Telegram moves Delhi High Court against temporary ban over NEET-UG re-exam
New Delhi Jun, e 17
Instant messaging platform Telegram has approached the Delhi High Court, challenging the Central government's decision to temporarily block its operations in India until June 22 in connection with the upcoming NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
The matter was mentioned on an urgent basis before a vacation bench of Justice Tejas Karia by Advocate Madhav Khosla. The Court agreed to hear the plea later in the day.
According to lawyers appearing in the case, the temporary restriction has affected more than 150 million Telegram users across India.
The Centre had ordered the blocking of Telegram following a request from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which alleged that the platform was being used by organised cheating rackets to mislead and defraud candidates appearing for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled on June 21.
Following the government's direction, telecom operators reportedly began restricting access to Telegram, while the application's listing was removed from major app stores. The government has described the move as a temporary and targeted measure aimed at preventing the circulation of leaked examination material and related scams ahead of the re-test.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticised the blocking order, stating that the platform had already removed hundreds of channels allegedly involved in sharing leaked examination content and scams. He said the ban affects millions of ordinary users and argued that illegal activities could shift to other platforms.
The NTA, however, maintained that the decision was necessary to ensure a fair and secure examination process. It also said the restriction is limited in duration and would be lifted after the re-examination.
The Delhi High Court is expected to examine the legality and proportionality of the government's decision, as well as its impact on users and digital communication services.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a student who just gave NEET, this makes me so anxious. Cheating is a huge problem, but blocking an entire app feels extreme. Most of us use Telegram for study groups and legit resources. Why can't the authorities just monitor it better? Seems like an overreach to me. 😔
Interesting how India's government is so quick to ban platforms. Meanwhile, the actual cheating networks just move to WhatsApp or Signal. This feels like a knee-jerk reaction. Telegram's founder is right—they were already cooperating by removing channels. Hope the court looks at the proportionality of this.
I'm all for stopping cheaters—those who buy papers and ruin it for genuine students deserve strict action. But a temporary ban? That's just a band-aid. The system needs better encryption busting and real-time monitoring, not mass censorship. And what about the 150 million users now losing access? Unacceptable.
Seriously? Block Telegram for a week? That's like shutting down the internet to stop a few trolls. The NTA should have approached Telegram directly and asked for cooperation. This sets a dangerous precedent for digital freedom in India. Hope the court strikes this down as disproportionate.
I understand the NTA's concern, but this is just lazy governance. Telegram has already taken down hundreds of channels. Why not work with them to introduce AI-based detection for leaked papers? Banning the whole app is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Genuine students are suffering. 😐
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