Supreme Court to Review High Court Decision on Diplomatic Service Outsourcing

The Union Government has appealed to the Supreme Court against a Delhi High Court ruling that nullified a tender for consular, passport, and visa services outsourcing at Indian missions in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore, and Canberra. The High Court found flaws in the technical evaluation process, demanding fresh bids.

The Union Government is set to challenge a Delhi High Court decision in the Supreme Court regarding the tender process for outsourcing consular, passport, and visa services at Indian missions in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore, and Canberra. The Delhi High Court had earlier quashed the entire tender process, citing procedural deficiencies in the technical evaluation conducted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union of India and the MEA, brought the matter to the attention of the Supreme Court on Friday before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant. The Bench has scheduled a hearing for Monday, considering the request for an expedited review.

The High Court's ruling, delivered on July 15, identified arbitrariness and a lack of transparency in the MEA's evaluation process, which resulted in the disqualification of certain bidders. While the court set aside the tender awards, it allowed existing services to continue to ensure uninterrupted consular operations. The judgement stemmed from petitions filed by E Trav Tech Limited and Verasys Limited, contesting their technical disqualification.