Delhi High Court seeks government reply on Telegram's challenge to exam-time ban

The Delhi High Court has sought replies from the Centre after Telegram challenged India’s temporary block on the messaging platform ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.

The court asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Testing Agency to respond, according to multiple reports. The government told the court it would place evidence before the bench in support of the restriction.

The dispute comes just days before the re-examination, which is scheduled for June 21, 2026. Reported government action has blocked Telegram in India until June 22 and disabled its message-editing feature until June 30.

What the government says

Reports said the restriction was imposed under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Officials have said the move is meant to curb cheating networks and exam-fraud operators that were allegedly using Telegram around the NEET process.

One report paraphrased the Centre’s position as saying it has material it will submit to support the block. The government has not yet filed that response in the public record described in the reports.

Telegram's challenge

Telegram filed a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the temporary block. The company’s move set up a fast-moving legal fight over whether the government can restrict access to a major messaging platform on the basis of exam-security concerns.

The court’s request for replies keeps the case alive as the exam date approaches. The immediate issue is whether the government can justify the restriction with evidence strong enough to satisfy judicial review.

Why this matters

The case affects access to a widely used messaging platform for students and other users in India, not just NEET candidates. It also tests the government’s authority to block online services under Section 69A in the context of a high-stakes national exam.

The broader backdrop is a continuing crackdown around alleged paper-leak and cheating concerns in the exam system. That has made the Telegram dispute part of a wider effort to limit misinformation and exam-fraud channels around NEET.

The timing is especially tight. With the re-examination set for June 21 and the reported block scheduled to run until June 22, the court has only a narrow window to consider the Centre’s response before the exam takes place.

What's next

The Centre and the NTA are expected to file their replies and evidence next. After that, the court will decide whether to keep, narrow or lift the restrictions.

Another open question is how the restriction is being enforced in practice, and whether it applies nationwide across all users. The reported message-editing limit, which runs longer than the access block, also remains part of the dispute.

For now, the case is a live test of how far the government can go to protect exam integrity while facing judicial scrutiny over the scope and evidence for a platform ban.