Parliament has approved the Tribunals Reforms Bill 2026, paving the way for an independent National Tribunals Commission to streamline appointments and administration.

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• The Tribunals Reforms Bill 2026 replaces the existing framework with a National Tribunals Commission aimed at improving uniformity, administration and institutional independence.
• The proposed National Tribunals Commission will operate from New Delhi and oversee appointments, tribunal functioning, member investigations and the National Tribunals Data Grid.
• The commission will comprise five members, including a chairperson, two judicial members and two technical members with extensive professional experience.
• The appointment process will require Selection Committees to recommend candidates, while the Central Government must complete appointments within three months.
• Tribunal chairpersons will serve for five years or until reaching 70 years, while members can serve five years or until reaching 67 years.
• Members of tribunals may receive reappointment based on performance, creating a common framework for tenure and service conditions across covered institutions.
• The new framework will cover 16 major tribunals, including CAT, NGT, ITAT, CESTAT, DRT and TDSAT, handling specialized disputes nationwide.
• The reforms seek to reduce vacancies, appointment delays and administrative dependence while strengthening specialized justice delivery and easing pressure on conventional courts.