NEW DELHI — The Indian government has taken its challenge over consular services outsourcing to the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court quashed the earlier tender process covering missions in the UAE, Kuwait, Singapore and Australia.
A lawyer for the central government mentioned the case before the top court on Friday, and the matter is expected to come up on Monday.
The move follows a Delhi High Court ruling earlier this week that ordered a fresh retendering process for the consular services contract. The decision has already added uncertainty to passport, visa and attestation services for Indian nationals in the UAE.
The dispute has drawn close attention in the Gulf because the affected services are used daily by large Indian expatriate communities. In the UAE, the issue has already delayed the rollout of new Indian Consular Application Centres planned for July 1.
Until the court process is clarified, Indian missions in the UAE are continuing to handle consular services directly. More direction from the Supreme Court is now expected in the coming days.
