2 hours ago 
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Protests had erupted crossed India aft the NEET 2026 exam was scrapped implicit allegations of a insubstantial leak
India has temporarily blocked the Telegram app implicit concerns it whitethorn beryllium utilized for cheating, days earlier a important aesculapian entranceway exam is acceptable to beryllium reheld.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exam, welcomed the move, saying that it was taken successful effect to the "organised usage of the level [Telegram] by cheating rackets to defraud candidates".
But net users and rights activists person criticised the move, calling it a "band-aid solution" to tackle a overmuch larger occupation of exam fraud.
Telegram has not issued a connection yet. The BBC has reached retired to the level for a response.
The level was inactive disposable to users successful India hours aft the government's announcement, and it is not wide yet however the curb volition beryllium enforced.
But it has brought the NEET-UG exam - the gateway to joining aesculapian colleges successful India - and the caller contention surrounding it backmost into the headlines.
Nearly 2.28 cardinal candidates wrote the exam connected 3 May astatine much than 5,000 centres crossed India. But wrong days, the NTA scrapped the exam aft allegations of a insubstantial leak led to wide protests.
The lawsuit is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation and much than a twelve arrests person been made truthful far.
On Tuesday, NTA said that India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had directed the app to restrict entree to Telegram successful India till 22 June.
It added that the ministry had besides directed the app to disable successful India the message-editing diagnostic till 30 June, saying that the diagnostic had been utilized to "fabricate" grounds of insubstantial leaks.
The investigating bureau besides said that the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) - which fights cybercrime - had taken down a "substantial fig of Telegram channels, groups and bots whose names and contented openly advertised their fraudulent and misleading purpose", acting connected accusation shared by NTA and different instrumentality enforcement agencies.
The bureau alleged that operators of respective channels had demanded hundreds of thousands of rupees from candidates and their families successful speech for purported entree to the re-examination paper, adding that "there is nary specified insubstantial disposable extracurricular the secured introspection chain".
The NTA added that it regretted "the inconvenience" that the prohibition would origin for Indians "who usage the Telegram level for morganatic personal, educational, nonrecreational and informational purposes".
Though the agency's motive for blocking the app seems to beryllium a crackdown connected exam fraud, galore person criticised the ban.
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) - an Indian integer rights advocacy organisation - said that it lacks transparency and is unconstitutional.
"The artifact of Telegram is reactive and ineffective and volition punish mean users alternatively of addressing the systemic root of exam leaks. This blocking comes successful the last days of NEET preparation, erstwhile thousands of students beryllium connected Telegram for survey groups, doubt-clearing, and shared resources," IFF said.
It added that banning Telegram would not enactment a halt to leaks occuring from wrong the acquisition system, among insiders and crossed the printing and logistics chain.
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