Indian court upholds temporary Telegram ban during medical exams

Details: Manny Pham; Category: Regulation; 22 June 2026; 6564 views

Messaging platform Telegram has lost its bid to overturn a government order that temporarily blocked access to the app during national medical entrance examinations, after an Indian court ruled the measure was legal and proportionate, Reuters reported.

The ban was imposed on June 16 and will end after today (June 22), with Google, Apple and Indian telecom operators complying with the order immediately.

The decision has drawn criticism from free speech advocates, who argue it sets a concerning precedent by giving authorities broad powers to restrict access to a communications platform whenever they deem it necessary.

The Indian government defended the move, citing reports that certain Telegram accounts were claiming to have access to examination papers ahead of the country’s medical entrance tests. Authorities argued they were “empowered … to issue directions for blocking public access to Telegram” in such circumstances.

According to Reuters, India is Telegram’s largest market, with around 150 million users.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticised the ban, arguing that leaked examination papers could be distributed through a range of online platforms and that blocking Telegram alone would not solve the underlying problem.

The ruling marks the latest clash between India’s authorities and major technology platforms over content regulation and access restrictions. The government has previously been involved in disputes with Elon Musk-owned social media platform X over content takedown requests and compliance with local regulations.

The case is likely to intensify debate around the balance between national security and examination integrity on one hand, and digital rights and freedom of expression on the other.