The impact of the central government's temporary ban on Telegram—imposed ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination—is now clearly visible. Services on the instant messaging platform Telegram have ceased for a large number of existing users in India. However, technical experts note that users employing VPNs are still able to access the platform.

**Telegram inaccessible to existing users**
Access to Telegram has been restricted following a government order, preventing many existing users in India from utilizing the service. Meanwhile, options to download the app are also gradually disappearing.

Google removed Telegram from its app store on Tuesday. Now, Apple has also removed the app from its App Store in compliance with government directives. This move comes ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.

**App remains accessible via VPN**
Cybersecurity experts believe the ban on Telegram may not prove entirely effective. They state that users utilizing VPNs are still accessing the app without significant difficulty.

Jiten Jain, Director of Voyager Infosec, told PTI that blocking Telegram would not resolve issues like paper leaks. He explained that VPN users can bypass Indian servers and connect to foreign servers, thereby keeping Telegram services active for them.

**Measure taken to prevent paper leaks**
The government imposed the temporary ban on Telegram while preparations for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination are underway. The decision is believed to be aimed at curbing the potential leakage of confidential exam-related information, the spread of misinformation, and cheating networks.

However, experts argue that banning a single platform is unlikely to completely halt such activities, as users can access various channels through alternative technical means. It will now be interesting to see how effectively this temporary ban imposed on Telegram achieves the goal of exam security.

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