Delhi High Court Reserves Verdict on Telegram's Challenge to India Ban
L'essentiel
- The Delhi High Court has reserved its decision on Telegram's challenge to a temporary government ban imposed before the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
- Telegram argues the ban affects millions of users, while the government claims due process was followed.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
The Delhi High Court is hearing a challenge from Telegram against a temporary government ban imposed before the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. The ban was reportedly to prevent cheating and the spread of leaked question papers.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on a plea filed by messaging platform Telegram challenging the government's temporary ban on the app imposed ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.
The court had earlier sought responses from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the National Testing Agency (NTA) on the restrictions imposed on Telegram FZ-LLC.
During the hearing, Solicitor General argued that Telegram had been called, heard, and its submissions recorded by a review committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, pushing back on the platform's contention that due process was not followed.
In its plea, Telegram challenged the legality of the ban, which was enforced until June 22. Lawyers representing the platform said the restriction had affected over 150 million users in India.
Why was Telegram banned in India?
The Centre had directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature for posts already published, with the restriction valid until June 30. MeitY also ordered the app's removal from app stores, with both Google and Apple complying. The messaging service subsequently stopped working for existing users in India, though it remained accessible via VPN.
The government said the ban was aimed at preventing cheating and curbing the spread of fake question papers ahead of the re-examination. The original NEET-UG exam, conducted on May 3, was cancelled following allegations of widespread paper leak and irregularities. Telegram was alleged to have been used to circulate leaked questions and facilitate communication between students, middlemen, and others linked to the paper leak network.
The NTA, which conducts the examination, has faced widespread criticism from candidates and parents over its failure to secure the question paper.
Questions ouvertes
- When will the court deliver its verdict?
- What will be the implications for Telegram users if the ban is upheld?
