India's government has implemented a temporary ban on Telegram, citing the need to curb cheating in educational examinations. The messaging platform will remain inaccessible until June 22, following the annulment of results for a crucial medical school entrance examination due to alleged leaks shared on the app.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced that significant parts of the exam paper were reportedly circulated on Telegram prior to the test, prompting the decision to block the service. This ban is part of efforts to ensure the integrity of the re-test scheduled for June 21. Approximately 2.28 million students participated in the initial NEET exam, which faced widespread criticism for its handling and discrepancies in grading.
Student protests have erupted in response to these issues, with claims of a "broken and corrupt" examination system. Concerns raised by students included the discovery of incorrect answer sheets and security flaws in the exam marking portal. The Internet Freedom Foundation has criticized the government's response as ineffective, labeling the ban as a disproportionate measure that harms regular users rather than addressing the root causes of exam fraud.