New Delhi, June 23 (IANS). Messaging platform Telegram has become available again on Google Play Store on Tuesday. Due to the re-examination of NEET UG 2026, the government had imposed a temporary ban on this messaging app for about a week.
The government had ordered a temporary blocking of Telegram from June 16 to 22 on the request of the National Testing Agency (NTA). The government agency alleged that organized cheating gangs were using this platform to mislead and cheat the candidates appearing for the re-examination of NEET-UG 2026 held on June 21.
According to reports, currently the app has arrived on Play Store, but the ban on the edit message feature of this platform will continue till June 30. However, the app is not yet available on Apple Play Store.
Last week, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology blocked Telegram in India till June 22 as a precaution ahead of the NEET re-examination.
“These steps have been taken in response to the organized use of the platform by cheating rackets that were trying to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET UG 2026 re-examination to be held on June 21, 2026,” the National Testing Agency (NTA) said on Tuesday.
On Friday, the Delhi High Court upheld the central government’s decision to temporarily halt Telegram services across India ahead of the NEET UG 2026 re-examination.
Dismissing Telegram FZ LLC’s plea challenging the blocking order of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, a single-judge bench of Justice Tejas Karia said that in view of the situation related to the nationwide medical entrance exam, it is the right step to block the messaging platform till June 22 and its message-editing feature till June 30.
–IANS
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