23 June,2026 11:17 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
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Messaging platform Telegram was restored on the Google Play Store on Tuesday after a temporary government-imposed ban expired at midnight on June 22.
The app became available for download on Android devices after being blocked for a week as part of measures linked to the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. Some existing users had already begun regaining access to the platform before its formal restoration on the Play Store.
However, Telegram remained unavailable on Apple's App Store till around 10 am on Tuesday. Apple did not immediately respond to queries regarding the delay in restoring access to the application.
The Centre had temporarily blocked Telegram and its associated web services from June 16 to June 22 following concerns raised by authorities over alleged misuse of the platform during the examination process.
The government ordered the temporary restriction after the National Testing Agency (NTA) raised concerns that Telegram was being used by organised cheating networks to circulate fake examination papers, spread misleading information and defraud candidates.
According to officials, representatives of Telegram met government authorities on June 3, during which concerns regarding examination-related content and platform misuse were discussed.
Following the meeting, the Centre directed internet service providers and app stores to block Telegram and its web-based services until June 22.
Authorities said the measures were taken as a precautionary step ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, which was conducted on June 21.
While the messaging platform itself has been restored, restrictions on one of Telegram's key features will continue for another week.
The government has directed Telegram to keep its message-editing feature disabled until June 30.
Officials said the measure was intended to prevent the alteration of messages that could potentially be used to spread misinformation or facilitate examination-related fraud.
The NTA had argued that both the temporary suspension of the platform and the disabling of the editing feature were necessary to protect the integrity of the examination process and maintain public order.
The NEET-UG re-examination was conducted on June 21, and authorities have so far reported no major incidents of paper leaks or organised fraudulent activities linked to the test.
Government sources indicated that there has been no extension of the original blocking order and that Telegram's restoration followed the expiry of the temporary ban.
The platform's return marks the end of one of the most significant restrictions imposed on a major messaging application in India in recent years.
Earlier this month, the Delhi High Court upheld the Centre's decision to temporarily block Telegram and disable its message-editing feature.
The court dismissed a petition filed by Telegram FZ LLC challenging the restrictions and held that the government had followed the procedure prescribed under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
"Given the emergency nature of the Impugned Order, the reasons supplied in arriving at the decision were sufficient. As Respondent No. 1 (Union government) has strictly followed the procedural steps as required under Section 69A of the IT Act, the challenge to the Impugned Order on the ground non-communication of reasons cannot be sustained," the Delhi High Court said.
The restrictions had been imposed following recommendations from the National Testing Agency and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Telegram founder and chief executive Pavel Durov criticised the government's decision to temporarily ban the platform, arguing that the action penalised millions of users because of the actions of a small number of individuals.
Durov also alleged that commercial interests may have influenced the move, claiming that competitors had lobbied against Telegram. However, no evidence supporting the allegation has been made public.
With the temporary ban now lifted, Telegram has resumed operations in India, although the platform will continue to operate without its message-editing feature until the end of June.
(With inputs from Agencies)
