Central Administrative Tribunals
Why in news?
In December 2025, the Hyderabad Bench of CAT quashed the appointment of Dr. Jaiteerth R. Joshi as Director General of BrahMos Aerospace, directing authorities to reconsider the selection. This highlights CAT’s role in ensuring fairness in government appointments.
About Central Administrative Tribunals
- Purpose: To adjudicate disputes and complaints relating to the recruitment and service conditions of persons appointed to public services and posts under the Union and certain PSUs.
- Establishment: Created in 1985 under the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985.
- Nature: Quasi-judicial body, meaning it functions like a court but with specialized jurisdiction.
- Jurisdiction: Covers service matters of Central Government employees, members of All India Services, and employees of certain organizations notified by the government.
Constitutional and legal basis
- Established under Article 323A of the Constitution, inserted by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment.​
- Operates under the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, which lays down its jurisdiction, powers, composition, and procedure.​
- Intended to reduce the burden on High Courts and provide cost‑effective, timely service justice to public servants.​
Jurisdiction and scope
- Original jurisdiction over recruitment and service matters of: members of All India Services, persons in civil services/posts under the Union, and certain notified PSUs/authorities.​
- Civilians in defence services or posts connected with defence are included, subject to notification; members of the armed forces, Supreme Court staff, and staff of Parliament/High Courts are excluded.​
- Deals with issues like recruitment, promotions, seniority, pay, pension, disciplinary action, and other conditions of service.​
- Headed by a Chairperson, who is from a judicial background, typically a former Chief Justice or Judge of a High Court.​
Powers and procedure
- Exercises powers similar to a High Court with respect to contempt of itself under Section 17 of the Act.​
- Not bound by the Civil Procedure Code; guided by principles of natural justice and can frame its own procedural rules (CAT Procedure Rules, 1987, and Rules of Practice, 1993).​
- Can grant interim relief and review its own orders; appeals from CAT decisions lie to the concerned High Court as per the Supreme Court’s ruling in Chandra Kumar (1997).​
Significance and issues
- Provides specialized adjudication in service matters, improving speed and consistency of decisions and easing pressure on constitutional courts.​
- Often faces challenges like vacancy of members, infrastructural constraints, and case backlog, which can dilute its purpose of expeditious justice.​
- Remains an important component of India’s administrative justice framework for UPSC‑relevant topics like tribunalization, separation of powers, and judicial review.
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