A New Delhi court has dealt a significant blow to Telegram, dismissing the messaging platform's challenge against a temporary government-imposed ban. The prohibition, which will remain in effect until June 22, was enacted by India’s IT ministry following reports that unauthorized channels were circulating leaked questions for the upcoming national undergraduate medical entrance exam. Authorities argued that even if these leaked papers were fraudulent, their distribution still constitutes a serious act of deception against students. In response, major telecom providers, along with Google and Apple, swiftly removed the app from their platforms to comply with the mandate.

Presiding Judge Tejas Karia upheld the government's decision, affirming that the ban followed proper legal protocols and was based on sound reasoning. This ruling marks a major escalation in the ongoing friction between the Indian government and global tech giants. While Telegram, which boasts over 150 million users in India, claims it proactively removed hundreds of links tied to illicit content and disputes the government's narrative regarding their cooperation, the platform remains offline for the time being. As the medical entrance exam approaches this Sunday, the government remains firm in its stance to curb academic malpractice, despite criticism from Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, who argues the ban unfairly penalizes the app's massive user base.