Telegram Returns to Indian App Stores After Week-Long Ban Over NEET-UG Leak Controversy
After a nearly week-long nationwide blackout, the popular messaging platform Telegram is making its way back to Indian users. The app has officially returned to both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store following a government-mandated restriction tied to the ongoing NEET-UG exam leak controversy.
While a significant portion of users report that messaging services have returned to normal, the restoration remains uneven across the country.
The Anatomy of the Ban
The Indian government imposed a strict, blanket block on Telegram from June 16 to June 22 in an aggressive bid to halt the digital circulation of leaked NEET-UG exam materials. During this period, major telecom operators completely choked access to the platform, while tech giants Google and Apple complied with orders to scrub the app from their respective marketplaces.
According to government officials, Telegram was uniquely targeted because its core privacy features—such as anonymous usernames, protected identities, and the ease with which banned channels could be replicated—made it exceptionally difficult to contain the leaks without a total shutdown.
The Legal and Corporate Standby
Telegram mounted a legal challenge against the restrictions, but the Delhi High Court firmly sided with the government. The court ruled that the temporary ban was a justified and proportional measure given the massive national stakes surrounding the medical entrance examination.
In its defense, Telegram stated it had actively cooperated with authorities, removing over 900 links containing leaked materials before the ban was even implemented. Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, publicly criticized the government’s heavy-handed approach, arguing that the blanket ban disproportionately harmed millions of innocent users while bad actors simply migrated to alternative platforms.
Ongoing Connectivity Issues on Jio and Airtel
The lifting of the ban marks the end of the total block, but the digital hangover persists. A large volume of Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel subscribers continue to report significant glitches, including:
- Inability to log into their accounts
- Failure to load existing chats without a VPN
- Persistent connection drops
The restoration appears to be rolling out in waves, varying drastically depending on the user’s region and mobile carrier.
Troubleshooting: What to Do If Your Telegram is Still Glitching
If your access has not fully restored, tech experts and network providers recommend taking the following steps:
- Update the App: Ensure you have downloaded the latest version directly from the official Google Play or Apple App Store.
- Clear Cache: Go to your phone’s settings, find Telegram, and clear the application cache to refresh the data stream.
- Force Restart: Close the application completely from your background tasks and restart it.
- Check Alternative Networks: Switch from cellular data (like Jio or Airtel) to a local Wi-Fi connection to see if the carrier block has been lifted in your area.
- Exercise Patience: Full restoration across India’s massive telecom infrastructure can take time as service providers systematically update their network registries.
