Delhi HC reserves verdict on telegram case against temporary block linked to NEET | Today’s news
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on a plea filed by Telegram challenging the Centre’s decision to temporarily restrict access to the messaging platform ahead of the June 21 re-exam of NEET-UG.
The 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 imposed the temporary ban without adequate application of mind.
In its petition, Telegram also questioned the reasonableness of the government’s action, arguing that the blocking order failed to justify why a platform-wide ban was necessary. “The impugned order provides no basis as to why such a draconian measure affecting the rights of the petitioners as well as over 150 million Telegram users in India is an adequate remedy,” the company said.
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The court reserved its verdict after hearing arguments from both Telegram and the Center regarding the government’s temporary ban, questioning the proportionality of restricting access to 150 million users due to issues affecting a smaller group of citizens participating in the investigation.
The Indian government has temporarily banned Telegram and ordered the platform to disable its message editing feature for previously sent messages, citing concerns about misuse related to the circulation of leaked exam documents.
The government says the ban is necessary to prevent groups from misusing Telegram to send leaked question papers and cheat exam candidates, and was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
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 investigative misconduct.
Section 69A allows the Indian government to order intermediaries to block access to online content on grounds of sovereignty, security and public order, which was the legal basis for Telegram’s temporary ban during the NEET-UG re-examination.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Center, said Telegram’s architecture is different from that of other messaging platforms, making it difficult for the company itself to prevent abuse. He also told the court that the reports identified Telegram as a preferred platform for terrorist activities.
Referring to the measures Telegram should have put in place, the attorney general said: “We don’t deny that they didn’t do it. It was found to be ineffective.”
Telegram, however, defended its content moderation systems in its petition, saying it screens around 35 billion content items globally each month using AI-powered tools and maintains an accuracy rate of more than 99% in detecting illegal content.
The court questioned the reasonableness of the government’s action. “How can we stop the rights of 150 million people just because one group of citizens shows up for an examination?” the bench watched.
Emails seeking comment from Telegram and the Department of Education were not answered as of press time.
The Center has blocked Telegram till June 22 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 that goes beyond personal messaging, including SMEs, startups and education technology businesses that rely on it for day-to-day operations. “Telegram has also gained immense popularity as a modus operandi for small and medium-sized businesses and startups, across a range of operational functions as well as educational technology,” the petition states.
More than 2 million students appeared for the medical entrance examination this year. The government’s move follows weeks of controversy surrounding the 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 National Testing Agency (NTA), which is conducting the examination, the temporary restriction was imposed to prevent misuse of the telegram by groups allegedly involved in circulating leaked question papers and cheating candidates.
The original NEET-UG examination was held on May 3 and about 2.28 lakh candidates appeared in more than 5,000 centers across the country. Allegations of a paper leak sparked protests and an investigation, leading authorities to cancel the results and schedule a new test for the affected candidates.
In addition to restricting access to Telegram, the government ordered the platform to disable the message editing feature for previously sent messages in India by June 30.
The blocking order was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act 2000, which empowers the government to order intermediaries to block access to online content in the interests of sovereignty, security and public order.
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