The messaging platform has challenged the Centre’s temporary restrictions imposed during the NEET UG re-examination period
June 17, 2026: Telegram on Wednesday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the temporary restrictions imposed on the platform ahead of the NEET UG re-examination scheduled for June 21. The matter has been listed before Justice Tushar Rao Gedela Karia for hearing later in the day. The Centre had ordered temporary curbs on Telegram until June 22, while the National Testing Agency (NTA) supported the move, stating that it was necessary to prevent fraud and misinformation targeting students.
According to the NTA, a large-scale scam network was operating through Telegram channels, where fraudsters allegedly demanded amounts ranging from ₹14,000 to ₹25,000 and, in some cases, up to ₹10 lakh by falsely claiming access to leaked NEET re-exam papers. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) also directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30, arguing that it could be misused to create fabricated evidence of paper leaks by altering messages while retaining original timestamps.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticised the restrictions, claiming that the temporary ban inconvenienced over 150 million users in India while failing to stop those responsible for sharing leaked material. NTA Director General Abhishek Singh defended the decision, stating that even if fraudulent channels continued operating through VPNs or from outside India, restricting student access would reduce the effectiveness of scams and protect candidates from financial losses and misinformation. The NEET UG examination was originally held on May 3 but was later cancelled following allegations of irregularities and paper leaks.