In Brief
Three transferred cases from Delhi, Tripura, and Karnataka High Courts challenged the Notice Inviting Application-2015 for spectrum allocation. The petitioners—telecom operators—attacked minimum bidding criteria, spectrum caps, and the Government's decision not to put all available spectrum to auction, contending these violated Article 14 equality. The Supreme Court held that the capping rule and bidder classification (existing, expiring, new entrants) with different minimum bids serve legitimate public interest by ensuring service quality, preventing monopoly, and encouraging competition. TRAI recommendations, while deserving weightage, are not binding; the Government's final policy decision was reasonable. Non-auction of defence-held spectrum and feasibility of communication, not hoarding, justify the Government's stance. Legitimate expectation does not override public interest. The Court dismissed all three transferred cases, applying judicial restraint to complex fiscal and commercial policy decisions.
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