Telegram Challenges NEET-UG 2026 Ban in Delhi High Court as Centre Cites Exam Security Concerns (Image Dynamite News)
New Delhi: Messaging platform Telegram has moved the Delhi High Court against the Central government's decision to temporarily restrict access to the app ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. The plea was mentioned before Justice Tejas Karia, who agreed to take up the matter later on Wednesday.
The legal challenge comes after the government ordered a temporary suspension of Telegram services until June 22, covering the June 21 medical entrance examination and the immediate period following it.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, based on recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Department of Higher Education.
Authorities said the restriction was introduced to prevent cheating attempts, fake paper leak claims and online scams targeting NEET aspirants. Officials clarified that the decision was not prompted by evidence of an actual question paper leak but by the growing circulation of misleading content on social media platforms.
According to the NTA, several Telegram channels were allegedly claiming access to the examination paper and demanding money from students and their families. Such channels reportedly used names associated with paper leaks and re-examination updates to attract candidates.
The agency maintained that all such claims were false and designed to exploit anxious students. It also stressed that the examination paper remained secure throughout the official examination process.
In addition to the temporary platform restriction, the government directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature for existing posts in India until June 30.
Officials argued that the feature could be misused to alter older messages and insert examination content after the test, creating misleading screenshots that appear to prove a prior paper leak. The temporary restriction is intended to prevent the creation and circulation of fabricated evidence following the examination.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov criticised the move, arguing that it affects millions of genuine users rather than only those involved in fraudulent activities. He said the platform had already removed numerous channels linked to scams and suspicious exam-related content.
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) also opposed the suspension, calling it a disproportionate response to examination-related fraud.
Despite the controversy, the NTA has confirmed that the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination will take place on June 21 as planned. Candidates have been advised to rely only on official NTA communications and report suspicious claims through cybercrime reporting platforms.
