India temporarily blocks Telegram, citing exam cheating

Indian authorities have temporarily blocked the messaging app Telegram, citing the need to prevent cheating in examinations. The decision comes after the government annulled the results of a major medical school entrance test, alleging that answers were leaked beforehand on Telegram. A retest is scheduled for June 21, and to ensure its integrity, Telegram will be blocked until June 22.

The ban affects an estimated 84 million Telegram users in India, the app's largest market. However, the issue extends beyond the leak itself—the exam system has long been criticized, with India's main opposition leader calling it "broken and corrupt." Student protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already erupted before the Telegram block.

The scandal, known as the CBSE scandal, began after the NEET medical entrance exam on May 3, in which 2.28 million students participated. This year, a new digital marking system was introduced, developed by a controversial company. After the test, students discovered troubling discrepancies in their results—one student who obtained a scan of his answer sheet found it did not belong to him. Other complaints followed, and another student exposed security vulnerabilities in the marking portal, claiming he could access the system and alter scores.

On May 12, the National Testing Agency annulled the results, stating that investigators had found evidence of large-scale question paper leaks on Telegram before the exam. The agency said Telegram channels with names like "Paper Leaked NEET" were offering access to exam papers for money.

However, the Internet Freedom Foundation called the ban a "band-aid solution" and a "disproportionate" response to exam fraud. In a statement, the group said the block is reactive and ineffective, punishing ordinary users instead of addressing the systemic source of exam leaks.