Telegram restored on Play Store in India after week-long block

New Delhi: The messaging platform Telegram on Tuesday returned to the Google Play Store after the government temporarily blocked access to the messaging platform across India as a precautionary measure because of the NEET UG 2026 re-examination.

The government had ordered the temporary blocking of Telegram from June 16 to 22 following a request from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which alleged that the platform was being used by organised cheating rackets to mislead and defraud candidates appearing for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination held on June 21.

Meanwhile, the centre’s decision to disable Telegram’s message-editing feature will remain in force till June 30.

However, the app remained unavailable on Apple’s App Store.

The NTA had said that both measures were taken in the interest of public order in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating networks targeting NEET candidates.

The NEET UG re-examination was conducted successfully on June 21, with no reports of paper leaks or other major fraudulent activities emerging so far.

Earlier in the month, the Delhi High Court upheld the Centre’s decision to temporarily suspend Telegram’s services and disable its message-editing feature.

Dismissing a petition filed by Telegram FZ LLC, the court held that the government had followed the procedure prescribed under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act while invoking emergency blocking powers and that the restrictions satisfied the test of proportionality.

“Given the emergency nature of the Impugned Order, the reasons supplied in arriving at the decision were sufficient. As Respondent No. 1 (Union government) has strictly followed the procedural steps as required under Section 69A of the IT Act, the challenge to the Impugned Order on the ground non-communication of reasons cannot be sustained,” the Delhi High Court said.

The restrictions were imposed following recommendations by the NTA and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

IANS