Arabic version: الهند تحظر تيليجرام بسبب مزاعم احتيال في امتحانات الطب

India’s government has blocked access to the messaging app Telegram until June 22, citing its use in defrauding candidates taking a national medical entrance examination. The Ministry of Education announced the restriction, which is enforced under a stringent provision of the IT law aimed at protecting the sovereignty and integrity of India. According to France 24, the measure is a response to organized cheating rackets using the platform to exploit students preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) re-examination scheduled for June 21, 2026.

The decision follows the cancellation of the NEET exam last month due to leaked questions, which sparked protests from students across the country. Activists have criticized the government’s use of the IT law, claiming it restricts free speech. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration maintains that its actions are compliant with the law and serve the public interest.

The blocking of Telegram is significant, as the platform has become increasingly popular in India, now its largest market by downloads. The government expressed regret for the inconvenience caused by the temporary measure, emphasizing that it was a last resort after previous attempts to remove fraudulent content from the app had failed.

Telecom giants such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, which together provide over 1 billion mobile connections in India, have not yet commented on the implementation of the blocking directive. The move marks a rare intervention for a widely used service that extends beyond political and news discussions, affecting hundreds of thousands of users across the country.