What happened
Delhi HC (Justice Amit Mahajan) struck down first-come-first-serve for public grounds on 8 Oct 2026 and ordered DUSIB to frame annual site-allocation policies.
Why it matters
Organisers will face 90-day public notice, common eligibility and a scoring matrix; a repeat organiser cannot hold a ground for more than two consecutive years.
Remember this
No more race for information — Delhi's public grounds move to scored, publicly noticed allocation from 2027.
What happens next
DUSIB frames annual site-allocation policies with 90-day public notice, common eligibility, a published scoring matrix and a grievance-redressal channel. The directions are prospective and leave the 2026 season untouched.
- Annual notice published 90 days before the first event, listing grounds, eligibility, charges and evaluation criteria.
- Repeat organisers may receive limited preference — not beyond two consecutive years when competing eligible applicants exist.
- The 2026 Dussehra allotment stands; no applicant's rights are prejudged.
More context & who is affected
The Delhi High Court has struck down first-come-first-serve allotment of public grounds in Delhi. Justice Amit Mahajan held the rule constitutionally unreasonable, reasoning that a mechanical test for speed does not by itself create fairness — only reasonableness matters.
The dispute came from the Rays of New Beginning Foundation, which had hosted Dussehra at Chunk-C Ground in 2023 and 2024. DUSIB justified its 2026 selection with the High Level Coordination Committee guidelines rather than DDA's SOP, which set aside slots for organisers returning in two of the last three years. The October 8 decision stayed prospective and left the disputed Dussehra allotment untouched.
DUSIB must publish annual site-allocation policies with 90-day public notice, common eligibility rules and a scoring matrix; a repeat organiser cannot hold the same ground for more than two consecutive years when competing eligible applicants exist.
- HC order date
- 8 Oct 2026 Justice Amit Mahajan's order was issued on 8 October and made public on 12 October 2026; it is prospective only.The Indian ExpressLawChakra
- Advance notice required
- 90 days DUSIB must publish an annual site-allocation notice at least 90 days before the first scheduled event, naming grounds, eligibility, charges and evaluation criteria.The Indian ExpressLawChakra
Event Organizers · Delhi Residents
DUSIB must publish annual site-allocation policies with a 90-day public notice, common eligibility and a scoring matrix.
Delhi Residents
Future applicants get a level playing field — no more rewards for whoever hears about the booking window first.
Event Organizers
A previous organiser cannot hold a ground for more than two consecutive years when competing eligible applicants exist.
Reporting fromThe Indian Express ↗LawChakra ↗
Sources & verification2 sources · 4 claims
These are the records behind this briefing. Linked reporting is not the same as independent confirmation.
- The Indian ExpressReporting
'Ramlila Maidan booking rules for festivities not reasonable': HC says frame policy every year ↗
Published Oct 14, 2026 · Accessed Oct 14, 2026 - LawChakraReportingPublished Oct 13, 2026 · Accessed Oct 14, 2026
Claims and linked sources
The Delhi High Court (Justice Amit Mahajan) held first-come-first-serve allotment of public grounds constitutionally unreasonable and ordered annual comprehensive guidelines.
Justice Mahajan reasoned that a mechanical rule is not automatically reasonable and that such a system creates "an unequal race for information."
The foundation Rays of New Beginning had hosted Dussehra at Chunk-C Ground in 2023 and 2024; DUSIB chose the 2026 site using first-come-first-serve under HLCC guidance instead of DDA's two-of-three-year SOP, and the October 8 order stayed prospective.
DUSIB must publish a site-allocation notice at least 90 days before the first event; a repeat organiser cannot hold the same ground for more than two consecutive years when competing eligible applicants exist.
