5 Reasons Why India Has Blocked Telegram But Not WhatsApp Ahead Of NEET Re-Exam

Last Updated:June 16, 2026, 15:15 IST

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered a temporary restriction on Telegram until June 22 following recommendations from the National Testing Agency

Amid massive backlash after the NEET (UG) 2026 paper leak, the Centre on Tuesday temporarily restricted messaging platform Telegram in the run-up to the re-examination scheduled for June 21. The move, however, has triggered a question among millions of users—if exam fraudsters use multiple messaging apps, why was Telegram singled out while WhatsApp remained untouched?

The government says the answer lies not merely in the popularity of the platforms, but in how they are used, how information spreads on them, and the specific role Telegram allegedly played in recent examination-related fraud.

Why Has Telegram Been blocked?

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered a temporary restriction on Telegram until June 22 following recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA).

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According to government agencies, Telegram had emerged as a major channel for the circulation of fake question papers, paper leak claims, answer keys and other examination-related misinformation. Investigators said organised cheating networks were using Telegram channels and groups to target anxious students with promises of leaked papers and guaranteed success.

The NTA alleged that several Telegram channels, operating under names such as “PAPER LEAKED NEET", “Re-NEET 2026" and “Private Mafia", were attempting to dupe aspirants by claiming they could provide access to the NEET question paper.

According to the agency, these channels sought payments ranging from a few thousand rupees to lakhs from candidates and their families in exchange for the purported examination material.

Authorities described the action as a preventive measure aimed at protecting the integrity of the re-examination rather than a permanent ban on the platform.

The Message-Editing Problem

One of the biggest concerns for investigators was Telegram’s message-editing feature.

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Officials say fraudsters were exploiting the feature to create the illusion that exam papers had been leaked before the examination. The alleged method was simple: a message would be posted in advance and later edited after the real paper became available. Because Telegram preserves the original timestamp while indicating that a message has been edited, screenshots could be circulated claiming proof of a prior leak.

Investigators argue that this made it easier to manufacture convincing but misleading evidence and fuel panic among students. As a result, the government has directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.

“The feature… permits a channel administrator to edit the content of a previously posted message—including the substitution of attached files such as PDFs—while the original send-time stamp is retained. This capability has been used… to fabricate after-the-event ‘paper leak’ artefacts," the agency said.

Why Telegram Became The Focus

Telegram’s design differs significantly from WhatsApp in several important ways.

Telegram allows extremely large public groups and channels that can attract hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Messages posted in such channels can spread rapidly to a nationwide audience without requiring personal contact details.

The platform also permits anonymous or pseudonymous channel administration, making it harder for investigators to immediately identify operators behind suspicious groups.

For agencies tracking examination fraud, this combination of mass broadcasting and relative anonymity allegedly made Telegram an attractive platform for organised cheating networks. Government officials had already placed several Telegram channels under scrutiny following concerns about fake NEET leak claims earlier this year.

Investigators also argue that Telegram’s searchable public channels allowed alleged fraudsters to quickly find and recruit students looking for leaked papers or answer keys. Unlike WhatsApp’s largely closed networks, Telegram channels can be discovered through search, links and forwards, enabling suspicious content to spread beyond existing personal contacts.

Why Not WhatsApp?

The government has not publicly accused WhatsApp of playing a similar role in the current NEET-related investigations.

While WhatsApp can also be used to spread misinformation, its structure is different. Communication primarily occurs through private chats and groups linked to phone numbers. Large-scale public broadcasting is more limited than on Telegram’s channel ecosystem.

From an enforcement perspective, authorities appear to believe that the specific networks under investigation were concentrated on Telegram rather than WhatsApp. As a result, regulators targeted the platform.

In other words, the decision was based less on which app is larger and more on which app authorities believe was being used most extensively for the specific misconduct under investigation.

About the Author

Apoorva Misra

Apoorva Misra is News Editor at News18.com with over nine years of experience. She is a graduate from Delhi University's Lady Shri Ram College and holds a PG Diploma from Asian College of Journalism, ...Read More

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