Delhi High Court Reserves Verdict on Telegram’s Plea Against NEET-UG Re-Exam Access Restriction

June 18, 2026 : The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved its verdict on Telegram’s challenge to the Central Government’s decision to temporarily restrict access to the messaging platform ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21. During the hearing, the Court expressed concern over the impact of the restriction on millions of users and questioned whether the rights of a vast number of citizens could be curtailed to prevent potential misuse by a smaller group of examination candidates.

Hearing the matter, the Court observed that nearly 150 million users rely on Telegram and sought clarification on whether restricting access to such a widely used platform was a proportionate response to concerns surrounding examination security. The Court noted that the central issue was balancing the rights of a large section of the public against efforts to prevent malpractice during a crucial national examination.

Defending the government’s decision, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that Telegram’s technological framework, including its bot infrastructure and cloud-based operations, creates unique challenges for law enforcement agencies. According to the Centre, these features make the platform particularly susceptible to the rapid and large-scale dissemination of leaked examination material, thereby posing a serious threat to the integrity of the examination process.

The restriction was imposed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act following recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA). The Centre maintained that the temporary measure was necessary to prevent the circulation of leaked question papers and other unauthorized content during the NEET-UG re-examination.

The re-examination is being conducted after the cancellation of the May 3 NEET-UG examination amid allegations of a question paper leak. Authorities contend that extraordinary measures are required to ensure the fairness and credibility of the fresh test.

Before concluding the hearing, the Court directed both parties to file any additional written submissions by 7 p.m. The matter now awaits the Court’s final decision, which is expected to address the broader question of whether restrictions on a digital platform can be justified in the interest of maintaining examination integrity while safeguarding the rights of millions of users.