Judicial Deference and Tender Interpretation: Bombay High Court on BQC Compliance and Review Scope

sketch of the Bombay High Court
Case
VIDYA CATERERS v. BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION LIMITED (Bombay High Court, 09-10-2026)
Law
Constitution of India, Administrative Law.

Highlights of the Judgment:

  • Examination of the scope of judicial review under Article 226 in government tender and contractual disputes.
  • Application of the doctrine of judicial deference to the tender author's interpretation of eligibility criteria.
  • Analysis of Bid Qualification Criteria concerning annualized basic values and multi-year purchase orders.
  • Distinction between arithmetical averages and actual annual execution values under tender terms and corrigenda.
  • Review of established precedents restricting court interference unless tender evaluations are perverse, mala fide, or arbitrary.