In brief
In a swift legal showdown, Telegram has taken the Delhi High Court by storm, rejecting the Indian government’s overnight ban just days before the national medical entrance exam. The move comes after allegations that NEET papers were leaked, prompting officials to stop access to the messaging platform widely used by students. Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov points to a massive user base and asserts the temporary closure would do little to curb cheating. The dispute adds fuel to a wave of protests across India, as the retest is set for Sunday and air force aircraft are slated to safeguard new exam papers.
Telegram has lodged a legal challenge with the Delhi High Court after the Indian authorities temporarily blocked the messaging app just hours before the highly‑anticipated National Eligibility‑cum‑Entrance Test (NEET). The ban followed revelations that exam papers had been leaked and were circulating on the platform.
Pavel Durov, the company’s CEO, called the outage a mistake and warned that thousands of students could be penalised for a move that would not stop the “leakers”. Telegram claims that it has already removed hundreds of channels that were sharing leaked test materials.
The government says the embargo aims to protect the integrity of the exam, which was scrapped last month over the same leak allegations. The retest is scheduled for this Sunday, with new papers reportedly to be flown by Indian Air Force aircraft.
Readers and students have expressed mixed reactions. Many depend on Telegram’s free study groups for exam prep and fear the cut‑off will rob them of vital resources, while some support the ban and call for a focus on the root cause of the leak.
The NTA, which organizes NEET, noted that the notice was triggered by the organized use of the platform by “cheating rackets to defraud candidates”, while acknowledging the inconvenience to legitimate users.
The incident is the first time India has blocked a major online platform to curb electoral‑style cheating. Experts argue whether a global messaging tool can be effectively shut down, since similar activities could shift to other apps.
Key figures:
- 150 million Telegram users in India, many relying on it for education.
- Over a dozen people arrested; CBI investigating the leak.
- Political push‑back from opposition leaders demanding accountability for the ministry.
- Retesting to be held under tight security protocols.
Telegram’s legal team filed the complaint on Wednesday, with the judge set to hear arguments later in the day. The outcome could set a precedent for how governments handle digital platforms in future exam‑related controversies.
