India bans Telegram until June 22 to prevent NEET-UG leaks
Telegram has been temporarily banned in India until June 22, covering the NEET-UG re-exam on June 21.
The government says this is to stop people from using Telegram's message-editing feature to fake exam paper leaks: basically, old posts can be changed to look like new leaks, which could mess with students and the exam process.
MeitY seeks Telegram editing ban
The National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) are worried that Telegram could be used for cheating or spreading false information during the re-exam, so MeitY has also asked the platform to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.
Not everyone agrees with the ban: student whistleblower Sarthak Sidhant called it disruptive for teachers and other professionals who use Telegram for legitimate reasons.
Meanwhile, after a major paper leak scandal led to arrests of teachers and coaching staff, a Delhi court allowed Yash Yadav, one of the accused in the case, to appear for the re-examination while in judicial custody, saying the right to education is a fundamental right.