India Blocks Telegram Amid Crackdown on Exam Fraud

Indian authorities have mandated a temporary nationwide block on Telegram, citing concerns that the platform is being weaponized by criminal syndicates to defraud students. The restrictions are scheduled to remain in place until June 22, one day after a crucial re-test of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET (UG).

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which oversees the medical college entrance exam taken by millions annually, initiated the move under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. Beyond the temporary shutdown, the agency has requested that Telegram disable its message-editing functionality until June 30. Officials argue that this specific feature has been exploited to fabricate evidence of leaks after examinations have already concluded.

Regulatory Measures and Official Stance

NTA Director General Abhishek Singh defended the government’s intervention, suggesting that while some illicit channels operate via VPNs or from foreign jurisdictions, restricting access is a necessary step to protect candidates. “Even though they can continue operating the channels, if there is no clientele, the fraud will be prevented, and the students will be protected,” Singh stated.

The government’s decision follows a significant scandal last month involving leaked papers for the NEET (UG), which triggered federal investigations and increased pressure on officials to secure the national testing process. The current directives aim to curb the following activities:

• The sale of counterfeit exam papers on messaging channels.
• The distribution of misinformation intended to confuse candidates.
• The use of backdating features to manipulate evidence of fraud.

Industry Pushback and Digital Rights Concerns

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov publicly criticized the mandate, arguing that the week-long restriction unfairly penalizes the platform’s 150 million users in India rather than targeting the perpetrators of the leaks. Durov suggested that such measures are largely ineffective, claiming that “the leaks just moved to other apps.”

Durov further noted that Telegram has proactively removed hundreds of channels linked to scams and leaked materials in recent weeks. Additionally, he alleged that the Indian telecom operator Reliance has been disrupting access to the app for users outside of India through unauthorized internet routing. Reliance has not provided a comment regarding these claims.

Digital rights advocates have also voiced strong opposition. The Internet Freedom Foundation described the order as a “disproportionate” solution to the problem, questioning whether the legal framework permits the blocking of an entire platform rather than isolating specific, harmful content.

Despite the government’s announcement, reports indicate that Telegram remained accessible to some users within India at the time of publication. Meanwhile, Google has removed the application from its Play Store in the country in compliance with the order. India currently stands as Telegram’s largest global market, with approximately 354 million monthly active users, according to data from Sensor Tower.