Telegram is back up and running for some users in India, as the temporary ban on the messaging application expired on June 22, 2026. While the app was unavailable on app stores on the morning of June 23, it has since returned to the Google Play Store for Android users. Operations are expected to resume nationwide today, including a return to the Apple App Store, as the government appears to have no intention of extending the ban. However, Telegram’s message-editing feature will remain disabled until June 30.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had restricted access to the Telegram app in India until June 22, 2026. This temporary ban was imposed based on recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA) ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination held on June 21. In a separate order, the Ministry had directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature until June 30.
The NTA stated that these measures were taken in the interest of public order, citing the organized misuse of the platform by cheating rackets to facilitate candidate fraud during the re-examination.
The NTA further explained that the editing feature was used to fabricate evidence of alleged ‘paper leaks’ by altering old messages and inserting exam papers after the test had concluded, all while preserving the original timestamps.
Telegram CEO and co-founder Pavel Durov opposed the temporary ban, claiming that the decision penalized over 150 million ordinary Telegram users, while those responsible for the paper leaks simply moved to other platforms. Telegram also challenged the ban in the Delhi High Court. However, the Court upheld the Central Government’s directive, terming the decision as not ‘unwarranted’. Dismissing the petition filed by Telegram FZ LLC challenging MeitY’s blocking order, a single-judge bench led by Justice Tejas Karia observed that, given the circumstances surrounding the nationwide medical entrance examinations, it was justified to temporarily block the messaging platform until June 22 and disable its message-editing feature until June 30.
While delivering the verdict, Justice Tejas Karia stated that the Centre’s order was the ‘least restrictive measure’ and that the government possessed the authority to issue directives blocking access to Telegram. The Court ruled that the government had strictly adhered to the due process of law while exercising its emergency blocking powers and that the restrictions satisfied the test of proportionality.
