THE IMPACT OF ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNALS ON INDIAN GOVERNANCE
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Abstract
Administrative tribunals in India are quasi-judicial bodies created to provide speedy, expert, and relatively inexpensive adjudication of disputes arising primarily from the expanding administrative state. Constitutionally anchored in Articles 323A and 323B and implemented through the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, they were intended to reduce judicial backlog, professionalize adjudication in specialized areas such as service law and taxation, and enhance administrative accountability. This paper analyzes the origin, structure, functioning, and impact of administrative tribunals—particularly the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and State Administrative Tribunals (SATs)—on Indian governance, drawing on doctrinal developments, empirical assessments, and critical scholarship. It argues that tribunals have made a significant but uneven contribution to efficiency and access to justice, while also generating enduring concerns about independence, constitutionalism, and institutional design.
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