The Indian government has imposed a temporary ban on the popular messaging platform Telegram until June 22 to ensure the smooth conduct of the upcoming NEET-UG 2026 re-test. Consequently, the app has been removed from both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. However, cyber security experts report that the ban is not fully effective at the ground level. Jiten Jain, Director of the cyber security firm Voyager Infosec, confirmed that individuals using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) can still access Telegram without any disruption. He explained that VPN technology allows users to bypass domestic digital barriers by routing their internet connection through foreign servers instead of Indian ones, failing to completely halt potential paper leaks.
In response to the restrictions, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov strongly criticized the central government on social media, arguing that banning applications does not stop question paper leaks. He asserted that wrongdoers will always find a medium to transmit data and stated it is unfair to penalize over 150 million regular users in India instead of catching the actual criminals. Durov also alleged that corporate business interests might be behind the sudden crackdown. However, telecom industry sources quickly dismissed his claims, stating that the CEO is confused regarding the role of Reliance companies in this administrative decision.
Meanwhile, Telegram has legally challenged the temporary ban by filing a petition in the Delhi High Court, which has taken up the matter for an urgent hearing. Simultaneously, surveillance has been heightened ahead of the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) scheduled re-examination on June 21. Addressing concerns that perpetrators use Telegram’s message-altering capabilities to create fake proofs of pre-leak schedules, the central government has issued a fresh directive. Telegram has been ordered to disable its ‘edit message’ feature for older texts within India until June 30 to preserve data integrity.
