Telegram moves Delhi HC against govt’s temporary ban:Centre imposed nationwide ban until NEET re-exam ends

Telegram has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the Central government’s decision to impose a temporary ban on the platform ahead of the NEET UG re-test. The matter was mentioned before a bench of Justice Tajas Karia, which agreed to hear the case today. The Centre had ordered the temporary suspension of Telegram prior to the NEET UG examination scheduled for June 21. Telegram CEO criticises restrictions Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has criticised India’s temporary restriction on the messaging platform ahead of the NEET-UG examination, saying it unfairly impacts millions of users. He claimed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology imposed a one-week ban after some users allegedly circulated leaked exam questions, adding that such leaks have now shifted to other applications. Students welcome temporary restriction on Telegram NEET aspirants have welcomed the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) decision to temporarily restrict access to the social media app. Students called the move a positive step while reiterating their demand for a thorough investigation into the paper leak that affected the initial examination held on May 3. Earlier, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The restriction will remain in place until June 22, 2026. However, the exact date from which the order takes effect has not been specified. The NEET re-examination is scheduled for June 21. The government has also directed Telegram to keep its message-editing feature disabled in India until June 30. This means users in India will not be able to edit messages that have already been sent during this period. According to the NTA, some individuals have allegedly used Telegram to create fake evidence of exam paper leaks. The measure has been taken to prevent such incidents and to help maintain the fairness and integrity of the examination process.