Telegram Challenges Govt’s Temporary Ban Ahead Of NEET Re-Test; Delhi HC To Hear Plea Today
Telegram has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the Centre’s decision to impose a temporary ban on the messaging platform ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 retest. The matter is scheduled to be heard by the High Court later on Wednesday.
The legal challenge comes a day after Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticised the government’s decision, saying the move unfairly affects millions of ordinary users while failing to stop the circulation of leaked examination material.
Telegram CEO Criticises Ban
In a post on X, Durov said the week-long restriction imposed by the government punishes more than 150 million Telegram users in India.
“India’s IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions. This punishes 150M+ ordinary Telegram users in India — not the insiders who leaked the exam materials. And the ban hasn’t stopped anything. The leaks just moved to other apps,” he wrote.
His remarks came amid a wider debate over whether platform-wide restrictions are an effective way to prevent the spread of leaked examination content online.
NEET Retest And Telegram Ban
The government has temporarily blocked access to Telegram in India until June 22, ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.
Authorities have alleged that the messaging platform was being used in attempts to scam candidates appearing for the national medical entrance examination.
The examination had already been engulfed in controversy following allegations of question paper leaks, which led to the cancellation of millions of exam results last month.
The decision to restrict access to Telegram was taken following recommendations by the National Testing Agency (NTA). According to the NTA, the restriction applies only during the examination period and the immediate period afterwards.
NTA Defends Move
Responding to criticism over the ban, the NTA said it regretted the inconvenience caused to lakhs of citizens who use the platform. The agency maintained that the measure was necessary to protect the integrity of the re-examination process.
In addition to the temporary ban, the government has directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.
According to the NTA, the feature had previously been misused to create alleged evidence of paper leaks. The agency said administrators could edit previously posted messages and replace attached files while retaining the original timestamp, making it possible to fabricate claims of examination paper leaks.
The Delhi High Court is expected to hear Telegram’s challenge later today.
