New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Friday approved the Central government’s decision to temporarily block access to the messaging app Telegram ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. The court said the step was appropriate and limited in scope, and aimed at preventing exam malpractice and cheating.
Justice Tejas Karia delivered the judgment, rejecting Telegram’s plea against the blocking order issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. While announcing the decision, the court said the government’s actions were the least restrictive possible and could not be considered disproportionate. The government had imposed the temporary ban due to concerns that Telegram was being used by organised groups involved in cheating, linked to the NEET-UG controversy.
The re-examination was scheduled after the original NEET-UG exam held on May 3 was cancelled due to allegations of paper leaks and other irregularities. The case is still being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Following recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) ordered a temporary suspension of Telegram in India until June 22.
In addition, the government directed the platform to disable the message-editing feature for previously sent messages until June 30. Telegram challenged the order in the High Court, arguing that it was being unfairly singled out while other social media platforms were allowed to operate without similar restrictions. The company also claimed that the move violated Article 14 of the Constitution and was not proportionate.
During the hearing, Telegram said it had been cooperating with government agencies since May and had provided detailed information about its content moderation and compliance measures. The company said that when authorities shared specific URLs on June 9, the content was removed within an hour. Telegram also stated that it had taken down over 900 links linked to illegal NEET-related content. It added that it uses artificial intelligence, machine learning tools, and human moderators to identify and remove content that violates its policies.
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