The temporary ban on Telegram, imposed by the government until June 22 due to concerns over the NEET UG re-examination, is expected to be lifted shortly. Reports suggest that the ban will not be extended, and Telegram’s services will soon be reinstated, possibly available on app stores starting June 23.
Despite the ban being lifted, the government plans to continue disabling Telegram’s message-editing feature until June 30. This measure was implemented by the Centre as a precautionary step ahead of the NEET re-exam, aiming to maintain public order and prevent cheating rackets from exploiting the platform.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had blocked Telegram in India as a preventive measure before the NEET re-exam. The National Testing Agency (NTA) stated that these actions were taken in response to organized cheating activities on the platform during the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21, 2026.
The Delhi High Court recently upheld the government’s decision to temporarily suspend Telegram’s services nationwide in anticipation of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-exam. The court ruled that the emergency blocking powers were invoked lawfully and proportionately, supporting the restrictions imposed on Telegram.
The restrictions on Telegram were enforced under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act based on recommendations from the NTA and the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Union government justified its actions by highlighting Telegram’s architecture and its recurrent misuse in examination-related frauds, leading to the necessity of emergency blocking measures.
