CEO Pavel Durov reacts to India’s Telegram ban pending NEET re-examination — “Leaks just moved to other apps” | Today’s news
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov reacted to the Indian messaging platform’s ban until June 22, a day after the NEET re-exam, saying it won’t stop anything – “The leaks have just moved to other apps.”
The move comes as authorities seek to prevent cheating and curb the spread of misinformation linked to the nation’s largest medical entrance exam.
Here’s what Telegram’s CEO had to say:
“India’s IT Ministry banned Telegram for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions. This will punish over 150 million ordinary Telegram users in India – not the insiders who leaked the exam materials,” Durov said in X’s post.
“And the ban didn’t stop anything. The leaks just moved to other apps,” he added.
Why was Telegram restricted?
The decision comes weeks after the NEET UG 2026 examination was canceled amid allegations of irregularities and claims of a paper leak.
The inquest, originally scheduled for May 3, was canceled following the controversy. A re-inspection is now scheduled for June 21 with increased security.
Officials say the temporary restriction on Telegram is intended to disrupt channels that could be used to disseminate leaked test material or spread misleading information about the test.
How did the NTA react?
The National Testing Agency (NTA) welcomed the decision, saying it aims to preserve the integrity of the testing process.
According to the government, organized cheating networks have allegedly used Telegram to cheat candidates appearing for NEET UG. The messaging platform will remain unavailable in India till June 22.
How was the ban justified?
The block was issued under Section 69A of India’s Information Technology Act 2000, a provision that allows the central government to restrict access to online platforms in the interests of “India’s sovereignty and integrity”.
Separately, the government also ordered Telegram to disable the message editing feature for all Indian users by June 30, 2026.
Tech giants Alphabet, Google and Apple have received government orders to temporarily remove Telegram from their respective app stores, and sources with direct knowledge of the matter have confirmed they will comply.
The government acknowledged that the measure would cause inconvenience and described it as inevitable after earlier targeted actions to remove objectionable content failed to produce the desired results.
IFF challenges the legal basis of the ban
The Internet Freedom Foundation objected to the decision, arguing that the government used a law that does not actually authorize the actions it took.
In a detailed statement issued on Tuesday, the organization said: “Section 69A and the 2009 blocking rules contained within it allow the government to block access to specific ‘information’ on a computer resource. They are not about shutting down an entire intermediary, much less ordering a company to redesign its product by removing a feature for the entire country.”
