DFS DRT Presiding Officer Recruitment 2026

DFS DRT Presiding Officer Recruitment 2026: Overview

The Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance is selecting Presiding Officers for the Debts Recovery Tribunals (DRTs). These tribunals were set up under the Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act, 1993 to settle and recover debts owed to banks and financial institutions quickly, and there are 39 DRTs across India. The Presiding Officer heads a tribunal bench, so this is a senior judicial-style appointment for a fixed term rather than a regular cadre job.

Some of the seats are vacant right now, while the others are anticipated vacancies that will open up. The panel will also be used for any unforeseen vacancy in other DRTs that arises up to 30 April 2027, so even if your preferred city is not on the list, you may still be posted to a tribunal that falls vacant later.

Posts and Disciplines

• Current vacancies: DRT-3 Mumbai, DRT-2 Chandigarh, DRT Allahabad and DRT Lucknow.
• Anticipated vacancies (north and east): DRT-1 and DRT-3 Chandigarh, DRT Dehradun, DRT Patna, DRT-1 Kolkata, DRT Siliguri, DRT Guwahati and DRT Cuttack.
• Anticipated vacancies (south and west): DRT Visakhapatnam, DRT-1 Hyderabad, DRT-1 and DRT-2 Ernakulam, DRT-1 Bengaluru, DRT-1 Chennai, DRT Pune and DRT Nagpur.
• Place of posting: A selected Presiding Officer can be posted to any of the places of vacancy, so you should be ready to move to any of these cities.

Service Conditions and Caveats

• Governing rules: Eligibility, salary and other terms follow the National Tribunals Commission and Qualification, Selection and Conditions of Service of Chairpersons and Members of Tribunals Rules, 2026.
• Term of office: Under Section 17(1)(a) of the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2026, you hold office for five years or until age 70, whichever comes first.
• Leaving your parent service: If you are a serving judge or a serving member of any Central or State Government service or undertaking, you must resign or take voluntary retirement before joining the tribunal.
• Reappointment: A Chairperson or Member of a tribunal can be considered for reappointment under Section 14 of the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2026.
• Binding declaration: By signing the application, you promise not to withdraw after the Selection Committee meets, not to decline an offer, and to join within 30 days of the appointment order. Breaking this can bar you for three years from appointments outside your cadre and in autonomous, statutory or regulatory bodies.
• Interview travel: No TA/DA is paid for attending the personal interaction.
• Eligibility date: Your eligibility is judged as on the last date for receipt of applications.

Application Submission Notes

The advertisement and the prescribed application form are on the DFS website under the vacancies section. Fill in the Annexure-I bio-data and send the original signed application, through proper channel where it applies to you, to The Under Secretary (DRT), Department of Financial Services, 3rd Floor, Jeevan Deep Building, Sansad Marg, New Delhi 110001.

It must reach the office by 5:00 PM on the last date. The Department does not take responsibility for postal delays or lost applications, and late or incomplete applications are rejected, so send yours well ahead of time.

Corrigenda and Notices

• Corrigendum dated 10 October 2026: the eligibility clause now follows the 2026 Tribunal Rules, which open the post to Indian Legal Service officers in Grade I or above alongside serving and former District Judges, and the deadline for receiving applications was extended by one week.