The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed Telegram’s petition challenging the central government’s temporary ban on the messaging app, upholding the restriction until June 22 in view of the upcoming NEET re-examination. Justice Tejas Karia, hearing the case on Thursday, affirmed the government’s decision, stating clearly: “Considering the NEET re-exam, Telegram will remain banned until June 22nd.”

The ban was imposed on June 16 by the Centre, just days before the NEET re-exam, amid serious concerns over exam paper leaks and cybercrime. Telegram had filed a petition in the Delhi HC arguing that blocking the entire platform was unjustified for a single incident.

In an affidavit submitted to the court, the Centre defended the ban, alleging that Telegram has been extensively used for cybercrime activities—including exam paper leaks, child sexual abuse material, terrorism-related propaganda, and financial fraud. The government emphasized that the platform’s privacy and anonymity features have turned it into a preferred tool for criminal networks, making temporary restrictions necessary to safeguard the exam process.

Telegram’s advocate, Dhruv Mehta, countered that while exam leaks were a known issue affecting students, penalizing all users by blocking an entire platform was disproportionate. The company claimed it had acted swiftly after authorities flagged content, removing more than 900 links related to illegal NEET content within an hour of receiving specific URLs on June 9. Telegram also stated it uses artificial intelligence, machine learning tools, and manual moderation to detect and remove policy violations.

The NEET-UG examination, held nationwide on May 3, 2026, saw around 23 lakh candidates appear. But allegations of question paper leaks and advance access for some candidates surfaced across multiple states. The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the exam on May 12 after irregularities were confirmed during investigation. Following a review by the Centre and investigating agencies, authorities decided to conduct the examination again.

The temporary Telegram ban comes as part of broader efforts to prevent any further leakage or manipulation ahead of the re-exam. Engineering and medical aspirants across India are now awaiting the re-test, with security measures tightened at exam centers.

The court has not specified what will happen after June 22. Further details on whether the ban will be extended, modified, or lifted are awaited. The NTA and other agencies are expected to issue fresh guidance on exam logistics in the coming days.

For students, the ban removes a major communication channel many relied on for study materials and group coordination. Critics argue it disrupts legitimate use, while supporters say it’s a necessary step to ensure exam integrity.

The Delhi HC’s decision reinforces the government’s position that exam security outweighs platform access in this specific context. Whether this becomes a precedent for future exam-related restrictions remains to be seen.