Messaging platform Telegram approached the Delhi High Court on Tuesday to challenge the Indian government’s order to temporarily block the app ahead of the re-test of the nationwide medical college entrance exam, according to a report by Indian news outlet Bar & Bench.
The court today agreed to hear the case on an urgent basis, according to reports quoting lawyer Madhav Khosla, representing Telegram.
Khosla told the bench that Telegram has more than 150 million users who have been affected by the government’s ban.
Telegram has not yet commented officially about the temporary ban.
Why is the Indian government blocking Telegram?
Last month, authorities had canceled the NEET exam, which students are required to qualify to take admission in medical colleges across India, after its question paper was leaked.
The cancellation of the exams following media reports of suicide among students triggered protests in the country.
The government blocked Telegram until June 22, saying the app was used to “cheat candidates” appearing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) medical entrance exam.
The Education Ministry’s National Testing Agency said the move on Telegram was taken “in response to the organized use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing in the re-examination of NEET 2026 scheduled for June 21, 2026”.
Telegram has seen rapid growth in India, making the country its largest market in terms of downloads, although WhatsApp remains the dominant messaging platform.
Edited by: Rana Taha
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