In Brief
The Centre for Public Interest Litigation challenged the government's 2013 decision allowing Reliance Jio to migrate from BWA spectrum to Unified License status and provide voice services for Rs. 1,658 crores, alleging this caused huge public revenue loss. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, holding that the migration policy was valid, lawfully deliberated by technical experts and regulatory authorities, and based on the 2012 National Telecom Policy. The court found the fee reasonable (spectrum itself fetched Rs. 12,847 crores at auction), distinguished the case from the 2G judgment, and emphasized judicial restraint in reviewing expert economic policy decisions absent arbitrariness or statutory breach.
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