India Says Telegram Could Not Proactively Detect Exam-Leak Channels

Summary

India told the Delhi High Court Telegram was warned about alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper-leak channels and said it could not proactively detect them. The ban remains in force pending a ruling; reports of a BGP route leak and Jio's role are disputed.

Key points

India's affidavit says Telegram was warned about two weeks before the ban, after the National Testing Agency identified channels, groups and bots allegedly circulating NEET-UG 2026 leak material and fraud.
According to the affidavit, Telegram acknowledged limited ability to detect the channels proactively and said moderators acted on reports.
Telegram says it cooperated and is challenging the ban as unlawful; the Delhi High Court reserved its decision, and the block remains in force.
The block reportedly disrupted Telegram access outside India, including in the UAE. Researchers attributed the disruption to a domestic block misconfigured into a global BGP route leak.
Pavel Durov accused Reliance of deliberate sabotage; Reliance Jio denied involvement in the reported BGP misconfiguration.
The block is scheduled to lift June 22 unless the court's pending ruling changes that.

Article Details

Event Type: India’s government-imposed block of Telegram following alleged exam-paper leak activity, now being challenged by Telegram in court.
Impact: The block disrupted Telegram access beyond India, including in the UAE. India’s National Testing Agency linked Telegram channels, groups, and bots to alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leaks and related fraud. The article reports no confirmed attribution of the wider disruption to Reliance Jio; the company denied involvement, and Telegram’s court challenge remained pending.