The Centre has told the Delhi High Court that Telegram acknowledged limitations in proactively detecting channels allegedly involved in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, according to an affidavit filed in the matter concerning an interim ban on the messaging platform.
In its affidavit, the government said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) received multiple complaints alleging misuse of Telegram to circulate leaked NEET examination material and facilitate related fraudulent activities.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) identified several Telegram channels, groups and bots that were allegedly being used to disseminate leaked question papers and examination content, the affidavit said.
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The Centre noted that it did not immediately move to block Telegram and instead adopted what it described as the "least restrictive measure." As part of that approach, government officials held a meeting with Telegram representatives on June 3, 2026.
During the meeting, authorities raised concerns over Telegram's alleged failure to proactively detect and curb channels involved in the circulation of leaked examination papers. According to the affidavit, Telegram acknowledged challenges in identifying such content before it is reported and informed officials that its moderators were acting against channels flagged by users and authorities.
The government said the discussions formed part of its efforts to address concerns over the platform's role in the alleged NEET-UG paper leak while balancing regulatory action with intermediary obligations.
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The Union government imposed the week-long restriction at the request of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which said the action was necessary to curb the organised use of Telegram by cheating networks ahead of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.
The order, which remains in effect until June 22, marks the first time India has blocked a messaging platform of Telegram's scale, even temporarily. Following the directive, at least one telecom operator restricted access to the service, while Telegram's app listing was removed from both Google Play and Apple's App Store in India.
The controversy follows the cancellation of the NEET examination last month after authorities discovered that question papers had been leaked in advance, triggering nationwide protests and renewed scrutiny of examination security measures.
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