A New Delhi court on Friday, June 19, 2026, upheld a government order temporarily blocking Telegram across India, ruling the move lawful and necessary to protect the integrity of a major medical entrance examination hit by alleged question paper leaks.
The Delhi High Court dismissed Telegram’s challenge to the directive, which restricted access to the platform from June 16 to June 22 ahead of the rescheduled National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG), used for admission into medical schools nationwide.
Justice Tejas Karia held that authorities acted within their legal powers under India’s information technology laws and that the temporary restriction was justified to prevent malpractice and safeguard the exam process.
The case stems from the cancellation of NEET-UG results conducted on May 3 after allegations of a paper leak, triggering a nationwide retest scheduled for June 21.
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Government lawyers said Telegram had been used by organised groups to circulate alleged leaked materials and coordinate cheating, while also arguing that its structure makes enforcement difficult due to rapid channel recreation and limited user traceability.
Telegram, which has over 150 million users in India, contested the order, saying it removed more than 900 links tied to alleged leaks and warning that the blanket block unfairly affected millions of legitimate users.
Founder Pavel Durov criticised the ban, saying it punishes users while failing to stop offenders who can simply move to other platforms.
The shutdown was enforced by telecom operators and reflected in app store restrictions by Google and Apple.
Digital rights groups, including the Internet Freedom Foundation, warned the ruling could expand state powers over online platforms and set a troubling precedent for internet regulation in India.