Rajesh Kumar

The Union Government on Thursday defended its decision to restrict Telegram app ahead of the NEET re-examination on June 21, saying it is “most preferred” for terror acts, cyber crimes and extremist propaganda as the social media’s unique bot infrastructure allows information to be disseminated in bulk, enabling creation of sophisticated networks with minimal human oversight. It also makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to detect any wrongdoing.

Acknowledging that the monsoon is likely to be “relatively severe” due to El Nino in 12 States, including Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Agriculture Minister Chouhan on Tuesday directed officials to be ready with advanced contingency plans.