Telegram back on Play Store after temporary nationwide block during NEET UG re-exam

Telegram has returned to the Google Play Store after the government temporarily blocked access to the messaging platform across India until June 22 as a precautionary measure ahead of the NEET UG re-examination.

The app continued to remain delisted on Apple's Appstore.

The Centre had ordered the temporary blocking of Telegram from June 16 to 22, following a request from the 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 scheduled on June 21.


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

Reacting to the move, Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov criticised the Indian government's decision to suspend the platform for a week, arguing that the actions of a small number of users should not justify blocking the entire service. He further alleged that Reliance and WhatsApp, the latter owned by Meta, may have influenced the government's decision to impose the temporary ban. However, no evidence has been publicly presented to substantiate these claims.