Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 (CAT Act)

The Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 (Act 13 of 1985) provides the statutory framework for adjudication of specified service matters concerning recruitment and conditions of service through Administrative Tribunals constituted under Article 323A of the Constitution of India.

Purpose of the Act

The Act was enacted to provide for adjudication or trial by Administrative Tribunals of disputes and complaints concerning recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to public services and posts connected with the affairs of the Union, States and specified authorities, corporations or societies owned or controlled by Government, together with connected and incidental matters.

Section 1 - Short title, extent and commencement

(1) This Act may be called the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985.

(2) Insofar as it relates to the Central Administrative Tribunal, the Act extends to the whole of India. The former State-specific exclusion has been omitted from the current consolidated text.

(3) The provisions relating to the Central Administrative Tribunal came into force on the date appointed by Central Government notification.

(4) Provisions relating to an Administrative Tribunal for a State come into force in that State on the date appointed by Central Government notification.

Key provisions at a glance

For service-law disputes, the provisions most frequently consulted include Section 14 on CAT jurisdiction, Section 19 on applications, Section 20 on exhaustion of other remedies, Section 21 on limitation, Section 22 on procedure and powers, Section 24 on interim orders and Section 27 on execution of Tribunal orders.