A draft plan or policy published for objections can look authoritative. It is not. Only the final notified version has the force of law, and it can differ from the draft.
A recent example
Delhi's draft master plan was published for objections on 9 June 2021 (as MPD-2041). After objections were considered, the Central Government notified the final plan on 20 August 2026 — as the Master Plan for Delhi with the perspective year 2047 — as a comprehensive modification of MPD-2021, effective from publication. Anyone still reading the 2021 draft is reading the wrong document.
A simple habit
For any plan, policy or rule, record: 1. Status — draft, notified, amended, superseded, stayed. 2. Reference — notification number and date. 3. Commencement — which may differ from the issue date. 4. Later changes — amendments and supersessions.
Haryana provides another 2026 example: the Make in Haryana Industrial Policy, 2026, notified on 26 May 2026, expressly supersedes the Haryana Enterprises & Employment Policy, 2020.