Telegram Being Blocked in India Due to National Exam Fraud

The Indian government has ordered a temporary ban on the Telegram messenger ahead of entrance exams for the country's largest medical colleges (NEET (UG)). This decision was made to curb the activities of criminal groups involved in the illegal sale of exam questions and student fraud. This was reported by Techcrunch.com reports .

According to the National Testing Agency (NTA), the restrictions will remain in effect until June 22. This measure was deemed necessary to ensure information security during the re-test exams taking place on June 21. The agency is concerned that fraudsters are using the platform to distribute fake exam papers and spread misinformation among applicants.

Message editing function may also be restricted

It is expected that not only will Telegram be completely blocked, but some of its functions will also be brought under control. Specifically, the government has demanded that the messenger administration disable the ability to edit messages until June 30. NTA officials noted that fraudsters use this specific function to create fake evidence that exam questions were leaked earlier.

These drastic measures are being implemented in accordance with Section 69A of India's Information Technology Act. This section grants the state the right to block online services and content to maintain public order. However, this decision has faced sharp criticism from digital rights advocates.

Organizations such as the Internet Freedom Foundation are calling the complete shutdown of the Telegram platform a "disproportionate measure." In their view, fighting only illegal content would be more effective than blocking an entire communication tool. Experts view this block as a temporary solution that does not address the root of the problem.

The largest market for the messenger is at risk

India is the world's largest market for Telegram in terms of number of downloads. Therefore, this temporary ban could significantly impact the messenger's global reputation and user base. Nevertheless, at the time the reports were published, Telegram was still active in India and the editing function was still working.

As a reminder, the controversy surrounding the NEET (UG) exams began last month due to a scandal involving leaked questions. Federal investigations are currently underway, and the government is attempting to reform the national testing system. The situation with Telegram is further confirmation of the increasing control over digital platforms in India.