NEW DELHI, June 16,2026: 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”.
Last month, the 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.
