Messaging platform Telegram has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the Central government’s decision to temporarily restrict access to the platform ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, according to media reports. The company has sought urgent judicial intervention against the order, which remains in force until June 22.
The Centre imposed the temporary restriction following recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which cited concerns that cheating rackets were using Telegram channels to circulate fake question papers, misinformation and fraudulent exam-related content ahead of the June 21 re-test. Authorities also directed the platform to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30.
According to reports, Telegram has challenged the legality and proportionality of the ban, arguing that the move affects millions of users and the platform’s operations in India. The matter was mentioned before a Delhi High Court vacation bench, which agreed to list the case for urgent hearing.
The legal challenge comes a day after Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov publicly criticised the restriction, claiming that blanket bans inconvenience ordinary users while doing little to prevent organised exam fraud.
