Nisarga Adhikary questions Telegram ban till NEET, says it won't stop paper leaks

Nisarga Adhikary has questioned the government's move to restrict Telegram access until June 22 before the NEET-UG re-examination, saying the measure fails to address the systemic issues that lead to paper leaks.

In Short

• Government restricts Telegram till June 22 over NEET paper leak fears
• Cybersecurity expert Nisarga Adhikary calls ban ineffective
• Adhikary urges focus on exam security, not platform blocks

Cybersecurity researcher Nisarga Adhikary has criticised the government's decision to temporarily ban Telegram in India, arguing that blocking the messaging platform will not stop paper leaks unless the systemic vulnerabilities that enable them are addressed.

The restriction was imposed amid concerns that cheating rackets and paper-leak networks were using the platform ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21.

The temporary measure follows weeks of scrutiny over alleged question-paper leaks and misinformation surrounding one of India's largest entrance examinations. Officials have maintained that the move is aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the re-test and preventing the spread of leaked material and false claims online.

Reports also suggest that authorities sought additional curbs on certain Telegram features as part of the broader crackdown.

‘BLOCKING TELEGRAM WON’T SOLVE THE PROBLEM’

Reacting to the decision on X, Adhikary criticised the government's approach, arguing that platform bans do not eliminate the underlying vulnerabilities that enable paper leaks.

“Can't stop paper leaks, ends up blocking Telegram.”

The teenager further noted that Telegram's architecture allows users to bypass restrictions through proxies and other circumvention tools, making a complete shutdown difficult to enforce in practice.

According to Adhikary, efforts should instead focus on strengthening examination security systems, identifying leak sources, and addressing institutional weaknesses rather than restricting access to an entire communication platform.

WHO IS NISARGA ADHIKARY?

Adhikary recently came into the national spotlight after identifying and reporting vulnerabilities in CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) portal.

His disclosures drew attention across the cybersecurity community and the education sector. Following his findings, he was appointed as an OSINT and Threat Intelligence Engineer at IIT Kanpur's C3iHub, a cybersecurity innovation centre.

The 19-year-old researcher has emerged as one of the most prominent young voices in India's cybersecurity ecosystem, frequently advocating for responsible disclosure and stronger digital security practices.

DEBATE OVER SECURITY VS ACCESSIBILITY

The Telegram restriction has reignited a broader debate over whether platform-level bans are an effective response to exam fraud.

Critics argue that such measures are easily circumvented and risk disrupting communication for millions of ordinary users, while supporters contend that temporary restrictions can reduce the scale and speed at which leaked content spreads.

As the NEET re-examination approaches, the controversy highlights a larger question facing authorities: should efforts focus on blocking platforms where leaks appear, or on fixing the systems that allow leaks to occur in the first place?

- Ends