Government Opens Selection Process for Presiding Officers in 20 DRTs Across India
The Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, has issued a fresh vacancy circular for selection to the post of Presiding Officer in Debts Recovery Tribunals (DRTs), covering existing and anticipated vacancies across several major centres. The circular is dated October 1, 2026, and applications are being invited for vacancies already existing as well as vacancies expected to arise up to April 30, 2027.
The latest circular covers 20 specifically identified DRT vacancies. These include DRT-3, Mumbai; DRT-2, Chandigarh; DRT Allahabad; DRT Lucknow; DRT-1 Chandigarh; DRT Visakhapatnam; DRT-1 Hyderabad; DRT Cuttack; DRT-1 Ernakulam; DRT-1 Bengaluru; DRT-2 Ernakulam; DRT Guwahati; DRT Pune; DRT-3 Chandigarh; DRT Dehradun; DRT-1 Kolkata; DRT Patna; DRT Nagpur; DRT Siliguri; and DRT-1 Chennai.
The notification also provides for other unforeseen vacancies in Debts Recovery Tribunals across the country that may arise up to April 30, 2027.
The government states that Debts Recovery Tribunals were established under the Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act, 1993, for expeditious adjudication and recovery of debts due to banks and financial institutions and for matters connected with such recovery.
According to the vacancy circular, there are 39 Debts Recovery Tribunals in India. A selected Presiding Officer may be posted at any place where a vacancy exists.
Under the eligibility provisions cited in the notification, a person is qualified for appointment as Presiding Officer of a DRT if he or she is, or has been, a District Judge. The notification also refers to the Tribunal (Conditions of Service) Amendment Rules, 2023, under which a person holding or having held the post of Chairperson or Member of a Tribunal may be eligible for re-appointment.
The circular further states that where a person appointed as Chairperson or Member is a serving Supreme Court or High Court judge or a serving member of an organised service, the person must resign or obtain voluntary retirement from the parent service before joining the Tribunal.
The notification states that under Section 17(1)(a) of the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2026, a Presiding Officer of a DRT will hold office for a term of five years or until attaining the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.
The selection process will be conducted through the Search-Cum-Selection Committee constituted under the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021. The Committee will scrutinise applications with regard to suitability, giving due weightage to the qualifications and experience of candidates.
Candidates may then be shortlisted for personal interaction. The final selection will be based on the Committee’s overall evaluation of the candidates, taking into consideration their qualifications, experience and performance during personal interaction.
The application process requires detailed service records and supporting documents. Applicants have to submit the prescribed biodata along with the required certificate from the employer, head of office or forwarding authority wherever applicable.
Candidates are also required to submit clear photocopies of their up-to-date CR/APAR dossiers containing records for at least the last five years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26, duly attested by a Group A officer.
Serving candidates are required to provide cadre clearance as well as integrity and vigilance and disciplinary clearance. Applicants must also provide details of any major or minor penalties imposed upon them during the preceding ten years.
The prescribed application form seeks extensive information about the candidate’s judicial and administrative experience. It specifically asks whether the candidate is or has been a District Judge and, if so, requires details and documentary evidence of the tenure.
Candidates are also required to disclose whether they have served as a Member or Chairperson of a Tribunal. The form additionally seeks information regarding present pay level and basic pay, adjudicating and administrative experience, and the number of cases disposed of during the previous two years.
Applicants can also provide details of awards, honours and publications, along with other qualifications or experience relevant to the post.
The application form requires disclosure of any pending or contemplated vigilance or disciplinary case and asks whether any allegation of misconduct involving a vigilance angle was examined against the candidate during the previous ten years.
Candidates are also required to indicate their preferences for posting in the prescribed application form.
The declaration attached to the application contains several commitments. Candidates certify that the information supplied is correct and complete and that no material information has been concealed or distorted.
Applicants also undertake not to withdraw their candidature after the meeting of the Selection Committee and not to decline the appointment if selected by the Government. A selected candidate is required to join within 30 days from the date of issue of the appointment order.
The notification states that violation of these conditions may result in the candidate being debarred for three years from consideration for appointments outside the cadre and in autonomous, statutory or regulatory bodies.
The deadline for submission has also been specified by the Department of Financial Services. Duly completed original applications in the prescribed format must reach the Under Secretary (DRT), Department of Financial Services, 3rd Floor, Jeevan Deep Building, Sansad Marg, New Delhi-110001, by 5:00 PM on November 2, 2026.
The notification makes clear that the last date of receipt of applications will be the crucial date for determining the eligibility of applicants.
The nationwide vacancy exercise covers a substantial number of DRT locations and also anticipates additional vacancies during the coming months. The selection process will now move through scrutiny of applications, shortlisting, personal interaction and overall evaluation by the Search-Cum-Selection Committee before appointments are finalised.
