- Delhi High Court dismissed Telegram’s plea against temporary block.
- Government blocked Telegram citing NEET re-exam security concerns.
- Centre argued Telegram’s architecture aids misuse, complicates enforcement.
- Ban remains until June 22 amid ongoing NEET investigation.
The messaging platform Telegram suffered a massive setback on Friday after the Delhi High Court dismissed its plea challenging the Centre’s decision to block its services ahead of the NEET re-examination temporarily.
A single-judge bench of Justice Tejas Karia upheld the government’s blocking order issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, allowing the temporary ban to remain in force until June 22. The court’s decision came a day after it had reserved its verdict following detailed arguments from both sides.
The Centre had imposed the restriction on Telegram on the recommendation of the National Testing Agency (NTA), citing concerns that the platform could be misused to circulate leaked examination material and compromise the integrity of the re-test scheduled for June 21.
Court Had Questioned Scope Of Ban
During Thursday’s hearing, Justice Karia had questioned whether the rights of millions of Telegram users could be curtailed because of concerns surrounding a single examination.
“How can we stop the rights of 150 million people just because one set of citizens are appearing in examinations?” the court had asked while hearing the matter.
The bench also raised questions about whether the government could restrict one group’s rights to protect another’s and sought clarification on the proportionality of the measure.
Centre Defended Restriction
Defending the temporary ban, the Centre argued that Telegram’s architecture makes it uniquely vulnerable to misuse.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that a single Telegram account can create up to 40 bots, allowing rapid and large-scale dissemination of information. He argued that such features are not available on other messaging platforms to the same extent and make enforcement more difficult.
The Centre also contended that Telegram’s cloud-based structure and bot infrastructure create challenges for law enforcement agencies in tracing users involved in illegal activities, including examination-related misconduct.
Background: NEET Re-Test After Paper Leak Row
The restriction comes against the backdrop of the NEET-UG 2026 controversy. The National Testing Agency had cancelled the May 3 examination amid allegations of a paper leak, a matter that is currently being investigated by the CBI.
To ensure the smooth conduct of the June 21 re-examination, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued directions temporarily blocking access to Telegram in India until June 22.
Telegram had challenged the order before the High Court, arguing that a blanket ban on the platform was disproportionate. However, the court ultimately declined to interfere with the government’s decision, allowing the restriction to continue through the examination period.
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