Jagdish Mandal vs State Of Orissa & Ors

The Supreme Court held that the rejection of a tender based on the invalidity of the Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) is justified under the principles of fair competition and transparency in public procurement. The Court emphasized that the validity of the EMD must be established to ensure that the tendering process is not compromised, citing relevant administrative guidelines. The appeal by Jagdish Mandal was allowed, overturning the Orissa High Court's decision that favored the fifth respondent, Narayan Mohanty, thereby upholding the recommendation of the Project Level Committee to accept Mandal's tender.