Our Bureau
New Delhi
The Delhi High Court on Friday upheld the Centre’s decision to temporarily restrict access to messaging platform Telegram in India ahead of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) re-examination, rejecting the company’s plea challenging the ban. The court observed that the government’s action was justified in view of concerns over examination-related fraud and the need to protect the integrity of the medical entrance test.
Justice Tejas Karia dismissed Telegram’s petition against the temporary blocking order issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The restriction, imposed ahead of the NEET-UG re-exam scheduled for June 21, was aimed at preventing the alleged misuse of the platform for circulating fake question papers, misleading claims and fraudulent material targeting candidates.
The Union government had argued before the court that Telegram’s features, including large public channels, bots and message-editing options, created challenges in controlling the spread of illegal content. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that authorities had repeatedly asked the platform to act against problematic channels but effective measures were not taken.
Telegram had challenged the nationwide restriction, arguing that blocking the entire platform affected millions of genuine users who rely on the application for communication, education and other legitimate purposes. The company contended that action against specific accounts or channels would have been a more balanced approach.
The government’s move came after concerns that cheating networks were using Telegram to spread fake NEET-related information and exploit students appearing for the re-examination. Along with restricting access to the app until June 22, authorities also directed the platform to disable message-editing features for a limited period to prevent misuse.
With the court allowing the temporary restriction to continue, Telegram will remain inaccessible in India during the crucial period surrounding the NEET-UG re-examination, as authorities focus on preventing further disruption and ensuring a fair examination process.
