Messaging platform Telegram has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the Centre’s decision to temporarily block access to the app ahead of the NEET UG 2026 re-test scheduled for June 21. The matter was mentioned before Justice Tejas Karia on Wednesday, who agreed to take up the plea later in the day, as per Livelaw reports.
High court challenge filed
The petition comes days after the government ordered a temporary restriction on Telegram as part of efforts to prevent the circulation of examination-related material and curb malpractice during the medical entrance examination.
According to submissions made before the court, Telegram has sought urgent relief against the suspension, arguing that the ban is disproportionate and affects millions of users who have no connection with alleged exam-related violations.
Exam security concerns
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), acting on recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA), issued directions under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, restricting access to Telegram in India for a limited period ending June 22, 2026.
The restriction covers the day of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and the immediate period following it. Authorities have maintained that the measure is necessary to prevent organised cheating networks from exploiting the platform to distribute examination material and mislead candidates.
In a separate directive, Telegram has also been instructed to disable the message-editing feature for users in India until June 30. The NTA said the feature had allegedly been misused to create fabricated “paper leak” evidence after examinations had already taken place.
“Both measures have been taken in the interest of public order, in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination scheduled on 21 June 2026,” the NTA said in a statement.
Durov criticises the decision
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has publicly opposed the government's decision, arguing that the move unfairly penalises ordinary users rather than those responsible for leaking examination material.
In a post on X, Durov said the week-long restriction impacts more than 150 million Telegram users in India.
“India’s IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions. This punishes 150M+ ordinary Telegram users in India, not the insiders who leaked the exam materials,” he wrote.
His remarks have added to the debate over whether platform-wide restrictions are an effective way to tackle examination-related misconduct.
Hearing before re-exam
With the NEET UG re-test only days away, Telegram has urged the High Court to intervene before June 21. The company is expected to argue that targeted action against violators would be more appropriate than a blanket suspension affecting the entire platform.
The outcome of Wednesday’s hearing could have significant implications for both exam-security measures and the government's approach to regulating digital platforms during sensitive public examinations.
