India suspends Telegram over NEET exam leak fears
Authorities said the app was used by cheating groups before a medical entrance re-exam scheduled for Sunday.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
India has blocked access to Telegram until Monday over alleged efforts to cheat candidates in a national medical entrance examination, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. The move affects a fast-growing messaging platform in Telegram’s largest download market and comes after a leak scandal forced authorities to cancel an earlier test.
The restriction was issued on Tuesday under a provision of India’s information technology law that allows the government to block online services in the interest of the country’s “sovereignty and integrity,” according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Authorities also ordered Telegram to disable the ability to edit messages that have already been posted, the report said.
The Ministry of Education’s National Testing Agency said the action was taken because cheating networks were using Telegram to target candidates preparing for the NEET 2026 re-examination. The agency said the exam is scheduled for June 21, 2026.
NEET, formally the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, is a key undergraduate entrance exam for medical schools in India. Al Jazeera and Reuters reported that the government cancelled the previous exam last month after officials found that questions had been leaked before the test.
The cancelled exam triggered student protests across India, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. The unrest also gave rise to the satirical viral movement Cockroach Janta Party, which called for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign, the report said.
The government said the Telegram block was a “last resort” after earlier attempts to remove content from the platform did not succeed, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. The government also said it “regrets the inconvenience caused” by the restriction.
Telegram has become one of the most used social media apps among young people in India, although WhatsApp remains the country’s main messaging service, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. The same report said India is Telegram’s biggest market by downloads.
Activists said the legal provision used to block Telegram is also used to curb free expression, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has said it acts within the law and in the public interest, the report said.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.