As per case facts... The State issued an e-auction notice for sand mining after the last District Survey Report (DSR) had expired, relying on a draft DSR that was later ... approved. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) quashed the auction and subsequent grants of interest (LOIs) because the auction was conducted without a valid and subsisting final DSR. The State and LOI holders appealed to the Supreme Court. The question arose whether an auction for sand mining could be legally conducted based on a mere 'draft DSR' in the absence of a final, valid, and subsisting DSR, in accordance with regulatory mandates and prior judicial pronouncements. Finally... The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, unequivocally upholding the NGT's decision. It held that a valid and subsisting DSR is a mandatory, non-negotiable condition precedent for granting environmental clearance and forming the basis of an auction for sand mining, and a 'draft DSR' is legally untenable for this purpose.