In Brief
Private Tour Operators (PTOs) challenged a Ministry of External Affairs clarification requiring submission of documents under clause (vii) of the Haj 2013–17 Policy for at least three years. The Supreme Court held that clause (vii) is merely a rule of evidence—not a substantive obligation—to establish a PTO's past performance. Once registered in any category, a PTO remains entitled to consideration for future quota allotment until formally de-registered for valid reasons. The Court directed the respondent to reconsider cases of all PTOs under the approved scheme without requiring annual document reproduction for years when quota was wrongly denied or not allotted.
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