Authority Can't Reject Application For Document Not Required By Brochure, 'Rules Of The Game' Apply: Allahabad High Court

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Published 26 October 2026

Case: Not provided in source
Court: Allahabad High Court
Bench: Not provided in source
Citation: Not provided in source
Source: LiveLaw

Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)

The Allahabad High Court held that an authority cannot reject a plot application for want of a document not required under the scheme brochure. The court applied the 'rules of the game' principle, stating that the terms and conditions of a scheme cannot be altered after the process has begun.

Ratio Decidendi · Legal Principle Established

An authority cannot reject an application for a document that was not specified as a requirement in the original scheme brochure. The 'rules of the game' principle dictates that the terms and conditions of a scheme cannot be changed once the selection process has commenced.

Practice & Procedural Impact for Advocates

Advocates should scrutinize scheme brochures for all required documents before advising clients to apply. Litigants can challenge rejections based on new or unstated documentary requirements. Authorities must adhere strictly to the published terms and conditions of their schemes.

Key Legal Takeaways

1Authorities cannot introduce new documentary requirements after a scheme is launched.
2The 'rules of the game' principle prevents alteration of scheme terms post-commencement.
3Rejection of an application for an unlisted document is arbitrary and illegal.

The Legal Issue The core legal issue before the Allahabad High Court was whether an authority, specifically NOIDA, could reject an application for a plot on the ground that a particular document was not submitted, when that document was not listed as a requirement in the original scheme brochure. The applicant contended that the rejection was arbitrary and violated the established principle that the 'rules of the game' cannot be changed once the game has started.

Court's Reasoning The Allahabad High Court reiterated the well-established legal principle that the terms and conditions of a scheme, once published, cannot be altered or added to after the application process has commenced. The court emphasized that all requirements for an application must be clearly stipulated in the initial brochure or advertisement. If a document is not specified as mandatory in the scheme's original terms, the authority cannot subsequently demand it and reject an application for its absence. Such an action would be arbitrary and contrary to the principles of fairness and transparency in public dealings. The court applied the 'rules of the game' doctrine, which holds that the conditions for selection or eligibility must remain consistent throughout the process.

What Follows The Allahabad High Court's decision means that NOIDA's rejection of the plot application on the stated ground was invalid. The authority is now bound to reconsider the application based solely on the requirements specified in the original scheme brochure. This ruling ensures that applicants are judged according to the criteria they were initially presented with, preventing authorities from introducing new conditions mid-process.