Why Telegram Faces a Ban in India Ahead of NEET (UG) 2026 Re-Examination?

Telegram's Temporary Removal from Google Play Store

In a significant move, Telegram has been taken down from the Google Play Store in India, following the government's decision to impose a temporary ban on the messaging service ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination.

This action means that new users cannot download the app from Google's official Android platform.

The government's decision is part of efforts to combat alleged fraud, misinformation, and cheating networks that have been reportedly operating via the platform.

Despite this, Telegram remains accessible on the Apple App Store. This development comes shortly after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) implemented a temporary restriction on Telegram, which will last until June 22, based on recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Officials stated that this measure is crucial to prevent the proliferation of examination-related fraud and misinformation campaigns ahead of the NEET (UG) re-examination set for June 21.

The NTA indicated that the restriction was enacted under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, covering both the examination period and the immediate aftermath.

The agency reported that numerous Telegram channels and groups were allegedly being utilized to disseminate false claims about examination paper leaks and to entice students with fraudulent offers for access to question papers.

In addition to the temporary ban, Telegram has been instructed to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.

Authorities have argued that this feature has been misused in the past to fabricate evidence of paper leaks, allowing users to alter old messages and replace attached files while keeping the original timestamps intact.

The NTA has asserted that, despite rampant online rumors, no NEET examination paper has been leaked.

The restrictions were only put in place after previous targeted actions, including the removal of specific channels, groups, and bots, proved inadequate to address the scale of the issue.

The agency acknowledged the efforts of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs, along with state police forces and other central agencies, in identifying and addressing Telegram-based fraud networks.

Law enforcement agencies across various states have initiated investigations into examination-related scams allegedly conducted through social media and messaging platforms.