“We cannot obviously feed into a judicial computer all such… astrological imponderables in an imperfect and undulating society.”

– Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab, (1982) 3 SCC 24.

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Rule 55A of The Motor Vehicles Rules, 1994, framed and published by Madhya Pradesh, prescribes ₹ 10,000/- for reservation of a large series of registration mark numbers.

101, 111, 123, 200, 202, 222, 234, 300, 303, 333, 345, 400, 404, 444, 456, 500, 505, 555, 567, 600, 606, 678, 700, 707, 777, 786, 789, 800, 808, 888, 900, 909, 999, 1000, 1001, 1010, 1111, 1112, 1212, 1213, 1221, 1234, 1313, 1314, 1331, 1414, 1415, 1515, 1516, 1616, 1617, 1661, 1717, 1718, 1771, 1818, 1819, 1881, 1919, 1929, 1991, 2000, 2002, 2020, 2021, 2112, 2121, 2122, 2222, 2223, 2323, 2324, 2332, 2345, 2424, 2425, 2442, 2525, 2526, 2552, 2626, 2627, 2662, 2727, 2728, 2772, 2828, 2829, 2882, 2929, 2930, 2992, 3000, 3003, 3030, 3113, 3131, 3132, 3223, 3232, 3233, 3333, 3334, 3434, 3435, 3443, 3456, 3535, 3536, 3553, 3636, 3637, 3663, 3737, 3738, 3773, 3838, 3839, 3883, 3939, 3940, 3994, 4000, 4004, 4040, 4041, 4114, 4141, 4142, 4224, 4242, 4243, 4334, 4343, 4344, 4444, 4445, 4545, 4546, 4554, 4567, 4646, 4647, 4664, 4747, 4748, 4774, 4848, 4849, 4884, 4949, 4950, 4994, 5000, 5005, 5050, 5051, 5115, 5151, 5152, 5225, 5252, 5253, 5335, 5353, 5354, 5445, 5454, 5455, 5555, 5556, 5656, 5657, 5665, 5678, 5757, 5758, 5775, 5858, 5859, 5885, 5959, 5960, 5995, 6000, 6006, 6060, 6061, 6116, 6161, 6162, 6226, 6262, 6263, 6336, 6363, 6364, 6446, 6464, 6465, 6558, 6565, 6666, 6667, 6767, 6768, 6776, 6789, 6869, 6886, 6969, 6970, 6996, 7000, 7007, 7070, 7071, 7117, 7171, 7172, 7227, 7272, 7273, 7337, 7373, 7374, 7447, 7474, 7475, 7557, 7575, 7576, 7667, 7676, 7677, 7777, 7778, 7878, 7887, 7979, 7980, 7997, 8000, 8008, 8080, 8081, 8181, 8182, 8228, 8282, 8283, 8338, 8383, 8384, 8448, 8484, 8558, 8585, 8586, 8668, 8686, 8687, 8778, 8787, 8788, 8888, 8889, 8989, 8998, 9(X)0, 9009, 9090, 9091, 9119, 9191, 9192, 9229, 9292, 9293, 9339, 9393, 9394, 9449, 9494, 9495, 9559, 9595, 9596, 9669, 9696, 9697, 9779, 9797, 9798, 9889, 9898, 9899, 9999.

“Court cannot brush aside the element of service which may be involved – especially if the general public or a sub-section of it, wishes to choose particular numbers for various considerations. Such ‘fancy’ numbers or ‘auspicious’ numbers may well therefore have to be set apart having regard to the peculiar socio-cultural needs of the people of the State. It is in such an event that the availability of such numbers and their reservation as a choice and the power of their assignment assumes importance.

The assignment of ‘distinctive marks’ i.e. registration numbers to motor vehicles (which includes the power to reserve and allocate them, for a specific fee) is a distinct service for which States or their authorities (such as the registering authorities, in this case) are entitled to charge a prescribed fee. Rule 55A is not therefore, in excess of the powers conferred upon the State, by the Act or the Central Rules. In the opinion of this Court, the impugned Rule was within the ambit of the powers delegated to the State, and directly related to performance of its functions under Section 41(6), for which it could legitimately claim a fee, as was done through Rule 55A.”

– Hon’ble Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, State of M.P. v. Rakesh Sethi, [Civil Appeal No. 7074 of 2008].