India orders temporary ban on Telegram over exam fraud concerns

India has issued an order to block Telegram until June 22 over concerns that fraudsters are using the messaging platform to target candidates ahead of a re-test of the country’s biggest entrance exam. The move was announced on Tuesday by India’s National Testing Agency, which administers the National Eligibility Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET (UG)), a medical college entrance exam taken by millions of students each year. The Agency said the restrictions were aimed at preventing cheating networks from using Telegram to sell fake exam papers and spread misinformation before the June 21 re-test of NEET. The restrictions include a nationwide, temporary ban on Telegram until June 22, a day after the re-test. The Agency also wants the platform to disable its message-editing feature until June 30, arguing that the feature has been used to fabricate evidence of exam paper leaks after tests have been conducted. “Both measures have been taken in the interest of public order, in response to the organized use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination,” the agency said. The order was issued under Section 69A of India’s Information Technology Act, the country’s legal mechanism for blocking online services and content, the agency said. The move has drawn immediate criticism from digital rights advocates. …