Delhi HC dismisses Telegram's plea challenging Centre's temporary ban on messaging app ahead of NEET re-examination

The Delhi High Court today dismissed Telegram ’s challenge to the Centre’s temporary ban imposed ahead of the NEET re-examination, granting no relief to the messaging platform. Justice Tejas Karia upheld the government’s order under Section 69A of the IT Act and confirmed the suspension will remain in force until June 22. The court found no grounds to set aside the blocking direction and rejected Telegram’s plea against the restriction. The decision leaves the messaging app blocked for users in India for the duration specified by the government. Delhi High Court dismisses Telegram’s plea challenging the Centre’s temporary ban imposed in view of the NEET re-examination, granting no relief to the messaging platform. Justice Tejas Karia upholds the government’s decision to block Telegram till June 22, rejecting the… pic.twitter.com/8Sk95cFHYN — ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2026 Rejecting Telegram’s contention that the blocking order lacked proper reasoning and reflected non-application of mind, the High Court held that both the original blocking order and the subsequent review undertaken by the statutory Review Committee demonstrated due consideration of the relevant material. Justice Karia noted that the authorities had recorded sufficient reasons for their decision and that the review mechanism prescribed under the law had also been properly followed. “The orders are well-founded and supported by reasons. The orders do not suffer from non-application of mind,” the Court observed. The government had informed the Court that the blocking order was subsequently reviewed by a Review Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary, which examined the matter and found adequate grounds for continuing the temporary restriction. News Alert ! Government empowered to direct blocking of access to Telegram: Delhi HC on restrictions on app ahead of NEET-UG re-exam. pic.twitter.com/VcVNaVxRtG — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 19, 2026 Telegram had argued that the blocking order imposed a blanket restriction on a communication platform used by millions of users and therefore failed the constitutional test of proportionality. The company maintained that the alleged misconduct of certain users could not justify disabling access to the entire platform. However, the High Court accepted the Centre’s position that the restriction was a narrowly tailored and temporary measure designed specifically to prevent the misuse of the platform during the conduct of the NEET re-examination. The Court held that the government had adopted the least restrictive means available in the prevailing circumstances and that the action could not be characterized as excessive or disproportionate. “The government’s measures are least restrictive. It cannot be held that the order is disproportionate,” the Court said. One of Telegram’s principal arguments was that Section 69A of the Information Technology Act empowers the government to block specific “information” and not an intermediary platform as a whole. According to the company, the provision did not authorize a complete shutdown of access to a communication service. The High Court, however, rejected this interpretation and held that there was no basis in the statutory framework to exclude a platform from the scope of the term “information.” Justice Karia observed that the language of the Information Technology Act did not support Telegram’s restrictive reading of the provision. “We have also held that under the IT Act there is no reason to exclude the platform from the ambit of ‘information’,” the Court remarked. The ruling effectively affirms the government’s power, in appropriate circumstances, to block access to an entire platform where such action is considered necessary under Section 69A. The Union Government had strongly defended the temporary blocking order, arguing that Telegram had become a significant conduit for organised cheating networks involved in circulating leaked examination material and related content ahead of the NEET re-examination. Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the government possessed credible material indicating large-scale misuse of the platform by individuals and groups attempting to compromise the examination process. He argued that the action was preventive in nature and aimed at safeguarding the sanctity of one of the country’s largest entrance examinations. The Centre emphasised that the restriction was imposed in the larger public interest and was necessary to ensure fairness for lakhs of students appearing in the re-examination. Mehta further contended that the blocking order was issued strictly in accordance with the procedure prescribed under Section 69A and the relevant Blocking Rules. Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma and Advocate Ashish Dixit also appeared on behalf of the Central Government during the proceedings. Opposing the government’s action, Senior Advocate Dhruv Mehta, appearing for Telegram, argued that the blanket restriction on the platform was excessive and unjustified. Telegram maintained that it had cooperated with law enforcement agencies and had taken action against channels and groups found to be involved in unlawful activities. The company contended that targeted action against offending users and channels would have been a more proportionate response than blocking access to the entire platform. The platform also argued that several less restrictive alternatives were available to the government and that the blocking order failed to satisfy constitutional standards governing restrictions on communication and access to information. Despite these submissions, the Court ultimately concluded that the exceptional circumstances surrounding the NEET re-examination warranted temporary intervention and that the government’s action met the legal requirements of necessity and proportionality. After examining the rival submissions, the Delhi High Court dismissed Telegram’s plea in its entirety and declined to interfere with the Centre’s decision. The Court held that the requirements under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act had been satisfied, the procedural safeguards had been observed, and the temporary blocking measure was justified given the extraordinary circumstances associated with the NEET re-examination. With the dismissal of Telegram’s challenge, the temporary blocking order issued by the Central Government remains in force and is presently scheduled to continue until June 22 (Monday). The judgment marks a significant endorsement of the government’s emergency powers under Section 69A and underscores the judiciary’s willingness to uphold temporary restrictions on digital platforms where authorities demonstrate a compelling public interest and adherence to statutory safeguards.