5 Reasons Why India Has Blocked Telegram But Not WhatsApp Ahead Of NEET Re-Exam
5 Reasons Why India Has Blocked Telegram But Not WhatsApp Ahead Of NEET Re-Exam Written By, Last Updated: June 16, 2026, 15:23 IST The Ministry
5 Reasons Why India Has Blocked Telegram But Not WhatsApp Ahead Of NEET Re-Exam Written By, Last Updated: June 16, 2026, 15:23 IST The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered a temporary restriction on Telegram until June 22 following recommendations from the Testing Agency Rapid Read Why was Telegram banned but not WhatsApp? Amid massive backlash after the NEET (UG) 2026 paper leak, the Centre on Tuesday temporarily restricted messaging platform Telegram in the run-up to the re-examination scheduled for June 21. The move, however, has triggered a question among millions of users—if exam fraudsters use multiple messaging apps, why was Telegram singled out while WhatsApp remained untouched? The government says the answer lies not merely in the popularity of the platforms, but in how they are used, how information spreads on them, and the specific role Telegram allegedly played in recent examination-related fraud. Why Has Telegram Been blocked? The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered a temporary restriction on Telegram until June 22 following recommendations from the Testing Agency (NTA). ALSO READ | ‘NEET Paper Leaked Again?’ Viral Exam Booklet Shared On Telegram Sparks Panic Online, NTA Breaks Silence According to government agencies, Telegram had emerged as a major channel for the circulation of fake question papers, paper leak claims, answer keys and other examination-related misinformation. Investigators said organised cheating networks were using Telegram channels and groups to target anxious students with promises of leaked papers and guaranteed success.
The NTA alleged that several Telegram channels, operating under names such as “PAPER LEAKED NEET", “Re-NEET 2026" and “Private Mafia", were attempting to dupe aspirants by claiming they could provide access to the NEET question paper. According to the agency, these channels sought payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to lakhs from candidates and their families in exchange for the purported examination material. Authorities described the action as a preventive measure aimed at protecting the integrity of the re-examination rather than a permanent ban on the platform. The Message-Editing Problem One of the biggest concerns for investigators was Telegram’s message-editing feature. ALSO READ | NTA Director Admits To ‘Gaps In The System’ Amid NEET Paper Leak Outrage: Report Officials say fraudsters were exploiting the feature to create the illusion that exam papers had been leaked before the examination. The alleged method was simple: a message would be posted in advance and later edited after the real paper became available. Because Telegram preserves the original timestamp while indicating that a message has been edited, screenshots could be circulated claiming proof of a prior leak. Investigators argue that this made it easier to manufacture convincing but misleading evidence and fuel panic among students. As a result, the government has directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30. “The feature… permits a channel administrator to edit the content of a previously posted message—including the substitution of attached files such as PDFs—while the original send-time stamp is retained.
The BriefWire