Supreme Court Rejects Government Plea for Administrative Allocation of Spectrum

The Supreme Court has declined to receive an application by the Centre seeking permission for the administrative allocation of spectrum. The Registrar deemed the application for clarification misconceived, citing that spectrum allocation to private players must be conducted through open and transparent auctions. Spectrum, considered a scarce natural resource, is crucial for telecom services and other sovereign functions.

The government’s application argued that spectrum allocation serves public interest functions like security, safety, and disaster preparedness. However, the Registrar invoked Supreme Court Rules, refusing to accept the petition. The government now has 15 days to appeal to the court.