India’s National Testing Agency (NTA) announced a temporary nationwide ban on Telegram until June 22, a day after the re-test for the National Eligibility Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET (UG)) scheduled for June 21, according to a statement. The agency also asked the messaging platform to disable its message-editing feature until June 30, claiming it has been used to fabricate evidence of exam paper leaks.

Background: Paper leak and re-exam

The ban follows a paper leak controversy in the original NEET (UG) exam held on May 3, 2025, as Nearly 2.28 million candidates sat for the test at over 5,000 centers across the country. Within days. The NTA canceled the exam amid allegations of a leak, prompting widespread protests and a federal investigation led by the Central Bureau of Investigation — more than a dozen arrests have been made in connection with the case.

This is not the first time the NEET has faced controversy, as In 2024, similar allegations of paper leaks and irregularities in the awarding of grace marks led to thousands of candidates receiving unusually high scores. The current re-test comes after renewed scrutiny of India’s national exam system, with the government taking steps to tighten security around high-stakes tests.

Legal basis and public response

The ban was issued under Section 69A of India’s Information Technology Act, a legal framework that allows authorities to block online content and services in the interest of public order. The NTA stated that the restrictions were necessary due to the “organized use of the platform by cheating rackets” to defraud NEET (UG) 2026 candidates.

However, the move has drawn criticism from digital rights advocates. The Internet Freedom Foundation. A digital advocacy group. Called the ban a “disproportionate” response to exam fraud and questioned whether Section 69A permits a complete platform shutdown rather than blocking specific content; “Shutting down Telegram is a band-aid solution and a disproportionate answer to exam fraud,” the group said in a statement.

Enforcement and platform response

Telegram has not yet issued a public statement on the restrictions, according to the BBC, which has reached out to the platform for a response. Hours after the government’s announcement, the app remained accessible to users in India, and it remains unclear how the ban will be enforced. The NTA said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the directive, but no further details on enforcement mechanisms were provided.

Meanwhile, the NEET controversy has sparked broader public dissatisfaction with the education system. Protests demanding the resignation of the federal education minister have continued, fueled by the recent NEET cancellation and a separate controversy over marking errors in a major school-leaving exam.