India's IT ministry has banned Telegram until June 22 following leaks of exam questions from the NEET re-examination, the country's largest medical entrance test, according to livemint.com. The ban affects over 150 million Telegram users in India and aims to prevent cheating and curb misinformation around the exam.
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov responded to the ban by stating that the move punishes ordinary users rather than those responsible for leaking the exam content. He said the leaks have simply shifted to other apps, implying that the ban may not effectively stop the spread of exam material. The government imposed the restriction as a temporary measure to disrupt channels sharing leaked questions.
The NEET exam is a critical gateway for medical admissions in India, making the integrity of the test a high priority for authorities. Telegram's widespread use in India, with a large user base, makes it a significant platform for information sharing, including exam content. Similar measures have been taken in the past to prevent exam-related cheating and misinformation on social media platforms.
The ban is set to last until June 22, the day after the NEET re-exam is conducted. Authorities have not indicated if the restriction will be extended beyond this date. Pavel Durov’s comments were reported on June 16, highlighting ongoing tensions between regulatory actions and platform responses.