Centre defends temporary Telegram suspension before NEET (UG) 2026 re-exam

NEW DELHI: The Centre has told the Delhi High Court that its decision to temporarily suspend Telegram across India before the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination was necessary to prevent exam-related fraud and protect the integrity of the test.

In an affidavit, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said it had first tried less restrictive measures, including targeted takedowns of unlawful content, but found them inadequate.

According to the government, Telegram had become a major platform for the circulation of alleged NEET paper leaks, fake examination material, cyber frauds, and other unlawful activities. MeitY cited a complaint from the National Testing Agency (NTA) alleging that several Telegram channels, groups, and bots were selling purported access to exam papers and related material.

The Centre said a June 3 meeting with Telegram officials revealed difficulties in proactively identifying and removing such channels, particularly because of anonymity features and the ease with which channels could be recreated.

Defending its use of emergency blocking powers under Section 69A of the IT Act and the Blocking Rules, the government argued that channel-specific takedowns were ineffective because mirror channels, anonymous accounts, and bots could reappear within minutes.

The affidavit also relied on assessments by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which said Telegram's large channels, anonymity tools, bots, forwarding mechanisms, and cloud-based architecture created significant enforcement challenges. (IANS)

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