The Delhi High Court has upheld the Central Government’s decision to temporarily block messaging platform Telegram for five days ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination, describing the move as a reasonable and preventive step aimed at ensuring the integrity of the examination process.
The decision comes in view of the NEET-UG re-exam scheduled for June 21. Hearing the matter, Justice Tejas Karia observed that the government’s action was justified and could not be considered arbitrary or hasty. The court noted that the temporary restriction was imposed as a precautionary measure to prevent potential paper leaks and other examination-related malpractices.
During the proceedings, the Centre defended its decision, arguing that Telegram had allegedly been used extensively by organized cheating networks. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the government, submitted that the restriction was necessary to maintain the sanctity and fairness of the examination.
The government further informed the court that the blocking order had been issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act after following the prescribed legal procedure. Accepting the Centre’s submissions, the court concluded that the action had been taken in accordance with the law and was supported by valid reasons.
Telegram had challenged the government’s decision, contending that blocking the entire platform was disproportionate and unjustified. However, the High Court rejected this argument, observing that under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, an intermediary platform cannot be excluded from the scope of “information” when authorities deem action necessary in the public interest.
In its order, the court emphasized that the government’s directive was clear and had been issued after due consideration by the concerned authorities. The bench also took note of the fact that the restriction was temporary in nature and limited to a period of five days, making it neither excessive nor unreasonable.
The court held that the temporary ban was imposed with the objective of protecting students’ interests and ensuring a fair examination environment. It observed that the measure was intended to prevent the misuse of digital platforms during a crucial national-level examination.
With these observations, the Delhi High Court dismissed Telegram’s petition and upheld the Centre’s decision to block the platform during the examination period, reinforcing the government’s authority to take preventive measures in the interest of maintaining examination security.
