India temporarily blocks Telegram over medical exams: company takes to court

The Indian government has temporarily restricted the work of the Telegram messenger during the period of medical entrance exams. The authorities explain this by the need to prevent fraud and leakage of exam materials.

According to Reuters, the blocking will be in effect until June 22 and concerns channels that, according to the government, were distributing information about the tasks of the repeated national test for admission to medical specialties.

The scandal surrounding the exams erupted after the previous session had to be canceled due to suspicions of document leakage. At that time, millions of applicants took the test.

In response, Telegram challenged the government’s decision in the Delhi High Court, stating that the blocking violates citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and access to information.

The company emphasized that punishing the entire platform for the actions of a separate group of users sets a dangerous precedent for digital services and could pave the way for mass restrictions on online communication.

The parties have already appeared in court, but India’s Attorney General Tushar Mehta has asked for a postponement of the hearing. The court agreed to hear the case the next day.

The situation surrounding Telegram in India could be indicative of a global debate about the limits of state control over digital platforms and the balance between security and freedom of expression.