Delhi High Court Reviews Centre’s Telegram Ban Ahead Of NEET-UG Retest

The Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned the Union government’s decision to temporarily restrict access to the messaging platform Telegram ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination, asking how the rights of nearly 150 million users could be curtailed due to concerns linked to a limited section of individuals involved in the exam process. The observations were made during a hearing before a vacation bench of Justice Tejas Karia.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Telegram challenging the government’s directive to impose temporary restrictions on the platform until June 22, a move taken ahead of the NEET-UG retest scheduled for June 21. After hearing detailed arguments from both sides, the bench reserved its verdict and directed that written submissions be filed by 7 pm the same day.

During proceedings, the Union government defended its decision, arguing that Telegram’s features, particularly its bot infrastructure, could be misused for large-scale dissemination of information. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, told the court that a single Telegram account could create multiple bots capable of spreading messages rapidly with minimal human oversight, making it difficult to regulate misuse effectively.

Also Read: NEET-UG 2026 Re-Exam Scheduled For June 21 With Enhanced Security Measures

The Centre further argued that the platform’s cloud-based architecture presents challenges for law enforcement agencies, as tracking and identifying users becomes difficult even when accounts are blocked. It also submitted that intelligence inputs had linked the platform’s features to misuse in certain cases, including alleged involvement in illegal and extremist activities across jurisdictions.

On behalf of Telegram, senior advocate Dhruv Mehta challenged the government’s justification, while the court also noted concerns about proportionality in restricting access for a vast user base. The bench questioned whether such broad restrictions could be justified when only a limited set of individuals were allegedly under scrutiny in relation to the examination.

The matter is linked to the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21, which was announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) after the earlier exam held on May 3 was cancelled amid allegations of a paper leak. The case, which is currently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has led to heightened scrutiny of examination security measures and digital platform usage during the sensitive testing period.

Also Read: Dharmendra Pradhan Reviews Arrangements Ahead of NEET-UG Re-Exam in Key Meeting