Telegram Returns To India After NEET-Linked Week-Long Ban Expires

New Delhi: Telegram was back online for millions of Indian users on Tuesday after a 7-day government block linked to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG 2026 retest. The app reappeared on Google’s Play Store and became accessible again, though it was still missing from Apple’s App Store at the time of writing the news. 

However, reports suggested that despite the listing gap, iPhone users who already had the service installed could continue using it. Some people also reported early access on Tuesday morning, several hours before Google formally reinstated downloads.

Notably, the Centre had ordered a blanket suspension of Telegram and its web services until June 22, citing the platform’s failure to stop the spread of leaked and fabricated NEET question papers, misleading material and other exam-related fraud. The ban overlapped with the NEET re-examination held on June 21. The officials stated that no major malpractice had been reported in the re-exam so far.

Earlier, Telegram contested the temporary order in the Delhi High Court, when last week the court upheld the restrictions, calling them lawful, proportionate and necessary to safeguard the integrity of a national medical entrance exam. The high court dismissed the company’s claim that proper procedure had not been followed.

Concerns Raised Before Ban

Before the shutdown, the officials from the Information Technology Ministry met Telegram representatives on June 3 to flag concerns about the app being used to circulate exam fraud material. Following these discussions, internet service providers and app stores were instructed to block Telegram, its web version and associated links for a week.

As per reports, even with the app returning, not all features are fully open, as under the government instructions, Telegram must keep its message-editing function disabled until June 30. The officials stressed that the ability to alter messages after posting could be exploited to spread false information during sensitive examination periods.

Telegram Chief Criticises Move

Earlier, Telegram founder and chief executive Pavel Durov publicly criticised the ban, saying that India’s IT Ministry suspended the platform “for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions". His remarks underlined the tension between the government’s demand for tighter content control and the company’s stance on user privacy and due process.

Reports suggested that with the block now lifted, students, educators and millions of regular users in India can access the service again, though the partial restrictions on editing messages will remain for another week as regulators continue monitoring the platform.