Telegram

Govt 'proactively monitoring' Telegram over concerns about illegal content

The Indian government said in the report it is concerned about Telegram's privacy features, which allow users to interact without needing to reveal a phone number, making identity detection difficult

Telegram services restored after Neet-related curbs, returns to app stores

Most services of the instant messaging app have been restored nationwide, but the editing feature remains unavailable until June 30 under government orders

VPN downloads surged after Telegram restriction over NEET-UG fraud concerns

The temporary Telegram restriction triggered a surge in VPN downloads, highlighting how users respond when access to digital platforms is suddenly disrupted

Neet UG re-exam: Delhi HC rejects Telegram's plea against temporary ban

The Delhi High Court on Friday upheld the Centre's move to temporarily restrict access to the Telegram messaging app ahead of the June 21 NEET-UG re-exam, holding the order was "not disproportionate". While pronouncing the judgement, a vacation bench of Justice Tejas Karia said the Centre's order was "least restrictive" and the government was empowered to direct blocking of access to Telegram. A detailed order is awaited. Telegram's counsel had questioned the legality of the government order blocking the platform. He had said that over 150 million users had been affected by the Centre's action. The National Testing Agency (NTA) had on May 12 cancelled the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of paper leak. The CBI is investigating the matter and a re-test is scheduled on June 21. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), acting on recommendations of the NTA, had issued a ...

How can rights of 150 mn Telegram users be curtailed, HC asks govt

The Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned the Centre's decision to temporarily restrict access to Telegram ahead of the June 21 NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, saying how the rights of 150 million users of the messaging app can be curtailed just because a few of them are taking up the test. The observations were made by a vacation bench of Justice Tejas Karia before reserving the verdict on the plea of Telegram against the temporary ban on the ground that the app may be misused ahead of the NEET-UG retest. On May 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA) had cancelled the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of paper leak. The matter is currently under investigation by the CBI. In a bid to ensure smooth conduct of the controversy-ridden exam, the government imposed the temporary ban on the messaging app till June 22. On Thursday, the Centre vehemently argued before the high court that Telegram has all t

Datanomics: Digital censorship in India rose sharply over the past decade

India issued over 54,000 digital block orders between 2014 and 2025, with MeitY emerging as the leading authority behind online content restrictions

What is BGP hijacking? The protocol at the centre of Telegram's India clash

As Telegram battles India's temporary restriction, a dispute over alleged BGP hijacking has brought attention to how internet traffic is routed globally

Best of BS Opinion: India needs to fix its many governance failures

Today's BS Opinion examines the NEET-UG paper leak, the delayed AI171 crash report, creditor rights under the IBC, urban safety failures and a global history of caste

Reliance Jio denies Telegram blocking charge levelled by Pavel Durov

Jio said it was operating its network in line with global routing standards after Telegram founder Pavel Durov alleged sabotage of access to the messaging platform

Banning Telegram will not fix the deeper flaws in India's exam governance

By invoking Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, now to block Telegram, the government has marshalled heavy legal machinery

Telegram under scrutiny again: What makes it different from messaging apps

A temporary restriction by Indian government, linked to NEET-UG, has renewed scrutiny of Telegram and its unusual evolution from a messaging app into a broadcasting and content-sharing platform

From Russia, Iran, China to India: Why governments keep targeting Telegram

India's temporary restriction on Telegram ahead of the Neet-UG re-examination puts the spotlight on a platform that has repeatedly faced government action across the world

Strike at paper leak mafia, not students: Rahul Gandhi slams Telegram 'ban'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a swipe at the government after it temporarily restricted access to Telegram, saying the "new trick" was akin to putting a lock on the victim's house instead of catching the thief. Instant messaging app Telegram has stopped working for existing users in India after the government temporarily restricted access to the app, but it continues to remain operational through the Virtual Protocol Network (VPN). Google delisted the app on Tuesday, and Apple's Appstore has also removed it now in compliance with the government order to block access to the app, ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandh said, "'Telegram Ban' -- Modi government's new trick to stop paper leaks. Meaning, instead of catching the thief, just put a lock on the victim's door." "Lakhs of students have been studying on Telegram for years -- notes, test series, discussions, preparation. How does snatching that facility become the solution to pap

Telegram moves Delhi HC against curbs imposed ahead of Neet UG re-exam

On Tuesday, the government ordered the temporary suspension of Telegram's services across India until June 22, ahead of the Neet UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21

India has 'punished' over 150 mn users by banning Telegram: CEO Durov

Pavel Durov said banning Telegram would do little to curb the circulation of leaked content and would push such activity to other platforms

Telegram blocked ahead of NEET-UG retest as govt cites paper leak risks

Centre has restricted Telegram access till June 22 and disabled message editing till June 30 after NTA flagged concerns over examination-related fraud ahead of the Neet-UG re-examination

Google removes Telegram from Play Store ahead of NEET, Apple to follow suit

Google delists Telegram in India following a government order aimed at preventing NEET paper leaks; Apple is expected to follow suit

Govt temporarily blocks Telegram messaging app ahead of Neet-UG re-exam

Measures were taken in the interest of public order in response to the organised use of Telegram by cheating rackets to target candidates appearing for the Neet (UG) 2026 re-examination

Russia's VPN crackdown caused bank outage, says Telegram founder

Attempts on Friday to limit VPN use could have sparked the disruption affecting banking apps, The Bell and other Russian media reported, citing industry sources who weren't identified

Govt asks Telegram to take down content pirated from OTT platforms

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has asked Telegram to remove pirated content from OTT platforms such as JioCinema and Amazon Prime Video