India Implements Temporary Telegram Ban Before NEET-UG Retest Amid Cheating Allegations
The Indian government has temporarily blocked access to the Telegram messaging application across the country, citing concerns over its alleged use in facilitating cheating for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG). This move comes just days before millions of students are scheduled to retake the crucial medical entrance exam on 21 June.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting the examination, has publicly supported the ban, stating it was a direct response to the “organised use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates.” This intervention follows the cancellation of the NEET-UG exam originally held in May, after allegations of a paper leak prompted significant public outcry and protests.
However, the decision has drawn sharp criticism from internet users and digital rights organisations. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), an Indian advocacy group, has condemned the ban as a “band-aid solution” that fails to address the underlying systemic issues of exam fraud. The IFF further characterised the block as lacking transparency and being unconstitutional, arguing it unfairly punishes legitimate users who rely on the platform for educational and informational purposes.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology directed Telegram to restrict access until 22 June and to disable the message-editing feature until 30 June. The NTA claims this feature has been exploited to “fabricate” evidence of paper leaks. Separately, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has reportedly dismantled numerous Telegram channels and groups that openly advertised fraudulent services, acting on intelligence from the NTA and other law enforcement agencies.
Despite these measures, critics argue that blocking a widely used platform will not prevent leaks originating from within the education system itself, particularly from insiders involved in the printing and logistics chain. The Central Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating the previous paper leak allegations, with more than a dozen arrests made to date. The controversy surrounding the NEET-UG exam, alongside other marking irregularities in school-leaving examinations, has fuelled calls for the federal education minister’s resignation across India.
