NEW DELHI — India quietly confronted Telegram over its failure to crack down on accounts allegedly distributing leaked exam questions, while Telegram fired back by accusing Indian officials of misrepresenting what was said in their meetings. The standoff ultimately resulted in an extraordinary government-ordered ban of the app, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government invoked emergency authority to shut down Telegram within India through June 22, citing concerns that the platform was being exploited to cheat candidates sitting for NEET — a high-stakes national entrance examination for medical school admission.
Telegram has taken the matter to the Delhi High Court, arguing the ban violates constitutional protections and freedom of expression. The conflict represents the latest confrontation between a major technology company and the Modi government, following a legal battle last year with Elon Musk’s X platform over content removal demands.
The app counts 150 million users in India — its largest market in the world. NEET exam results were thrown out in May after suspicions arose that test questions had been leaked in advance, and the exam was rescheduled for June 21. The controversy triggered a political uproar, including calls for the education minister to step down. More than 2 million students take the undergraduate medical entrance exam each year.
Documents obtained by Reuters show the June 16 ban order came after roughly two weeks of back-and-forth communication between India’s IT ministry and Telegram representatives. The government accused Telegram of “inaction” regarding channels with names like “NEET PAPER LEAKED” and “Paper Leaked NEET,” saying the names alone made their purpose obvious. Some of those channels were allegedly soliciting money in exchange for a “full (exam) paper.”
Telegram pushed back in follow-up emails, stating it was “surprised at the suggestion that it has been inactive in addressing unlawful content” and insisting it does not allow its platform to be used for such activities.
India’s IT ministry and Telegram both declined to respond to questions from Reuters.
While WhatsApp dominates India’s messaging market with more than 500 million users, Telegram offers features that set it apart. Its group chats can accommodate up to 200,000 members — a far cry from WhatsApp’s 1,024-person limit — and users can communicate without revealing their phone numbers. Critics argue those same features have made it a haven for fraud and illegal activity, though Telegram rejects that characterization and says it moves quickly to address bad actors.
The Indian government has stated that fraudulent activity tied to the NEET exam is “most pronounced on Telegram.”
Telegram founder Pavel Durov publicly called the ban “a mistake,” arguing that it punishes ordinary users while those spreading leaked content can simply migrate to other platforms. The company also posted a pointed — if indirect — jab at the situation on its X account: “Over 300,000 people die of drowning each year. In order to protect society, it is now illegal to consume or possess water.”
The dispute between the two sides grew more contentious following a June 3 meeting, when Telegram emailed Indian officials to say the government’s written record of the meeting did not accurately reflect what was discussed. According to government notes, Telegram acknowledged having limitations in proactively detecting “more subjective” content related to exams, as opposed to clearer violations such as child sexual material and pornography.
Telegram disputed that account in a June 5 email, clarifying that it does have proactive measures for such content — but that exam-related material simply requires more intensive moderation than other categories.
In its formal court challenge, Telegram went further, describing the government’s meeting minutes as a “one-sided and inaccurate account of the discussions” that “deliberately” left out details of the company’s proactive efforts. The government has not yet filed a response to those claims in court.
