivery. These stringent measures follow a May 3 exam cancellation caused by insider-led leaks, which resulted in 13 arrests by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov criticized the ban, arguing it punishes 150 million legitimate users while leaks simply migrate to other apps. Durov further alleged that Reliance and WhatsApp lobbied for the ban and accused Reliance of disrupting access outside India via BGP hijacking—claims dismissed by industry sources as a confusion between Reliance Industries and the insolvent Reliance Communications. Telegram petitioned the Delhi High Court to challenge the order, but Justice Tejas Karia denied immediate interim relief on June 17, requesting a formal response from the Union government.