Telegram CEO criticises restrictions on platform ahead of NEET-UG test, says "punishes 150M+ users in India"
Dubai, June 16
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on Tuesday criticised India's temporary restriction on the messaging platform ahead of the NEET-UG test, claiming it unfairly affects millions of users.
He claimed that India's IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because "some users shared leaked exam questions" and that "leaks have moved to other apps".
"India's IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions. This punishes 150M+ ordinary Telegram users in India -- not the insiders who leaked the exam materials. And the ban hasn't stopped anything. The leaks just moved to other apps," he said in a post on X, reacting to the Internet Freedom Foundation press release.
The National Testing Agency will conduct the rescheduled NEET-UG exam on June 21.
The Internet Freedom Foundation release objected to the directions announced today in the National Testing Agency's statement on action concerning the Telegram platform.
"On the NTA's recommendation, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, restricted access to the whole of Telegram in India until 22 June 2026, and has separately ordered the platform to switch off message-editing for every Indian user until 30 June 2026...," the press release said.
It also said that Section 69A and the Blocking Rules of 2009 framed under it allow the Government to block access to specific 'information' on a computer resource.
"They do not extend to switching off an entire intermediary, still less to ordering a company to redesign its product by removing a feature for a whole country...For the message-editing direction the release identifies no source of power at all. If one exists, the order must say so," the release said.
It said the "block of telegram is reactive and ineffective and will punish ordinary users instead of addressing the systemic source of exam leaks".
"This blocking comes in the final days of NEET preparation, when thousands of students depend on Telegram for study groups, doubt-clearing, and shared resources. Also, it is important to consider that the source of exam papers leak will occur from inside the system...," it added.
The release alleged that "switching off Telegram, is merely a deflection from the repeated failures that will continue while media attention is directed towards this Telegram ban".
It urged the government to publish the MeitY Section 69A order and the NTA recommendation behind it, with reasons and state the legal basis for the message editing direction, or withdraw it".
It asked if "Telegram was given a hearing under the Blocking Rules, and place the committee's record before any court that hears a challenge".
The release called for lifting "the platform-wide restriction".
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a student preparing for NEET, this ban is heartbreaking. My entire study group is on Telegram - we share notes, clear doubts, and motivate each other. Now what? Government needs to understand that blocking apps doesn't solve systemic problems. Fix the leak sources, don't punish us!
Honestly, I understand the frustration but the government has to act. Exam leaks undermine the entire system and hurt millions of honest students. Maybe a platform-wide ban is heavy-handed, but at least they're trying something. The real talk should be about why these leaks keep happening year after year.
Classic Indian bureaucracy - treat the symptom, ignore the disease. Telegram ban won't stop determined cheaters, they'll just move to WhatsApp or Signal. Meanwhile, 150 million users suffer. We need proper investigation into how papers get leaked, not these knee-jerk reactions that hurt ordinary people. 🇮🇳
The irony is that Telegram itself has been very cooperative with Indian authorities in the past. This ban seems arbitrary and disproportionate. And ordering them to disable message editing for all Indian users? That's just overreach. The government should focus on catching the real culprits instead of flexing on tech companies. 😤
I'm all for national security and exam integrity, but this ban is counterproductive. Telegram is used by lakhs of students for legitimate purposes - especially in rural areas where other study resources are scarce. The government should have targeted specific channels/posts rather than nuking the whole platform. Poor planning, as usual.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.