Delhi HC reserves verdict on Telegram plea against temporary NEET-linked block
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Thursday reserved its judgment on a plea filed by Telegram challenging the Centre’s decision to temporarily restrict access
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Thursday reserved its judgment on a plea filed by Telegram challenging the Centre’s decision to temporarily restrict access to the messaging platform ahead of the 21 June NEET-UG re-examination. A vacation bench heard the matter for nearly two hours for the second consecutive day. Senior advocate Dhruv Mehta, appearing for Telegram, argued that the government had imposed the temporary ban without adequate application of mind. Telegram also questioned the proportionality of the government's action in its petition, arguing that the blocking order failed to justify why a platform-wide ban was necessary. “The Impugned Order does not provide any basis as to why such a draconian measure, affecting the rights of the Petitioners, as also over 150 million users of Telegram in India, is a proportionate remedy,” the company said. Quick answers to key questions • 5 QUESTIONS 1 Why did the Delhi High Court reserve its verdict on the Telegram ban ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination? ⌵ The court reserved its verdict after hearing arguments from both Telegram and the Centre regarding the government's temporary ban, questioning the proportionality of restricting access for 150 million users due to issues affecting a smaller group of citizens participating in examinations.
2 What measures did the Indian government implement against Telegram prior to the NEET-UG re-examination? ⌵ The Indian government temporarily banned Telegram and ordered the platform to disable its message-editing feature for previously sent messages, citing concerns over misuse related to circulating leaked examination papers. 3 How does the government justify the temporary ban on Telegram during the NEET-UG examination period? ⌵ The government claims the ban is necessary to prevent groups from misusing Telegram to circulate leaked question papers and mislead examination candidates, and it was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. 4 What arguments did Telegram present against the government's temporary ban? ⌵ Telegram argued that the government imposed the ban without sufficient justification and that it unfairly penalized legitimate users while failing to address the actual perpetrators of examination malpractices. 5 What is the significance of Section 69A of the Information Technology Act in relation to the Telegram ban? ⌵ Section 69A allows the Indian government to direct intermediaries to block access to online content for reasons of sovereignty, security, and public order, which was the legal basis for the temporary ban on Telegram during the NEET-UG re-examination.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, said Telegram’s architecture differs from that of other messaging platforms, making it difficult for the company itself to prevent misuse. He also told the court that reports have identified Telegram as a preferred platform for terrorist activities. Referring to measures Telegram had been directed to implement, the solicitor general said: "We are not denying that they have not done it. It was found that it was ineffective." Telegram, however, defended its content-moderation systems in its petition, saying it reviews around 35 billion content items globally every month using AI-powered tools and maintains an accuracy rate of more than 99% in detecting illegal content. The court questioned the proportionality of the government's action. "How can we stop the rights of 150 million people just because one set of citizens are appearing in examinations?" the bench observed. The Centre blocked Telegram until 22 June under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, citing concerns over exam-related paper leak networks. In its petition, Telegram said the platform serves a large user base beyond personal messaging, including small and medium enterprises, startups and educational technology businesses that rely on it for day-to-day operations.
"Telegram has also gained tremendous popularity as a modus operandi for small and medium enterprises and start-ups, across a range of operational functions, as well as in the educational technology space," the petition stated. More than 2 million students appeared for the medical entrance examination this year. The government’s action follows weeks of controversy surrounding NEET-UG 2026 after allegations of a question paper leak prompted authorities to cancel the original examination and order a re-test. According to the Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the examination, the temporary restriction was imposed to prevent the misuse of Telegram by groups allegedly involved in circulating leaked question papers and misleading candidates. The original NEET-UG examination was held on 3 May, with about 2.28 million candidates appearing at more than 5,000 centres across the country. Allegations of a paper leak triggered protests and investigations, leading authorities to cancel the results and schedule a re-test for affected candidates. Apart from restricting access to Telegram, the government has directed the platform to disable its message-editing feature in India for previously posted messages until 30 June.
The BriefWire