Telegram restored on Google Play Store in India after week-long government block

Telegram is back on the Google Play Store in India.

After a week of being unavailable to Android users, the messaging app quietly reappeared on Tuesday, ending a temporary government block imposed during the country's high-stakes medical entrance exam.

The restriction wasn't about Telegram itself. It was about what was happening on it.

Indian authorities had ordered Google, Apple and telecom operators to block access to the platform ahead of the re-run of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG), after investigators alleged that channels on Telegram were being used to circulate leaked exam papers and facilitate organised cheating. The order remained in place until June 22 and was not extended, allowing the app to return to the Play Store, according to local reports.

The move briefly cut off one of India's largest messaging platforms from new Android downloads, affecting a service estimated to have more than 150 million users in the country.

Why Telegram?

Authorities argued that Telegram's features — including anonymous usernames, encrypted chats and large public channels — made it difficult to stop the rapid spread of leaked material. According to Reuters, officials also accused the company of failing to remove channels openly advertising examination papers quickly enough.

Telegram pushed back.

The company said it had removed more than 900 links connected to illegal exam content and argued that blocking the platform punished millions of ordinary users rather than those responsible for the abuse. Founder Pavel Durov also questioned the effectiveness of the ban, saying users involved in illegal activity simply migrated to other services, Reuters reported.

Court backs government

Telegram challenged the order in the Delhi High Court, arguing that the temporary block infringed constitutional protections, including freedom of speech and access to information.

The court disagreed.

Judges upheld the emergency measure, saying the government was entitled to act to protect the integrity of a national examination while investigations continued.

Telegram is once again available for download through the Google Play Store in India. But the week-long block is likely to remain a reference point in the broader debate over where governments should draw the line between platform accountability and access to digital communication.