What is Central Administrative Tribunal?

The Central Administrative Tribunal(CAT) was established under the Administrative Tribunal Act of the Constitution of India . CAT deals with the adjudication of matters related to the conditions and recruitment of the service of public service in India personnel. It has various functions such as settling complaints with recruitment, and other posts related problems of states and unions.

When was the Central Administrative Tribunal established?

The Central Administrative Tribunal was established in 1985 under the Administrative Tribunals Act 1985 under Article 323-A of the Indian constitution. It was brought to deal with the matters related to the recruitment of service of personnel in the Public service in the country.

How many Central Administrative Tribunal benches are there in the Country?

There are 17 Central Administrative Tribunal benches and 21 circuit benches in the Country. The CAT has been set up in nine states of the country namely- Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Kerala

What is the member structure of the Central Administrative Tribunal?

A Central Administrative Tribunal comprises a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, and Judicial and Administrative members. Every bench needs to have one administrative and judicial member, There are 69 members in various benches of CAT, and among them, 35 are administrative members and 34 are judicial members.

What is the function of Central Administrative Tribunal?

The Central Administrative Tribunal has various functions such as settling disputes and complaints related to the service and recruitment of public service personnel and states & union posts. The function of CAT is mentioned in the Administrative Tribunals Act of 1985.

What is the objective of Central Administrative Tribunal?

The main objective of the Central Administrative Tribunal is to provide speedy relief to Central Government Employees with respect to their grievances concerned to service matters, and the rules have been mentioned for the smooth application of these provisions of the Administrative Tribunals Act 1985.

Who appoints the members Central Administrative Tribunal?

The members and chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal would be appointed after the consultation with the Chief Justice of India by the president. The chairman and the members of a state administrative tribunal shall be appointed by the President of India after consultation with the governor of that particular state.

What is the full form of CAT?

CAT stands for Central Administrative Tribunal and it was established under Article 323-A of the Indian constitution for the complaints and disputes related to the matter of recruitment of service of persons appointed in the public services of India.

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Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) – Jurisdiction, Role & Functions

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: November 14th, 2023

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) is a statutory body established in 1985 under Article 323-A of the Indian Constitution. This tribunal aims to resolve and settle disputes and grievances related to the recruitment and conditions of service of government employees. Central Administrative Tribunal was set up to fast-track the decisions and settlements related to employee grievances. The Central Administrative Tribunal established is an important part of polity and governance from the UPSC exam point of view.

The agency manages the issues concerning Ministries and the Department of the Central Government along with 207 other organizations. There are 17 benches and 21 circuit benches in the Central Administrative Tribunal. Further details about the members, functions, and role of CAT can be studied further in this article.

Table of content

1. Central Administrative Tribunal
2. Members of the Central Administrative Tribunal
3. Eligibility of Members of the Central Administrative Tribunal
4. Functioning of the Central Administrative Tribunal
5. Central Administrative Tribunal UPSC

Central Administrative Tribunal

As we have mentioned above, CAT was established in 1985 under Article 323A of the Indian Constitution. Central Administrative Tribunal derives its powers, jurisdiction, and authority from this section.

Central Administrative Tribunal Notes

This tribunal was created via the 42nd Constitutional Amendment of the Constitution.
The Tribunals under Article 323A can be created only through the Parliament.
But, Article 323B deals with other tribunals. It enables such tribunals to be formed by both State and Parliament Legislatures.
Article 323A is only for tribunals for public service matters.

Members of the Central Administrative Tribunal

Section 4 of the Administrative Act of 1985 lays forth the courts and the bench structure. According to the statute, a Central Administrative Tribunal must have a chairman, vice-chairman, and judicial and administrative members. Besides, having judicial and administrative members in a tribunal is mandatory. The President of India appoints the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and other Tribunal members. The judicial members are appointed by the President but only after consulting with the Chief Justice of India

Eligibility of Members of the Central Administrative Tribunal

The table below lists the eligibility qualifications of the various Tribunal Members.

Role	Eligibility
Chairman	A person must be a high-court judge. However, a person holding the position of Vice-Chairman for two years can also be appointed chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal.
Vice-Chairman	A person could be a high-court judge or have held the post of Secretary to the Government of India or any other post with the same pay scale for two years. A person holding the post is an Additional Secretary to the Government of India or any other post with the same pay scale for five years can be vice-chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal.
Judicial Members	A person could be a high court judge or a member of the Indian Legal Service holding a Grade I post for at least three years.
Administrative Members	A person is holding the post of Additional Secretary to the Government of India or any post with equivalent pay for at least two years. A person with adequate administrative experience or who worked as a Joint Secretary to the Government of India or any other equivalent post.

Functioning of the Central Administrative Tribunal

The following are the features of the Central Administrative Tribunal’s functioning.

The Central Administrative Tribunal has 17 Benches in the country as well as 21 Circuit Benches.
The Central Administrative Tribunal Principal Bench deals with matters relating to the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
The Central Administrative Tribunal has been granted the power to exercise the same authority and jurisdiction regards to contempt of itself as a High Court.
A petitioner can appear in person before the Central Administrative Tribunal or take the help of a legal practitioner.

Central Administrative Tribunal UPSC

The Central Administrative Tribunal finds its mention in the UPSC Syllabus, and that’s why the aspirants preparing for the upcoming UPSC Exam must give importance to this particular topic. Here we have covered the Central Administrative Tribunal UPSC notes that cover important information related to this particular topic, and it would be effective for the preparation of the IAS Exam. Apart from the notes, candidates should also follow the right Books and study material.

UPSC Notes
Paris Agreement	TRIPS Agreement
PM Cares Fund	IPCC Report
National Health Mission	Non-Governmental Organisation – NGO
National Agriculture Market Scheme [E-Nam]	National Disaster Management Authority