G.S.R. 109(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by section 184 of the Finance Act, 2017 (7 of 2017), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely:—

1. Short title, commencement, and application

(1) These rules may be called the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal and other Authorities (Qualifications, Experience and other Conditions of Service of Members) Rules, 2020.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

(3) These rules shall apply to the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, President, Vice- President, Presiding Officer, Accountant Member, Administrative Member, Judicial Member, Expert Member, Law Member, Revenue Member, Technical Member, Member of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal or, as the case may be, Authority as specified in column (2) of the Eighth Schedule of the Finance Act, 2017 (7 of 2017).

2. Definitions

 In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires:-

(a) ”Act” means an Act specified in column (3) of the Eighth Schedule of the Finance Act, 2017(7 of 2017);

(b) ”Accountant Member”, ”Administrative Member”, ”Judicial Member”, “Expert Member”, ”Law Member”, ”Revenue Member” or ”Technical Member” means the Accountant Member, Administrative Member, Judicial Member, Expert Member, Law Member, Revenue Member or Technical Member of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal or, as the case may be, Authority appointed under the corresponding provisions of the Act;

(c) ”Appellate Tribunal”, ”Authority” or ”Tribunal” has the same meaning as assigned to it in the corresponding provisions of the Act;

(d) “Chairman” or ”Chairperson” or ”President” means the Chairman, Chairperson or President of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal or, as the case may be, Authority appointed under the corresponding provisions of the Act;

(e) “Member” means the Accountant Member, Administrative Member, Judicial Member, Expert Member, Law Member, Revenue Member or Technical Member and includes the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Presiding Officer of the Security Appellate Tribunal, President or, as the case may be, Vice- President;

(f) ”Presiding Officer” means the Presiding Officer of the Security Appellate Tribunal appointed under section 15L of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (15 of 1992), Presiding Officer of the Debts Recovery Tribunal appointed under sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Recovery of Debts due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act 1993, (51 of 1993) and Presiding Officer of the Industrial Tribunal appointed by the Central Government under sub-section (1) of section 7A of the Industrial Disputes Act,1947 (14 of 1947);

(g) ”Search-cum-Selection Committee” means the Search-cum-Selection Committee referred to in rule 4;

(h) ”Vice-Chairman” or ”Vice-Chairperson” or ”Vice-President” means the Vice-Chairman, the Vice-Chairperson or Vice-President of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal or, as the case may be, Authority;

(i) words and expressions used herein and not defined but defined in the Act shall have the same meanings respectively assigned to them in the respective Acts.

3. Qualifications for appointment of Member.

The qualification for appointment of the Chairman, Chairperson, President, Vice-Chairman, Vice-Chairperson, Vice-President, Presiding Officer, Accountant Member, Administrative Member, Judicial Member, Expert Member, Law Member, Revenue Member, Technical Member or Member of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal or, as the case may be, Authority shall be such as specified in column (3) of the Schedule annexed to these rules.

4. Method of recruitment

(1) The Chairman, Chairperson, President, Vice-Chairman, ViceChairperson, Vice- President, Presiding Officer, Accountant Member, Administrative Member, Judicial Member, Expert Member, Law Member, Revenue Member, Technical Member or Member of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal or, as the case may be, Authority shall be appointed by the Central Government on the recommendation of a Search-cum-Selection Committee constituted for the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal or, as the case may be, Authority specified in column (4) of the said Schedule in respect of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal or as the case may be, Authority specified in column (2) of the said Schedule.

(2) The Search-cum-Selection Committee shall determine its procedure for making its recommendation and, after taking into account the suitability, record of past performance, integrity as well as adjudicatory experience keeping in view the requirements of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal or, as the case may be, Authority, recommend a panel of two or three persons for appointment to each post.

(3) No appointment of Chairman, Chairperson, President, Vice-Chairman, Vice-Chairperson, VicePresident, Presiding Officer, Accountant Member, Administrative Member, Judicial Member, Expert Member, Law Member, Revenue Member, Technical Member or Member of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal or Authorities shall be invalid merely by reason of any vacancy or absence in the Searchcum-Selection Committee.

(4) Nothing in this rule shall apply to the appointment of Chairman, Chairperson, President, ViceChairman, Vice- Chairperson, Vice- President, Presiding Officer, Accountant Member, Administrative Member, Judicial Member, Expert Member, Law Member, Revenue Member, Technical Member or Member of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal or, as the case may be, Authority functioning as such immediately before the commencement of these rules.

5. Medical fitness

No person shall be appointed as the Chairman, Chairperson, President, ViceChairman, Vice- Chairperson, Vice- President, Presiding Officer, Accountant Member, Administrative Member, Judicial Member, Expert Member, Law Member, Revenue Member, Technical Member or Member of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal or Authority, or as the case may be unless he is declared medically fit by an authority specified by the Central Government in this behalf.

6. Resignation by a Member

A Member may, by writing under his hand addressed to the Central Government, resign his office at any time: Provided that the Member shall, unless he is permitted by the Central Government to relinquish office sooner, continue to hold office until the expiry of three months from the date of receipt of such notice or until a person duly appointed as a successor enters upon his office or until the expiry of his term of office, whichever is earlier. 

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