Telegram has taken the Indian government to court over its temporary ban on the messaging platform, implemented due to concerns over its use in distributing leaked exam papers for the NEET medical entrance examination. The company argues the ban punishes millions of users and is ineffective.
The legal challenge highlights the tension between government efforts to combat exam fraud and the rights of millions of users who rely on messaging platforms for communication and access to information. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of broad platform bans in addressing sophisticated cheating networks.
Telegram has taken the Indian government to court over its decision to temporarily ban the messaging platform, implemented days before millions of students retake a crucial medical entrance examination. The company challenged the ban on Wednesday, a day after officials blocked access to the app over concerns it had been used to distribute leaked exam papers for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
The government stated the move aims to protect the integrity of the exam, which was cancelled last month due to allegations of a paper leak. However, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov called the ban a "mistake," arguing it would punish millions of users while being ineffective against those responsible for the leaks.
Lawyers for Telegram mentioned the case before the Delhi High Court, which agreed to hear it later on Wednesday. Durov had previously criticized the ban on X, asserting that those responsible for leaks would have already moved to other apps and that Telegram had removed hundreds of channels sharing leaked materials. He described Telegram as a "force for good."
The controversy stems from allegations that question papers for NEET, India's largest medical entrance examination, were leaked before the test last month. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating, with over a dozen arrests made. The cancellation sparked protests highlighting issues within the country's examination system.
A retest is scheduled for Sunday, with local media reporting the use of Indian Air Force aircraft for transporting papers. The National Testing Agency defended the ban as a response to the "organised use of the platform by cheating rackets," while acknowledging the inconvenience to legitimate users.
Telegram has over 150 million active users in India, many relying on it for messaging and educational content. The restriction was issued under India's IT law, allowing government blocking of online platforms for national sovereignty and integrity. This marks the first such ban in India and has sparked debate on the effectiveness of platform blocking for exam fraud. Tech analyst Nikhil Pahwa questioned the ban's efficacy, noting that similar activities could occur on other platforms like WhatsApp and Discord. Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the government's handling of the situation.
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