Tribunals

1.Administrative Tribunals

• Part XIV-A of the ConstitutionImportance 4/5
  Did the original Constitution have any provisions on tribunals? Remember which amendment added Part XIV-A, in which year, and what the Part is called. Know the two Articles in it and what each deals with.
• Scope of Article 323AImportance 5/5
  Who may set up administrative tribunals under Article 323A, and which disputes do they decide? Remember the full range of employers whose staff are covered. Which courts does the Article allow Parliament to take these disputes away from, and why was this done?
• Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985Importance 3/5
  Which Article was the Act passed under? Remember which tribunals it allows the Central government to set up. Understand why it mattered for public servants with a service grievance.
• CAT: Establishment and BenchesImportance 3/5UPSC 2009
  Remember the year the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) was set up, where its principal bench sits, and how many regular benches it has. Which two of its benches are not at the principal seat of a High Court? Do its benches also hold circuit sittings at other places?
• CAT: Jurisdiction and ExclusionsImportance 5/5
  Is the jurisdiction of CAT original or appellate? Remember which services it covers. Which groups of persons are outside its reach (including the staff of courts and of legislatures)? Be clear about how civilian employees of defence services are treated compared with members of the defence forces.
• CAT: Composition, Eligibility and TenureImportance 3/5UPSC 2009
  How was CAT made up at first, and how is it made up now? Know when and by which Act the post of Vice-Chairman was removed. Remember the sanctioned strength, the streams members are drawn from, the present term, and the upper age limits for the Chairman and for Members. Which age and term rules of the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 did the Supreme Court strike down in 2025? Note that a Tribunals Reforms Act, 2026 has since been passed to replace the 2021 Act.
• CAT: Appointment of Chairman and MembersImportance 3/5
  Who appoints the Chairman and Members of CAT? Remember on whose recommendation this is done, and who chaired that committee under the 2021 Act. Note that the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2026 moves selection to committees led by the National Tribunals Commission.
• CAT: Procedure and FeeImportance 3/5
  Is CAT bound by the Civil Procedure Code of 1908? What guides its procedure instead? Remember the fee an applicant pays and how an applicant may appear. Understand why this procedure keeps CAT flexible.
• Appeals Against CAT Orders (L. Chandra Kumar Case)Importance 5/5
  Where could appeals against CAT orders go at first? What did the L. Chandra Kumar case (1997) change, and what reasoning did the Supreme Court use? Understand how CAT orders are challenged now (which remedy, and before which bench). Why can an aggrieved public servant not go straight to the Supreme Court?
• State Administrative TribunalsImportance 3/5
  Who sets up State Administrative Tribunals (SATs), and on whose request? Understand how their jurisdiction compares with that of CAT. How are their chairman and members appointed, and how did the selection committee differ from the one for CAT? Note that the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2026 changes these committees.
• Joint Administrative TribunalsImportance 2/5
  What does the Act provide for two or more states together? Remember what powers such a Joint Administrative Tribunal (JAT) has.

2.Tribunals for Other Matters

• Scope of Article 323BImportance 4/5
  Which bodies may set up tribunals under Article 323B? Remember the eight matters on which these tribunals decide disputes. Which matter was added later, and by which amendment and in which year? Is this list exhaustive, or can tribunals be created on other subjects too?
• Article 323A Versus Article 323BImportance 5/5
  What are the three differences between Article 323A and Article 323B? Be clear about each: the matters the tribunals deal with, who may establish them, and the number of tribunals and whether a hierarchy is possible.
• Judicial Review of Tribunal Orders (L. Chandra Kumar Case)Importance 4/5
  What did the L. Chandra Kumar case (1997) do to the clauses in Articles 323A and 323B that excluded the jurisdiction of courts? Remember which clause was struck down in each Article, and to what extent. Understand what remedies are now open against the orders of tribunals under both Articles.

1. 1.

   Consider the following statements:
   1. Article 323A empowers Parliament to set up administrative tribunals for disputes on recruitment and conditions of service of persons in public services.
   2. The original Constitution contained provisions with respect to tribunals.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. A1 only
   2. B2 only
   3. CBoth 1 and 2
   4. DNeither 1 nor 2
2. 2.

   Consider the following:
   1. All-India Services
   2. Civilian employees of the defence services
   3. Members of the defence forces
   4. Secretarial staff of Parliament
   How many of the above are covered by the jurisdiction of the Central Administrative Tribunal?

   1. AOnly one
   2. BOnly two
   3. COnly three
   4. DAll four
3. 3.

   With reference to the composition of the Central Administrative Tribunal, consider the following statements:
   1. It currently has a Vice-Chairman in addition to the Chairman and Members.
   2. Its Members are drawn only from the judicial stream.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. A1 only
   2. B2 only
   3. CBoth 1 and 2
   4. DNeither 1 nor 2
4. 4.

   With reference to appointments to administrative tribunals, consider the following statements:
   1. The chairman and members of State Administrative Tribunals are appointed by the state government.
   2. CAT appointments are made by the central government on the recommendation of a search-cum-selection committee chaired by the Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court judge nominated by him/her.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. A1 only
   2. B2 only
   3. CBoth 1 and 2
   4. DNeither 1 nor 2
5. 5.

   Consider the following statements:
   Statement-I: An aggrieved public servant cannot approach the Supreme Court directly against an order of the CAT without first going to the high court.
   Statement-II: In the Chandra Kumar case (1997), the Supreme Court laid down that appeals against CAT orders lie before the division bench of the concerned high court.
   Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

   1. ABoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
   2. BBoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
   3. CStatement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
   4. DStatement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
6. 6.

   Consider the following matters:
   1. Taxation
   2. Foreign exchange, import and export
   3. Land reforms
   4. Elections to Parliament and state legislatures
   5. Recruitment and conditions of service in public services
   For how many of the above can tribunals be established under Article 323B?

   1. AOnly two
   2. BOnly three
   3. COnly four
   4. DAll five
7. 7.

   Consider the following pairs comparing Articles 323A and 323B:

   Aspect	Provision
   1. Tribunals under Article 323A	Can be established only by Parliament
   2. Tribunals under Article 323B	Can be established by Parliament and state legislatures within their competence
   3. Hierarchy of tribunals	Can be created under Article 323A

   How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

   1. AOnly one
   2. BOnly two
   3. CAll three
   4. DNone
8. 8.

   The principal bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal is located at

   1. AMumbai
   2. BKolkata
   3. CChennai
   4. DNew Delhi
9. 9.

   With reference to the Central Administrative Tribunal, consider the following statements:
   1. It exercises original jurisdiction in relation to recruitment and all service matters of public servants covered by it.
   2. Only a nominal fee of ₹50 is payable by the applicant.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

   1. A1 only
   2. B2 only
   3. CBoth 1 and 2
   4. DNeither 1 nor 2
10. 10.

    Match List I with List II:

    List I (CAT Bench)	List II (Territorial jurisdiction)
    A. Guwahati Bench	1. West Bengal, Sikkim and Andaman and Nicobar Islands
    B. Calcutta Bench	2. Bihar and Jharkhand
    C. Chandigarh Bench	3. Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh
    D. Patna Bench	4. Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Chandigarh

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    1. AA-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
    2. BA-1, B-3, C-4, D-2
    3. CA-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
    4. DA-1, B-3, C-2, D-4

1. 1.

   UPSC 2009

   Consider the following statements :
   1. Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) was set up during the Prime Ministership of Lal Bahadur Shastri.
   2. The Members for CAT are drawn from both judicial and administrative streams.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

   1. A1 only
   2. B2 only
   3. CBoth 1 and 2
   4. DNeither 1 nor 2