Tribunals in India
Specialised quasi-judicial bodies that decide disputes in one field (tax, service, environment, company law) faster than regular courts.
What the paper can ask
- Articles 323A and 323B (42nd Amendment, 1976) provide for administrative and other tribunals.
- The National Green Tribunal hears environmental cases and aims to decide them within six months.
- The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026 passed the Lok Sabha on 10 August and the Rajya Sabha on 11 August 2026 and received assent on 13 August 2026. (as of 23 Oct 2026)
Latest
The Tribunals Reforms Act, 2026 creates a National Tribunals Commission to select the chairpersons and members of tribunals.
Why exams ask
Setters ask the Articles, the founding Act of a tribunal, and the new selection body under the 2026 law.
The full story
A tribunal is a body set up by law to decide disputes in one field, with judicial and expert members, for quicker and cheaper justice than ordinary courts. Articles 323A and 323B, added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, let legislatures create them. Examples: the Central Administrative Tribunal (service matters), the National Green Tribunal (environment), the National Company Law Tribunal and consumer forums.
In the news
Test yourself
1.The National Green Tribunal was established under an Act of:
Correct. The NGT Act 2010 created a specialised tribunal for environmental cases; its principal bench is in New Delhi with zonal benches in Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai.
Not quite. The NGT Act 2010 created a specialised tribunal for environmental cases; its principal bench is in New Delhi with zonal benches in Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai. It goes into your error book.
2.The National Green Tribunal was established in 2010 under which Act?
Correct. The NGT, headquartered in New Delhi, was formed in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act.
Not quite. The NGT, headquartered in New Delhi, was formed in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act. It goes into your error book.