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.
