The Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2026 seeks to overhaul India’s tribunal system by making it more independent of the executive, transparent, efficient and professionally administered, according to the proposed legislation.
The Bill, passed by Parliament in August 2026, proposes to repeal the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021 and establish a judiciary-led National Tribunals Commission (NTC) to oversee appointments, performance and disciplinary matters relating to tribunals.
The proposed framework covers 16 tribunals, appellate tribunals and authorities, including the Central Administrative Tribunal, Railway Claims Tribunal, Securities Appellate Tribunal, Debts Recovery Tribunal, Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, Armed Forces Tribunal, National Green Tribunal, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal and Income-tax Appellate Tribunal.
The Bill follows a series of Supreme Court judgments on tribunal independence, including the Madras Bar Association v. Union of India judgment, in which the court struck down provisions of the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021 and directed the establishment of an independent National Tribunals Commission.
National Tribunals Commission
The proposed NTC would have a judicial majority and replace the Central Government’s role in key appointments and service conditions under the 2021 law. It would comprise a Chairperson who has been a Supreme Court judge or a Chief Justice of a High Court, along with four members — two judicial members who have been Chief Justices or judges of High Courts and two technical members with at least 25 years of experience in fields such as public administration, finance, law, accountancy, banking, management or technology.
The Central Government would formally appoint the Chairperson and judicial members after consulting the Chief Justice of India.
The Commission would conduct selections for tribunal Chairpersons and members through Search-cum-Selection Committees, monitor tribunal performance, oversee inquiries into complaints against members and maintain the National Tribunals Data Grid containing case-related information pertaining to the 16 tribunals.
Tenure and selection process
Under the proposed framework, the NTC Chairperson and members would hold office for five years or until attaining the age of 70, whichever is earlier. Tribunal members would have a five-year tenure or continue until the age of 67, whichever comes first. Reappointment would be permitted, with previous service and performance taken into account.
The Search-cum-Selection Committees would evaluate candidates and recommend appointments. The committee for selecting a tribunal Chairperson would include the NTC Chairperson, a technical member, a retired High Court Chief Justice, a government secretary, two empanelled experts and the Commission’s Secretary as Member Secretary.
For tribunal members, the committee would be headed by a judicial member of the NTC and would include a technical member, a retired High Court judge, a government secretary, two empanelled experts and the Commission’s Secretary.
The committee Chairperson would have a casting vote, while the Member Secretary and expert members would not have voting rights. The committee would recommend one suitable candidate for each vacancy and one additional candidate for the waiting list. Recommendations would have to be communicated to the Central Government within three days, while the government would be required to process them and make appointments within three months.
Financial and administrative autonomy
The Bill also seeks to provide tribunals with greater financial and administrative autonomy. Individual tribunals would identify their requirements for funds, staff and premises, while the NTC Secretariat would consolidate the projections. The Commission would assess the requirements through an objective framework before determining overall allocation needs.
The Central Government would continue to provide grants subject to parliamentary appropriation. The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India would audit the Commission’s accounts, with the audit report to be submitted to the government for being laid before both Houses of Parliament.
The Bill seeks to move the tribunal system away from fragmented, executive-driven administration towards a common institutional framework with greater judicial oversight, professional assessment and transparency. It aims to create a permanent mechanism for appointments, performance review and disciplinary oversight while retaining parliamentary accountability.
