The Indian government's decision to restrict access to Telegram until June 22, along with disabling its message editing feature until June 30, is a direct response to the organized use of the platform by cheating syndicates. This follows the cancellation of the NEET-UG exam, which affected 2.2 million students due to allegations of a paper leak.
Investigations revealed multiple Telegram channels soliciting payments for access to leaked exam papers, prompting the National Testing Agency (NTA) to assert that no such papers exist outside the secured examination process. The controversy has led to significant political backlash, including calls for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Ashok Malik from The Asia Group described the situation as potentially the biggest challenge the government has faced in over a decade, indicating the severity of the issue and its implications for educational policy and governance in India