Telegram Challenges India's Temporary Ban
(RTTNews) - Telegram messaging app has moved to Delhi High Court against the Indian government's directive to temporarily block the application until June 22 over concerns that it had been used to distribute, or sell, leaked medical entrance exam question papers.
The government has asked Telegram to disable the message-editing feature until the end of June, as this feature was reportedly used to fabricate proof of leaks.
The government's move has come as the students are set to retake the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) on June 21 to obtain admission to undergraduate medical programs in the country after the previous test was cancelled over allegations of a question paper leak.
The move is to protect the integrity of the medical entrance exam, according to the government.
Google and Apple have taken steps to remove the messaging application from their respective App Store and Play Store listings in the country, following the directions from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, has criticized the ban on the social media platform, X, adding that the government's directive would not stop anything, as those responsible for the leak would have already moved to other social media platforms or applications.
With over 150 million active users in India, Telegram also provides access to educational content through public groups and channels.
On May 3, around 2.28 million medical education aspirants had appeared for the NEET across India, which was later cancelled by the government on alleged question paper leak.
