New Delhi, Aug. 23 -- The National Tribunal Commission (NTC) has now become a reality after the Lok Sabha passed the Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2026, on 10 August and the Rajya Sabha passed it the next day, without a debate and amid bedlam in the legislating halls. The NTC has been envisaged as an apex regulator for various tribunals in India, its primary task being to independently appoint bench members.

Unfortunately, the bill in its current form fails to recognize or tackle the core structural problems that bedevil tribunals across the country.

The Bill seeks to repeal the earlier Tribunal Reforms Act of 2021, which provided for appointments and service conditions of members in various tribunals. A new legislation with altered appointmen...