After the government temporarily restricted access to Telegram over concerns that cheating networks were using the platform to spread fake paper-leak claims ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination, users rushed to download VPNs and alternative messaging apps instead.
According to app intelligence data cited by the Times of India, downloads of the top 100 VPN apps in India jumped to 919,000 on June 17, a day after the restrictions came into effect — the biggest single-day surge this year.