Hyderabad, June 17 -- While the National Testing Agency (NTA) welcomed the Telegram ban, Internet advocacy groups have called it a "band-aid solution" and a "disproportionate answer" to the NEET (UG) exam paper leak issue.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), on the recommendation of NTA, restricted the use of Telegram in India until June 22, the day after the re-examination, and directed the platform to disable message editing for all Indian users until June 30.

According to the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), the "blunt" nationwide move, although aimed at controlling fraud rackets, is constitutionally incompatible and contradictory to NTA's own statements.

The NTA, in its release dated Tuesday, June 16, ...