Telegram suspension affects over 150 million users in India: CEO Pavel Durov
New Delhi, June 17
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has said that the temporary suspension of the messaging platform in India ahead of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate 2026 re-examination affected more than 150 million users.
In a post on social media platform X, Durov said India's IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions. This impacted more than 150 million Telegram users in India.
He further said that Telegram had removed hundreds of channels in recent weeks that were allegedly sharing leaked examination materials and running related scams in India.
Durov added that the company is working to make the edited label on messages more prominent to help prevent backdating scams and the manipulation of content timestamps.
The remarks came after the Indian government ordered a temporary suspension of Telegram services until June 22 as part of measures aimed at preventing malpractice during the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.
The examination is being conducted again following allegations of question paper leaks during the original test held on May 3.
The restriction was imposed following recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET for admissions to undergraduate medical colleges across the country.
Alongside the temporary suspension, authorities have directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.
According to the NTA, investigators believe the feature was previously misused to create misleading evidence of question paper leaks by editing messages after examination papers had already been circulated.
Google and Apple have already removed Telegram from their app stores in compliance with the government's directive.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is a classic case of punishment for all because of a few. Why ban the entire platform? Over 150 million users rely on Telegram for legitimate purposes like business communication, education groups, and family chats. The government should have targeted the specific channels instead of a blanket ban. Very frustrating! 😤
As a parent of a NEET aspirant, I support this move. My son studied hard for months, and cheating just destroys the fairness of the exam. If Telegram was used to leak questions, then action is needed. But I hope this is temporary and they find a way to prevent misuse without hurting genuine users. Exams like NEET need integrity!
Interesting perspective from abroad. In the US, we would probably have a big debate about free speech and government overreach. But I understand why India is doing this – exam leaks are serious business. Still, affecting 150 million users for a one-week ban seems excessive. Hope they find a middle ground.
Honestly, this is long overdue. Telegram has been a hub for all kinds of illegal activities – from pirated content to exam scams. The editing feature was definitely misused. Good that the government is finally taking action. But the ban should be limited to the editing feature, not the whole app. Students need it for study groups too!
I run an online tutoring business on Telegram, and this ban has disrupted my classes completely. 😢 150 million users affected – that's not a small number. The government should have given a warning first or worked with Telegram to remove problematic content. This feels like using a sledgehammer to
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