Kejriwal questions effectiveness of Telegram ban in preventing exam paper leaks

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, on Thursday questioned the government's decision to temporarily ban the messaging platform Telegram as a measure to prevent examination paper leaks. In a video message posted on social media platform X, he stated that such a step would not address the root cause of the issue.

Mr. Kejriwal said that banning Telegram is not a solution to the problem of paper leaks, and suggested that authorities are not serious about tackling the issue. He alleged that the business of paper leaks is worth billions of rupees and that large sums of money generated through such activities reach influential people.

The former Delhi Chief Minister further claimed that money from paper leak rackets is being used for political purposes, including the purchase of legislators. He emphasised that paper leaks would continue unless systemic changes are introduced and called on people to come together to demand reforms. "The whole system will have to change," he said.

The government had temporarily blocked Telegram in India, citing its use in facilitating the leakage of examination question papers. The ban has sparked debate about the effectiveness of such measures in tackling deeply rooted issues in the examination system.