Telegram started working again for some users in India on Tuesday, a week after the central government temporarily banned the messaging platform. The app had been blocked following a major security breach where NEET exam papers were leaked on the platform before the exam date.
The government had ordered internet service providers to block Telegram on June 10 after the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, India’s biggest medical entrance exam, had its question papers shared on the platform. This exposed a serious gap in how the test is being protected. The ban was meant to be temporary while authorities investigated the leak and took action against those responsible.
Now, some existing users are reporting they can access Telegram again, though the app remains unavailable on Google Play Store and Apple App Store. This means new users cannot download it, but those who already had it installed can use the app. The platform is still technically unavailable through official channels, creating an unusual situation where people can use an app they cannot download.
The NEET paper leak is not the first time Telegram has faced blocking in India. The platform has been temporarily restricted several times over the years due to national security concerns or when hosting content related to ongoing investigations. Each time, access was eventually restored after the immediate crisis passed.
What the Telegram situation reveals is how Indian authorities respond to security incidents. When a breach happens, blocking the entire platform is seen as a faster solution than addressing the root cause. In this case, the real problem was not Telegram itself but how exam papers were being handled and who had access to them before the test date. The NEET paper leak suggests major failures in the examination system’s internal security.
The government has said it will review whether to permanently restore Telegram’s access after its investigation concludes. This depends on whether authorities believe the platform will cooperate on India’s safety concerns, particularly around preventing misuse for leaked documents and coordinating illegal activities. Telegram has faced criticism globally for being difficult for law enforcement to monitor due to its encrypted messaging system.
Meanwhile, NEET aspirants who use Telegram for study groups and exam preparation have faced disruption. Many educational communities on the platform lost access to shared resources and coordination channels during the week-long ban. Some have shifted to alternative apps like WhatsApp or Discord, though neither offers the same scale of group functionality that Telegram provides.
