Ammon News - India has blocked the Telegram messaging app until June 22, ‌saying the platform has been used to "defraud candidates" taking a national medical entrance examination, the Ministry of Education said in a statement on Tuesday.

The government said it was restricting access to the Telegram platform in India for a defined and limited period. The ​restriction was issued under a stringent provision of the IT law, which empowers the government to block ​access to online sites in the "interest of sovereignty and integrity of India".

Activists have said ⁠the provision is used to curb free speech, though Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government says it always ​acts in compliance with the law and in the public interest.

Last month, the Indian government cancelled a key undergraduate ​entrance exam for medical colleges known as National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), after authorities discovered its questions had been leaked beforehand.

The paper leaks led to a series of protest by students in different parts of the country, including sporadic demonstrations by India's viral Cockroach Janta ​Party demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The government has scheduled a fresh examination for June 21.

The ​measure on Telegram was taken "in response to the organised 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.
Telegram did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Telegram application was working in India until at least 0630 GMT on Tuesday.


Reuters