Delhi High Court Supports Government’s Action Against Telegram Amid Cheating Scandal
In a decisive ruling,Delhi High Court backed Indian government’s move to block Telegram,stressing need for action amid claims of misuse by groups cheating in NEET-UG 2026 exam. Court dismissed Telegram’s appeal against the emergency block order from June 16.
Court backed government’s reasoning for banning access,despite Telegram arguing that only specific content should be targeted,not the whole app. Judges pointed out that "information" in law covers many digital tools,letting government enforce a platform-wide ban.
But the court rejected Telegram's complaints about lack of consideration from authorities,citing documented cases of sharing fake exam materials and failures of past measures. Operators kept dodging detection by creating new channels,making targeted actions useless .
With re-test set for June 21,judges said only broad measures could protect exam integrity. They argued government’s plan was least intrusive way to tackle crisis,stating,“It cannot be held that the order is disproportionate.”
Telegram argued it faced unfair scrutiny while others stayed online,noting it cooperated by removing flagged content and deactivating over 900 illicit NEET links using both tech and human checks. Yet,court insisted urgent cheating claims justified government’s bold steps.
Court's decision highlights ongoing struggle to balance digital platform freedom with need for regulatory actions to protect educational integrity in India. Raises questions about future conflicts in this complex arena…
