India
oi-Ashish Rana
Telegram turned inaccessible for a lot of customers throughout India on Wednesday after the federal government briefly restricted entry to the messaging platform forward of the NEET UG 2026 re-examination. Whereas the app has been faraway from main app shops, cybersecurity specialists say customers can nonetheless entry Telegram by way of Digital Personal Networks (VPNs), elevating questions in regards to the effectiveness of the transfer.
Ahead of the NEET UG 2026 re-examination on June 21, India briefly restricted Telegram entry and ordered its removing from app shops till June 22 to curb paper leaks and misinformation, although cybersecurity specialists observe VPNs allow continued entry.
Authorities Restricts Telegram Ahead Of NEET Re-Examination
The Centre directed Google and Apple to take away Telegram from their respective app shops till June 22. The choice comes simply days earlier than the NEET UG 2026 re-examination, which is scheduled to be held on June 21.
The Nationwide Testing Company (NTA), which conducts the medical entrance examination, is getting ready for the re-test after the unique NEET UG examination held on Could 3 was cancelled amid allegations of a paper leak.
Authorities consider limiting Telegram might assist stop the circulation of leaked query papers and misinformation through the examination course of.
Experts Say VPNs Maintain The Platform Accessible
Regardless of the restrictions, cybersecurity professionals argue that the ban might have restricted impression. In keeping with them, Telegram stays practical for customers who entry the service by way of VPN connections that route site visitors by way of servers positioned exterior India.
Jiten Jain mentioned, “Blocking of Telegram won’t assist the paper leak. It continues to be operational on VPNs which bypass Indian servers and join with international servers for operations.”
The statement has reignited discussions over whether or not platform-level restrictions are an efficient answer to curb exam-related leaks and on-line misconduct.
Message Enhancing Function Additionally Faces Curbs
In addition to eradicating the app from digital marketplaces, the federal government has reportedly instructed Telegram to disable its message-editing function in India till June 30.
Officers suspect that the function might have been used to change messages after examinations and create deceptive claims suggesting that leaked papers had been circulated earlier than the checks. The momentary restriction is geared toward stopping such incidents through the ongoing examination cycle.
Pavel Durov Questions The Resolution
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov criticised the momentary restriction, arguing that it targets strange customers reasonably than these liable for wrongdoing.
In a social media put up, Durov acknowledged that the week-long measure penalises greater than 150 million Telegram customers in India as a substitute of specializing in people concerned in paper leak actions. He additional claimed that the choice might have been influenced by enterprise pursuits linked to rival messaging platforms.
Nonetheless, a senior telecom trade official rejected the allegation and described the claims as “faux information”. The official mentioned Durov had mistakenly confused Reliance Communications with Reliance Industries Restricted, dismissing recommendations of company affect behind the federal government’s resolution.
Because the NEET UG re-examination approaches, the talk continues over whether or not limiting entry to communication platforms can successfully stop examination malpractice or just push customers in direction of various strategies of communication.
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