The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026 without debate amid sloganeering by Opposition MPs protesting the alleged police action against students during a July 20 demonstration, according to PTI. The Bill was introduced earlier in the day by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Opposition MPs had demanded the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the House over the alleged police action. The House was later adjourned till 11 am on Tuesday.
The Bill seeks to establish a National Tribunals Commission (NTC) to oversee the appointment, administration and functioning of various tribunals. According to ThePrint, the commission will comprise a chairperson, two judicial members and two technical members.
The chairperson will have to be a former Supreme Court judge or a former Chief Justice of a High Court, while technical members will need at least 25 years of experience in fields such as public administration, finance, law or technology.
The NTC will conduct selection processes for tribunal vacancies, review the performance of members and oversee inquiries into complaints against them.
The Bill covers 16 tribunals and authorities, including the Central and State Administrative Tribunals, Securities Appellate Tribunal, Armed Forces Tribunal, National Green Tribunal, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and Income-tax Appellate Tribunal.
Meghwal said the legislation does not change the jurisdiction of tribunals under their respective parent Acts.
The Bill proposes to repeal the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, following Supreme Court rulings that struck down key provisions of the legislation over concerns including separation of powers and judicial independence.
According to The Print, the Supreme Court had also highlighted the need for an independent overarching body to handle tribunal appointments, infrastructure and disciplinary matters.
The Bill proposes a centralised appointment system through Search-cum-Selection Committees and requires the government to process recommendations within three months.
The legislation proposes a National Tribunals Data Grid containing case-related information to improve transparency and facilitate performance monitoring.
It also seeks to standardise tenure, with chairpersons serving for five years or until 70 and members for five years or until 67, whichever is earlier, according to ThePrint.
The proposed NTC and its secretariat are estimated to cost ₹27.14 crore.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh welcomed the proposed reforms but criticised the government's earlier defence of the 2021 law, saying it had been "compelled to enact many of the very reforms it had stoutly resisted".
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