Legal aspects of public procurement in India

Government organizations procure a wide variety of goods and services and undertake execution of works in pursuance of their duties and responsibilities. Government procurement or public procurement is the procurement of goods, services and construction on behalf of a public authority. It is necessary because governments cannot produce all the inputs for the goods they provide themselves. Thus, the Government has the right to enter into contract with anybody, though he may not be the highest bidder. Public interest is the prime consideration in the matter of the tender invited by the State and it should see that, it gets the best price for the works entrusted by it to private individuals. On the same time, Article 14 of the Indian Constitution prohibits the State from arbitrarily choosing a contractor at its will and pleasure. It has to act reasonably, fairly and in public interest in awarding procurement contracts. At the same time, no person can claim a fundamental right to carryon business with Government. This book is intended to both managers and the managed, about the law that apply directly to them, and to help the public agency staffs and interested observers to better understand the nature of existing legal influences on the public procurement in India.