Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, June 16: Messaging platform Telegram has been removed from Google Play Store and is being delisted from Apple App Store in India, while major telecom operators have begun blocking access across networks following government directions aimed at curbing exam-related fraud ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.
Sources said India’s leading telecom operators, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, have started implementing the directive issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), resulting in widespread access disruptions reported by users across the country. Several users on social media platform X said they were unable to connect to the app.
At the same time, Telegram was no longer available for fresh downloads on the Google Play Store, while Apple has initiated the process of removing the app from its India App Store listing in compliance with government orders.
The coordinated action follows directions from MeitY based on recommendations by the National Testing Agency, which said Telegram was being misused by organised fraud networks targeting NEET candidates ahead of the re-examination scheduled for June 21.
In a statement, NTA said the government had imposed a temporary restriction on Telegram access in India until June 22, covering the examination period and immediate aftermath. The platform has also been directed to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.
Authorities said the measures were taken in the interest of public order after weeks of coordinated efforts by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), state police forces and other agencies to dismantle fraudulent Telegram channels and groups allegedly offering access to question papers.
According to NTA, several channels were openly advertising alleged “paper leaks” and demanding payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to several lakh rupees from candidates and their families. The agency reiterated that no examination paper exists outside the secure examination system and described all such claims as fraudulent.
Officials also raised concerns over Telegram’s message-editing feature, stating that administrators can alter older posts while retaining original timestamps. They alleged this feature had been misused in previous examinations to fabricate evidence of paper leaks by inserting question papers into earlier messages after exams had concluded.
NTA cited enforcement actions including warnings issued by Bihar Police and arrests made by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch in connection with an alleged inter-state cyber fraud network.
While acknowledging inconvenience to genuine users, the agency said the restrictions were temporary and narrowly targeted, stressing that the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination will proceed as scheduled on June 21. Candidates were urged to rely only on official communications and avoid unverified online claims.
Legal experts have, however, questioned the legality and proportionality of a blanket restriction on a messaging platform, arguing that such measures must meet constitutional standards of necessity and due process, particularly given their impact on free speech and access to communication.
The Internet Freedom Foundation also criticised the move, calling it a “band-aid solution” that punishes ordinary users rather than addressing the root causes of examination-related fraud.