The Supreme Court of India agreed on Friday to hear an urgent petition by the central government challenging a Delhi High Court ruling that cancelled private tenders for consular, passport, and visa services at four overseas Indian missions.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, scheduled the hearing for Monday, July 20. The appeal follows a High Court order that invalidated the outsourcing contracts for missions in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore, and Canberra, directing the government to initiate a fresh bidding process.
Disruption In Consular Services
Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the High Court’s decision has severely disrupted operations, making the delivery of visas and other consular services nearly dysfunctional. Mehta stated that while the government had awarded new tenders following proper procedures, new entities cannot begin operations immediately, leading to a critical gap in service delivery.
High Court Cites Procurement Deficiencies
The Delhi High Court had previously struck down the technical evaluation process and nullified the contracts, citing a lack of transparency, fairness, and equality. The court ruled that the government relied on undisclosed comparative standards, made unexplained score deductions, and applied inconsistent marking criteria.
According to the High Court, these deficiencies violated constitutional principles under Article 14, making the arbitrary disqualification of lower bidders a matter of broader public interest rather than an individual grievance. The government was ordered to issue a new Request for Proposals within one month.
Origins Of The Dispute
The legal battle began when two unsuccessful bidding firms, E Trav Tech Limited and Verasys Limited, challenged their disqualification. Both companies had participated in the tender process but failed to secure the minimum 70 percent mark required during the technical evaluation stage to advance to the financial bid opening.
