Delhi High court on Friday (June 19, 2026) declined to grant relief to Telegram, upholding govt.’s decision for temporary ban in view of the NEET re-examination.
The Centre defended its decision on Thursday (June 18) to suspend access to Telegram till June 22, contending that the platform had become a key tool for organised cheating networks involved in the alleged leakage and circulation of NEET examination material. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, told the court that the enterprise behind the messaging app had been repeatedly asked to proactively monitor and curb illegal and suspicious channels on the platform. However, Mr. Mehta said, the company failed to take any meaningful action.
Also read: Telegram challenge puts spotlight on Section 69A of the IT Act
Senior advocate Dhruv Mehta, appearing for Telegram, said that the government had failed to justify the use of emergency powers, and had not demonstrated why specific content could not be blocked, instead of disabling access to the entire platform. “The order says it is in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India. An examination like NEET will affect the sovereignty and integrity of India? What is the application of mind?” he said.
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Delhi High court on Friday (June 19, 2026) declined to grant relief to Telegram, upholding govt.’s decision for temporary ban in view of the NEET-UG re-examination on June 21, 2026. The Court said that the centre followed all norms and due process, adding that the government is empowered under Section 69A to block the Telegram.
Delhi HC upholds temporary ban on Telegram amid NEET-UG re-exam, citing government’s proactive measures against cheating.
Justice Tejas Karia noted that government’s pro active measures are least restrictive. It cannot be held that the order is disproportionate or there was no application of mind before taking the temporary ban decision, as alleged by the petitioner.- Ishita Mishra
Delhi High court upholds govt. decision to ban Telegram temporary before Neet re-examination. - The Hindu Bureau.
Nisarga Adhikary, a cybersecurity researcher at IIT-K, warned that a blanket ban or heavy-handed restriction “optimises for visibility rather than actual risk reduction”.
“Telegram is relatively mainstream and at least has identifiable infrastructure, legal points of contact, and a large amount of public activity,” Mr. Adhikary said. “If determined actors are forced off it, they do not disappear. They migrate to platforms with stronger anonymity properties... pushing adversaries into darker corners of the ecosystem may simply reduce visibility into it.”
Mr. Adhikary also pointed out the technical impracticality of demanding immediate software overhauls, stating it is not easy for Telegram to alter integral functions such as editing or archiving on short notice.- Maitri Porecha
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), in a statement, argued that the government’s ban on Telegram is a band-aid solution and a disproportionate answer to exam fraud. “At the outset, it is important to note that Section 69A and the Blocking Rules of 2009 framed under it allow the government to block access to specific “information” on a computer resource. They do not extend to switching off an entire intermediary, still less to ordering a company to redesign its product by removing a feature for a whole country,” the IFF said.
NTA warns Telegram of misuse before nationwide ban, citing concerns over exam fraud and inadequate feature adjustments.
The Union government on Thursday (June 18, 2026) submitted before the Delhi High Court that the messaging platform Telegram has evolved into the “new dark web”, arguing that its architecture and privacy features have made it a preferred tool for cybercriminals, fraud networks, extremist and terror groups, and operators involved in examination paper leaks.
A Bench of Justice Tejas Kataria scrutinised the government’s justification for a platform-wide restriction, even as it acknowledged concerns about examination malpractice and cybercrime.
“How can we stop the rights of 150 million people just because one set of citizens are appearing in examinations?” Justice Tejas Karia said, while hearing submissions from both sides.
Centre urges Telegram to curb illegal channels, citing inadequate measures amid concerns over organized cheating networks.
Published - June 19, 2026 10:01 am IST
judiciary (system of justice) / education / Live news / medicine / medicine (education) / test/examination
Source: The Hindu - India News
