Major telecom operators in India have begun blocking access to Telegram, while Apple and Google have removed the messaging platform from their respective app stores following directions issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.

The move comes after recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which said organised fraud networks were using the platform to target candidates before the examination scheduled for June 21.

Telecom Operators Begin Implementing Restrictions

According to sources, Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have started implementing the government’s directive, leading to access issues for users across the country.

Several users reported on social media platform X that they were unable to connect to Telegram, while new users found the application unavailable for download on Google’s Play Store.

Apple has also begun removing Telegram from its App Store in compliance with the government’s instructions, though the companies had not officially responded to queries at the time of publication.

Temporary Ban to Remain Until June 22

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the NTA said the government had imposed a temporary restriction on Telegram access until June 22, covering the examination period and its immediate aftermath.

Separately, Telegram has been directed to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.

The agency said the measures were taken to safeguard public order and prevent the misuse of the platform for examination-related fraud.

Authorities Cite Misuse by Fraud Networks

According to the NTA, agencies including the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), state police forces and other authorities had spent weeks attempting to remove fraudulent Telegram channels and groups.

Several such groups allegedly claimed to offer access to examination papers and demanded payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to several lakh rupees from candidates and their families.

The agency reiterated that no examination paper is available outside the secure examination process and described all such claims as fraudulent.

Message-Editing Feature Raised Concerns

Authorities also expressed concerns over Telegram’s message-editing capability, which allows administrators to replace files in older posts without changing their original timestamps.

According to the NTA, the feature has been used in previous examinations to create false evidence of paper leaks by inserting actual question papers into earlier messages after examinations had concluded.

Recent enforcement actions cited by the agency included warnings issued by Bihar Police and the arrest of members of an alleged inter-state cyber fraud network by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch.

NTA Says Restriction Is Limited and Temporary

Acknowledging the inconvenience caused to genuine users, the NTA said the restrictions were temporary and narrowly targeted to protect the integrity of the examination process.

The agency clarified that the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination would proceed as scheduled on June 21 and urged candidates to rely only on official communications.

It also advised students and parents to ignore unverified claims circulating online regarding alleged paper leaks.

Legal Experts Raise Constitutional Questions

Legal experts questioned whether a blanket restriction on Telegram would withstand constitutional scrutiny, arguing that any such action would have to satisfy tests of legality, necessity and proportionality.

Sonam Chandwani, Managing Partner at KS Legal & Associates, said a broad ban could not be justified solely on the basis of misuse by some users and would require a clear legal basis, evidence of intermediary non-compliance and due process.

She noted that restrictions affecting free speech, access to information and business communications could face judicial review.

Internet Freedom Foundation Criticises Move

The Internet Freedom Foundation criticised the government’s decision, describing it as a disproportionate response to examination fraud.

The digital rights organisation argued that blocking the entire platform would penalise ordinary users rather than address the root causes behind recurring paper leak incidents.

The temporary restrictions have once again reignited the debate over balancing public interest and examination integrity with digital rights and freedom of expression in India.

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