India has blocked access to the Telegram messaging app ahead of a fresh sitting of its nationwide medical college entrance exam, moving to tighten security after last month’s damaging scandal over a leaked question paper.
The collapse of the fiercely contested test, coupled with a separate grading controversy in high school examinations, ignited public anger and helped drive youth protests calling for the education minister to step down.
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The Ministry of Electronics ordered Telegram access restricted until 22 June, the date of the retest. Features that let users edit messages after posting will stay limited until 30 June.
“Both measures have been taken in the interest of public order, in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates,” India’s National Testing Agency (NTA) said in a statement.
The NEET exam was cancelled in May after accusations that the paper had been leaked beforehand, with reports saying it had been shared through Telegram channels.
The extraordinary pressure surrounding these exams has spawned a lucrative ecosystem, including tens of thousands of coaching centres across the country.
With competition so intense, success often carries a steep emotional and financial price — conditions that have created fertile ground for criminal groups looking to profit by selling leaked exam papers to the highest bidder.
India’s Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested the alleged “kingpin” behind the leak, identifying him as a chemistry lecturer involved in the examination process for the NTA.
The education ministry has also launched a website inviting the public to report “suspicious claims, unauthorised content, or fraudulent activities” connected to the NEET exam.
Even as the economy expands rapidly, millions in the world’s most populous nation continue to struggle for stable, well-paying work, deepening frustration.
Students often devote years to preparing for these exams in the hope of landing a professional career, with limited openings and relentless competition only adding to the strain.
The NEET controversy erupted alongside another dispute, this one involving the online marking system used for exams taken by nearly two million high school students.
Many students said the system had awarded incorrect grades or even issued results to the wrong candidates.
