Messaging platform Telegram has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the Central Government's decision to temporarily restrict access to the platform across India until June 22, citing concerns over potential paper leaks ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.
The matter was mentioned before a vacation bench led by Justice Tejas Karia, which agreed to urgently list the case for hearing later on Wednesday. The government's action follows recommendations made by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education.
The temporary restrictions were introduced amid concerns that organised cheating networks could misuse the platform during the medical entrance examination re-test. The Centre has maintained that the measures are intended to safeguard the integrity of the examination process and prevent the circulation of leaked material.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Criticises the Move
Reacting to the government's decision, Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov strongly opposed the restrictions, arguing that the action unfairly impacts millions of legitimate users.
In a post on X, Durov said the temporary ban penalises more than 150 million Telegram users in India rather than those responsible for leaking examination material.
He also claimed that restricting access to Telegram had not stopped the spread of leaked content, alleging that such activity had merely shifted to other platforms. According to Durov, Telegram had already removed hundreds of channels involved in sharing leaked exam material and related scams in India over recent weeks.
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Platform Highlights Measures Against Misuse
Durov further stated that Telegram had been taking proactive steps to address concerns linked to examination fraud.
Among the measures cited was a decision to make the platform's "edited" label more prominent, a move aimed at preventing the alleged misuse of message editing to create misleading timelines and backdated content.
Describing Telegram as a "force for good", Durov argued that even a temporary ban was the wrong approach and would not effectively target those responsible for organised cheating operations.
NTA Welcomes Government Directions
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the National Testing Agency welcomed the government's decision and outlined the directions issued in relation to Telegram.
The first measure involves restricting access to Telegram in India under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, for a limited period ending on June 22. The restriction covers the day of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and the immediate period afterwards.
According to the NTA, the move is intended to curb the activities of organised cheating syndicates that allegedly use digital platforms to exploit candidates appearing for the examination.
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Message Editing Feature Also Faces Temporary Curbs
Alongside the access restriction, authorities have directed Telegram to disable the message-editing feature in India for messages that have already been posted. This restriction is set to remain in place until June 30.
The NTA said the step addresses a specific feature that has allegedly been used to fabricate "paper leak" claims after examinations have taken place.
The agency maintained that both measures were implemented in the interest of public order and to counter attempts by cheating rackets to defraud candidates participating in the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination on June 21.
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