No relief for Telegram as Delhi High Court allows temporary India block to continue

The Delhi High Court on June 19 rejected Telegram’s petition challenging the Centre’s decision to temporarily block the messaging platform in India ahead of the NEET 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.

Justice Tejas Karia pronounced the order, allowing the government’s restriction on Telegram to remain in force until June 22.

The Centre had ordered the temporary block following recommendations from the National Testing Agency and the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education. The measure was introduced amid concerns that Telegram could be used to circulate leaked question papers, answer keys and other unauthorised exam-related material.

Telegram argued before the court that it had taken extensive steps to curb the spread of unlawful NEET-related content. The company said it had removed more than 900 links and deployed AI and machine learning tools to identify and take down such material.

The Centre, however, raised concerns about Telegram’s technical architecture, particularly the use of automated accounts and bots to distribute messages at scale without continuous human involvement.

The ban was enforced within hours, with Indian telecom operators blocking access to Telegram and Google and Apple removing the app from their stores.

The court had earlier questioned whether blocking access for Telegram’s entire Indian user base was proportionate to the government’s objective of protecting the examination process.

Justice Karia had asked the Centre whether the rights of around 150 million users could be restricted because a section of citizens was appearing for an examination.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov had also criticised the decision, arguing that the restriction affected ordinary users rather than those responsible for leaking examination material.

The action “punishes 150M+ ordinary Telegram users in India” and not the “insiders” who leaked the exam materials, Durov said in a statement.