India recorded a sharp spike in VPN downloads in the days following the government's order to block Telegram, as millions of users sought ways to access the platform despite the temporary suspension imposed ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21.
App intelligence firm data shows VPN downloads in India surged by over 500 per cent in the 48 hours following the Telegram block, which came into effect on June 17. Proton VPN, NordVPN, and Windscribe recorded the sharpest increases, with India briefly becoming the top market globally for VPN downloads during the peak period. The spike mirrors patterns seen in other countries following platform restrictions, Iran, Russia, and Pakistan have all recorded similar surges historically when major apps were blocked.
Why the Ban Was Imposed
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the blocking directive under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act on June 17, at the National Testing Agency's request. Authorities alleged that organised cheating networks had used Telegram channels to distribute leaked NEET-UG question papers and coordinate exam fraud. The block is set to remain in place until June 22, one day after the re-examination.
Authorities additionally directed Telegram to disable its message editing feature in India until June 30, citing its alleged misuse to fabricate backdated evidence of paper leaks.
Telegram Moves Delhi High Court Against Ban
Telegram challenged the ban before the Delhi High Court, arguing it had affected over 150 million Indian users, the vast majority of whom had no connection to the alleged cheating networks. The court agreed to hear the plea on an urgent basis. Telegram's legal team called the restriction disproportionate, and the platform's founder Pavel Durov said publicly that Telegram had proactively removed hundreds of channels distributing leaked content before the ban was imposed.
The VPN Question
The surge in VPN usage raises questions about the effectiveness of the government's enforcement strategy. VPNs allow users to route their internet traffic through overseas servers, bypassing country-level restrictions. Although India's VPN sector has been under tighter regulations since 2022, the Telegram ban has driven a sharp increase in VPN adoption, introducing many users to the technology for the first time and potentially leading to a lasting shift in digital behaviour.
The NEET-UG re-examination is being conducted after the original May 3 test was cancelled over paper leak allegations, the latest in a series of examination irregularities that has fuelled nationwide student protests, the rise of the Cockroach Janata Party movement, and sustained calls for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
