The Centre on Thursday defended its decision to temporarily restrict access to the Telegram messaging platform ahead of the June 21 NEET-UG re-examination, telling the Delhi High Court that the app's bot infrastructure could be used to disseminate information on a large scale.
Appearing for the government before a vacation bench of Justice Tejas Karia, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said Telegram's architecture allows a single account to create up to 40 bots, enabling the rapid spread of information with minimal human intervention.
“Bots are machines; they can further multiply. As per the report, Telegram can offer bot infrastructure which can disseminate information in bulk,” Mehta argued while justifying the restrictions.
The Centre's submissions came during the hearing of a plea filed by Telegram challenging the government's decision to restrict access to the platform before the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) re-examination.
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The National Testing Agency cancelled the NEET-UG examination held on May 3 following allegations of a paper leak. The matter is currently being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Mehta told the court that the government did not face similar concerns with other intermediaries. He said Telegram's cloud-based structure made it difficult for law enforcement agencies to trace individuals responsible for potential misuse.
“Even if they block it and someone does mischief, law enforcement agencies cannot reach the actual user,” he said.
The law officer further submitted that reports had indicated Telegram was frequently used for terrorist activities and that law enforcement agencies in several jurisdictions faced challenges because of the platform's design.
On Wednesday, the high court directed the Centre to file its response to Telegram's plea against the temporary restrictions imposed ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
The matter remains under consideration, and the hearing was continuing at the time of filing this report.
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