India has temporarily barred the Telegram app due to concerns that it could be used for cheating, just days before a major medical entrance exam is scheduled to be reheld. Millions of students will retake the National Eligibility and Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG) on June 21, following the cancellation of the exam in May due to claims of a paper leak.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which administers the exam, praised the action, stating that it was adopted in response to the “organised use of the platform [Telegram] by cheating rackets to defraud candidates”.
However, internet users and rights advocates have criticized the ban, calling it a “band-aid solution” to a much bigger problem: exam fraud. Telegram has yet to publish a statement. The BBC has asked the platform for a response.
The platform remained open to users in India hours after the government’s declaration, and it is unclear how the ban will be implemented. However, it has pushed the NEET-UG exam, which is the gateway to medical colleges in India, and the recent controversies surrounding it back into the spotlight.
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