An Indian court has rejected an appeal by the popular messaging platform Telegram against a temporary nationwide ban imposed over allegations that leaked medical entrance exam questions were being sold through channels on the app.
The ruling was issued Friday by the Delhi High Court following a closed-door hearing between Telegram representatives and Indian government officials.
India’s Ministry of Information Technology moved to block Telegram earlier this week after alleging that channels on the platform were distributing undergraduate medical entrance examination questions. Officials argued that even fake exam papers could mislead students and undermine confidence in the testing process.
The controversy follows the cancellation of results from a major medical entrance exam last month amid allegations that questions had been leaked before the test.
The court upheld the government’s actions, with Justice Tejas Karia ruling that authorities had followed proper legal procedures and provided sufficient justification for the temporary ban.
The decision has effectively taken Telegram offline in India and led to its removal from app stores. India is Telegram’s largest market, with more than 150 million users.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticized the ban, arguing that it unfairly punishes users even though the alleged leaked content had already spread beyond the platform. The company said it had removed more than 900 links connected to unlawful exam-related material and disputed the government’s characterization of discussions between the two sides.
The case has emerged as one of the most significant confrontations between a global technology company and the Indian government this year, highlighting growing scrutiny of online platforms and their responsibility for user-generated content.
India now joins countries such as China and Iran, which have maintained long-standing restrictions on Telegram. The platform is also facing regulatory investigations and pressure in several other countries over content moderation and public safety concerns.
