‘Then how am I using it?’ Nisarg Adhikary, online users claim Telegram accessible in India despite ban
Reports and user posts on social media on Tuesday suggested that Telegram is still working in India, despite government banning it earlier in the day. Some users shared screenshots and messages claiming, they were still able to access the app normally. One user questioner, “Then how am I using it?”Several posts also linked access issues to VPN use. Users shared instructions and comments suggesting that Telegram could still be used through proxy tools and VPN services, with one message stating, “Use any VPN no worries but your IP address should change, confirm it by going to myip.com.”Cybersecurity researcher Nisarg Adhikary also weighed in. In a widely shared post, he said, “can’t stop paper leaks, ends up blocking Telegram,” adding that blocking the platform completely is not straightforward because “Telegram is designed in such a way which easily allows people to use proxies and other methods of circumvention.”He further argued that even if access restrictions are imposed, users can still find ways to connect through alternative methods. This comes as government has blocked access to Telegram in India until June 22, acting against alleged cheating rackets using the messaging platform ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, based on recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA).The restriction is time-bound and will remain in place until June 22, covering the exam day on June 21 and the immediate aftermath. In a separate direction, Telegram has also been asked to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30. The NTA said this feature was being misused to create fake paper leak evidence by editing old messages while keeping original timestamps intact.The backdrop to the action is the cancellation of the earlier NEET-UG exam after a paper leak, with the re-test scheduled for June 21.
