Amid Stand Off With Supreme Court, Centre Notifies Tribunal (Conditions of Service) Rules, 2021

The Central Government has notified the Tribunal (Conditions of Service) Rules, 2021.

The Rules, made invoking the powers under section 3 of the Tribunals Reforms Act 2021, are in supersession of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal and other Authorities (Qualifications, Experience and other Conditions of Service of Members) Rules, 2020.

Save as provided in these rules, they shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette, the Rules read.

Pertinently, this notification comes at a time when the Centre is facing harsh criticism from the Supreme Court over the delay in filling up of the vacancies in Tribunals. The court had also expressed its displeasure for passing the Tribunals Reforms Act, which the Court termed a "virtual replica of the provisions struck down by the Court".

Earlier today, the court, while hearing a case dealing with termination of the services of Justice Ashok Iqbal Singh Cheema as the Acting Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal,  orally remarked that it will suo motu stay the Tribunals Reforms Act 2021. The Court also asked the Central Government to file its counter-affidavit next week in the petitions challenging the Tribunals Reforms Act 2021.

The Rules prescribes the following qualifications required for Chairman/Members of various Tribunals.

Tribunals under the Administrative Tribunal Act, 1985

Chairman: He, – (i) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (ii) has, for a period of not less than three years, held office as Administrative Member or Judicial Member in the Central Administrative Tribunal.

Judicial Member: he (i) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (ii) has held the post of Additional Secretary to the Government of India or any equivalent or higher post in the Department of Legal Affairs or the Legislative Department including Member– Secretary, Law Commission of India; or (iii) has, for a combined period of ten years, been a District Judge and Additional District Judge; or (iv) has, for ten years, been an advocate with substantial experience in litigation in service matters in Central Administrative Tribunal, Armed Forces Tribunal, High Court or Supreme Court.

Administrative Member: he has held the post of Additional Secretary to the Government of India or any other post under the Central Government or a State Government and carrying the scale of pay which is not less than that of an Additional Secretary to the Government of India: Provided that the officers belonging to the All-India services who were or are on Central deputation to a lower post shall be deemed to have held the post of Additional Secretary from the date such officers were granted proforma promotion or actual promotion whichever is earlier to the level of Additional Secretary and the period spent on Central deputation after such date shall count for qualifying service for the purpose of this clause.

Industrial Tribunal 

Presiding Officer:  he,- (a) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (b) has, for a combined period of ten years, been a District Judge and Additional District Judge. 

Income-tax Appellate Tribunal

(a) President shall be a sitting or retired Judge of a High Court and who has completed not less than seven years of service as a Judge in a High Court or Vice-President of the Income-tax Appellate Tribunal; 

(b) Vice-President shall be a Member of Tribunal 

(c) Judicial Member, should have (i) for a combined period of ten years, been a District Judge and Additional District Judge; or (ii) he has been a member of the Indian Legal Service with ten years of experience in litigation and has held a post of Additional Secretary or any equivalent or higher post for two years; or (iii) he has been an advocate for ten years with substantial experience in litigation under Income-tax laws in Income-tax Appellate Tribunal, High Court or Supreme Court;

(d) Accountant Member, –– if he (i) he has for twenty-five years been in the practice of accountancy,— (A) as a chartered accountant under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 (38 of 1949); or (B) as a registered accountant under any law formerly in force; or partly as such registered accountant and partly as a chartered accountant; or (ii) he has been a member of the Indian Revenue Service (Income-tax Service Group 'A') and has held the post of Principal Commissioner of Income Tax

Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal 

President:  (i) he is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court and who has completed not less than seven years of service as a Judge in a High Court; or (ii) he is the member of the Appellate Tribunal;

Judicial Member:  (i) he has, for a combined period of ten years, been a District Judge and Additional District Judge; or (ii) he has been a member of the Indian Legal Service with ten years of experience in litigation and has held a post of Additional Secretary or any equivalent or higher post for two years; or (iii) he has been an advocate for ten years with substantial experience in litigation under indirect tax laws in Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal, High Court or Supreme Court;

Technical Member:  he has been a member of the Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise Service Group 'A') and has held the post of Principal Commissioner of Customs or Central Excise or any equivalent or higher post and has performed judicial, quasi-judicial or adjudicating function for three years.

Appellate Tribunal under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976

Chairman: he is, or has been, a Judge of a Supreme Court or Chief Justice of a High Court;

Member, unless he has held the post of Additional Secretary to the Government of India or any equivalent or higher post and has performed judicial, quasi-judicial or adjudicating function for three years.

Railway Claims Tribunal 

A person shall not be qualified for appointment as,-

(a) Chairman, unless he, – (i) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (ii) has, for a period of not less than three years, held office as Vice-Chairman, Judicial Member or Technical Member, as the case may be.

(b) Vice-Chairman (Judicial), unless he, – (i) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (ii) has been a member of the Indian Legal Service with ten years of experience in litigation and has held a post of Additional Secretary or any equivalent or any higher post; or (iii) has, for two years, held a civil judicial post carrying a scale of pay which is not less than that of an Additional Secretary to the Government of India; or (iv) has, for a period of not less than three years, held office as a Judicial Member.

(c) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as the Vice-Chairman (Technical), unless he, – (i) has, for a period of not less than three years, held office as a Technical Member; or (ii) has, for two years, held a post under a railway administration carrying a scale of pay which is not less than that of an Additional Secretary to the Government of India and has adequate knowledge of rules and procedure of, and experience in, claims and commercial matters relating to railways.

(d) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a Judicial Member, unless he, – (i) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (ii) has, for a combined period of ten years, been a District Judge and Additional District Judge; or (iii) has been an advocate for ten years with substantial experience in litigation in claim settlements pertaining to damage to life and property in Railway Claims Tribunal, High Court or Supreme Court.

(e) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a Technical Member unless he is a person of ability, integrity and standing having special knowledge of rules and procedure of, and experience in, claims and commercial matters relating to railways of not less than twenty-five years.

Securities Appellate Tribunal under the Securities Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 

A person shall not be qualified for appointment as,-

(a) Presiding Officer unless he is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court or a Chief Justice of a High Court;

(b) Judicial Member unless, –– (i) is or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (ii) has been an advocate for ten years with substantial experience in litigation in matters relating to financial sector before Securities Exchange Board of India, Securities Appellate Tribunal, High Court or Supreme Court.

(c) Technical Member unless, –– (i) has held the post of Additional Secretary in the Ministry or Department of the Central Government or any equivalent or higher post in the Central Government or a State Government; or (ii) is a person of proven ability, integrity and standing having special knowledge and professional experience, of not less than twenty-five years, in financial sectors including securities market or pension funds or commodity derivatives or insurance: Provided that a Member or Part time Member of the Board or the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority or the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, or any person at senior management level equivalent to Executive Director in the Board or in such Authorities, shall not be appointed as Presiding Officer or Member of the Securities Appellate Tribunal, during his service or tenure as such with the Board or with such Authorities, as the case may be, or within two years from the date on which he ceases to hold office as such in the Board or in such Authorities: Provided further that the Presiding Officer or Member shall be a person who does not have any financial or other interest as are likely to prejudicially affect their functions as such Presiding Officer or Member. 

Debts Recovery Tribunal under the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993

A person shall not be qualified for appointment as Presiding Officer of the Debts Recovery Tribunal, unless he, is, or has been, a District Judge.

Debts Recovery Appellate Tribunal under the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 (51 of 1993),

A person shall not be qualified for appointment as :

Chairperson, unless he, –– (a) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (b) has been a member of the Indian Legal Service with ten years of experience in litigation and has held a post of Additional Secretary or any equivalent or any higher post; or (c) has held office as the Presiding Officer of a Debts Recovery Tribunal for three years.

Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997

A person shall not be qualified for appointment as,-

(a) Chairperson, unless he, – (i) is, or has been, a Judge of Supreme Court; or (ii) is, or has been, Chief Justice of a High Court.

(b) Member unless he is a person of ability, integrity and standing having special knowledge of, and professional experience of, not less than twenty-five years in economics, business, commerce, law, finance, accountancy, management, industry, public affairs, administration, telecommunications or any other matter which is useful to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal.

National Company Law Appellate Tribunal under the Companies Act, 2013

A person shall not be qualified for appointment as,-

(a) Chairperson unless he is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice of a High Court;

(b) Judicial Member unless he, – (i) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (ii) is a Judicial Member of the National Company Law Tribunal for five years; or (iii) has been an advocate for ten years with substantial experience in litigation in matters relating to company affairs before National Company Law Tribunal, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, High Court or Supreme Court.

(c) Technical Member unless he is a person of proven ability, integrity and standing having special knowledge and professional experience, of not less than twenty-five years, in law, industrial finance, industrial management or administration, industrial reconstruction, investment, accountancy or any other matter which is useful to the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal. (

National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019

a person shall not be qualified for appointment as,-

(a) President, unless he, – (i) is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court; or (ii) is, or has been, Chief Justice of a High Court.

(b) Member unless he,– (i) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (ii) has, for a combined period of ten years, been a District Judge and Additional District Judge; or (iii) is a person of ability, integrity and standing, and having special knowledge of, and professional experience of not less than twenty-five years in economics, business, commerce, law, finance, accountancy, management, industry, public affairs, administration or any other matter which is useful to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

Appellate Tribunal for Electricity under the Electricity Act, 2003

a person shall not be qualified for appointment as,-

(a) Chairperson, unless he, –– (i) is, or has been, a Judge of Supreme Court; or (ii) is, or has been, Chief Justice of a High Court.

(b) Judicial Member, unless he,–– (i) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (ii) has, for a combined period of ten years, been a District Judge and Additional District Judge; or (iii) has been an advocate for ten years with substantial experience in litigation in matters relating to power sector before Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, State Electricity Regulatory Commission, Appellate Tribunal for Electricity, High Court or Supreme Court.

(c) Technical Member unless he is a person of ability, integrity and standing having special knowledge of, and professional experience of, not less than twenty-five years in matters dealing with electricity generation, transmission, distribution, regulation, economics, business, commerce, law, finance, accountancy, management, industry, public affairs, administration or in any other matter which is useful to the Appellate Tribunal.

 Armed Forces Tribunal under the Armed Forces Act, 2007

A person shall not be qualified for appointment as,-

(a) Chairperson, unless he, - (i) is, or has been, a Judge of Supreme Court; or (ii) is, or has been, a Chief Justice of a High Court.

(b) Judicial Member unless he is- (i) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (ii) has, for ten years, been an advocate with substantial experience in litigation in service matters in Central Administrative Tribunal, Armed Forces Tribunal, High Court or Supreme Court. (

c) Administrative Member, unless he, - (i) has held or has been holding the rank of Major General or above for a total period of three years in the Army or equivalent rank in the Navy or the Air Force; or (ii) has served for not less than one year as Judge Advocate General in the Army or the Navy or the Air Force, and is not below the rank of Major General, Commodore and Air Commodore respectively; or (iii) is a person of ability, integrity and standing having special knowledge of, and professional experience of not less than thirty years in, economics, business, commerce, law, finance, accountancy, management, industry, public affairs, administration or in any other matter useful to the Armed Forces Tribunal.

National Green Tribunal under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010

A person shall not be qualified for appointment as,-

(a) Chairperson, unless he, – (i) is, or has been, a Judge of Supreme Court; or (ii) is, or has been, Chief Justice of a High Court.

(b) Judicial Member, unless he, – (i) is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or (ii) has, for a combined period of ten years, been a District Judge and Additional District Judge; or (iii) has, for ten years, been an advocate with substantial experience in litigation in matters relating to environment and forest in National Green Tribunal, High Court or Supreme Court.

(c) Expert Member, unless he, - (i) has a degree or Post-graduation degree or Doctorate Degree in Science and has an experience of twenty-five years in the relevant field including five years' practical experience in the field of environment and forests (including pollution control, hazardous substance management, environment impact assessment, climate change management, biological diversity management and forest conservation) in a reputed National level institution; or (ii) has administrative experience of twenty years including experience of five years in dealing with environmental matters in the Central Government or a State Government or in a reputed National or State level institution

The Complete Rules may be read in the notification. The Rules also prescribe salaries and allowances of the chairman, members etc of the Tribunals, and the procedure for resignation, leave, pension.

Click here to Read/Download Notification