The Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, Government of India is inviting applications for 20 Presiding Officer positions in Debts Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) across the country under File No. 07/09/2026-DRT. The original vacancy circular was issued on 1 October 2026 and a later corrigendum dated 10 October extended the last date for receipt of applications to 9 November 2026 at 5:00 PM. These are senior judicial appointments and are not open to ordinary law graduates or entry-level applicants. Eligibility is limited to persons who are, or have been, District Judges, or who are members of the Indian Legal Service in Grade I or above, subject to the detailed appointment rules. The notified cycle covers four current and sixteen anticipated DRT vacancies, with provision for unforeseen vacancies arising up to 30 April 2027. Selection is handled through the statutory Search-cum-Selection Committee, which scrutinises the applicants’ qualifications, judicial/legal experience and overall suitability before personal interaction. The appointment is for a fixed tribunal tenure rather than a permanent civil-service cadre post, and selected candidates may be posted to any notified DRT location depending on vacancy and administrative requirements.
Recruitment Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Recruiting Authority | Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance |
| Post | Presiding Officer, Debts Recovery Tribunal |
| File No. | 07/09/2026-DRT |
| Total Vacancies | 20 |
| Recruitment Type | Tribunal appointment |
| Original Circular Date | 1 October 2026 |
| Corrigendum Date | 10 October 2026 |
| Revised Last Date | 9 November 2026, 5:00 PM |
| Application Mode | Offline / prescribed proforma |
| Appointment Tenure | 5 years or until attaining 70 years, whichever is earlier |
| Selection | Search-cum-Selection Committee scrutiny and personal interaction |
| Posting | Any notified DRT / other vacancy covered by the recruitment cycle |
Vacancy Details
The current cycle covers 20 notified DRT locations, including existing and anticipated vacancies.
| No. | DRT Location |
|---|---|
| 1 | DRT-3, Mumbai |
| 2 | DRT-2, Chandigarh |
| 3 | DRT, Allahabad |
| 4 | DRT, Lucknow |
| 5 | DRT-1, Chandigarh |
| 6 | DRT, Visakhapatnam |
| 7 | DRT-1, Hyderabad |
| 8 | DRT, Cuttack |
| 9 | DRT-1, Ernakulam |
| 10 | DRT-1, Bengaluru |
| 11 | DRT-2, Ernakulam |
| 12 | DRT, Guwahati |
| 13 | DRT, Pune |
| 14 | DRT-3, Chandigarh |
| 15 | DRT, Dehradun |
| 16 | DRT-1, Kolkata |
| 17 | DRT, Patna |
| 18 | DRT, Nagpur |
| 19 | DRT, Siliguri |
| 20 | DRT-1, Chennai |
The recruitment cycle may also be used for unforeseen Presiding Officer vacancies in other DRTs arising up to 30 April 2027, subject to the terms of the official circular.
Eligibility
A candidate must satisfy the judicial/legal-service eligibility prescribed for appointment as Presiding Officer of a DRT. The current recruitment information identifies the eligible pool as:
| Eligible Route | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Judicial Service | Is, or has been, a District Judge |
| Indian Legal Service | Member of the Indian Legal Service in Grade I or above |
This is therefore a highly specialised judicial recruitment. A general LL.B., advocate enrolment or ordinary legal-practice background by itself does not satisfy the notified eligibility route.
Before preparing the application, candidates can use the Regal Naukri Eligibility Pre-check as a personal worksheet to compare the notice with their own service status. The Department’s circular remains the final authority.
Tenure and Age Ceiling
The Presiding Officer appointment is for a term of five years or until the appointee attains the age of 70 years, whichever occurs earlier, subject to the governing tribunal law and service rules.
The current materials used for this package do not establish a separate ordinary recruitment-style age band such as “minimum X / maximum Y years” for applicants. Candidates should therefore rely on the tenure/age rule in the official vacancy circular rather than applying a generic government-job age limit.
Pay and Service Conditions
The vacancy circular states that pay and service conditions are governed by the Tribunal (Conditions of Service) Rules, 2021, as amended from time to time, together with the applicable statutory framework.
Because the current circular does not publish one simple standalone salary figure for use as a universal recruitment pay scale, Regal Naukri does not flatten the service-rule compensation into an invented monthly range.
Serving judges or officers who are selected must comply with the applicable resignation, voluntary-retirement or parent-service conditions before joining where the rules require it.
Application Fee
No application fee has been identified in the current circular information used for this package.
Applicants should not pay any third party or recruitment agent for submitting the prescribed DFS application.
Selection Process
The Search-cum-Selection Committee constituted under the applicable tribunal framework scrutinises the applications for eligibility and suitability.
The selection process includes:
- scrutiny of the prescribed application and supporting service records;
- assessment of qualification, judicial/legal experience and suitability;
- shortlisting of eligible candidates;
- personal interaction/interview before the competent selection mechanism; and
- final recommendation and appointment subject to statutory and administrative approvals.
Merely meeting the minimum eligibility route does not create a right to selection or interaction.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Original vacancy circular | 1 October 2026 |
| Corrigendum / deadline extension | 10 October 2026 |
| Revised last date for receipt | 9 November 2026, 5:00 PM |
| Unforeseen-vacancy coverage | Up to 30 April 2027 |
The 9 November deadline is a receipt deadline, so candidates forwarding the application through an employer or proper channel should allow enough time for internal processing and delivery.
How to Apply for DRT Presiding Officer Recruitment 2026
- Open the Department of Financial Services Vacancies page and locate the current Presiding Officer in Debts Recovery Tribunals vacancy circular and the 10 October corrigendum.
- Read both documents together. The corrigendum extends the application deadline to 9 November 2026 at 5:00 PM.
- Confirm that you fall within the notified eligible class: District Judge/former District Judge or eligible Indian Legal Service Grade-I-and-above officer.
- Use the Eligibility Pre-check only as a personal organiser; do not treat it as an official legal determination.
- Prepare the prescribed bio-data/application proforma and the service records required by the notice. The Government Job Document Checklist can help you build a notice-specific evidence list.
- Serving candidates should route the application through the proper channel where the circular requires it and obtain the necessary cadre/vigilance/integrity clearances.
- Attach the required APAR/ACR records, service certificates and penalty/vigilance statements in the prescribed form.
- Send the original completed application to Under Secretary (DRT), Department of Financial Services, 3rd Floor, Jeevan Deep Building, Sansad Marg, New Delhi – 110001.
- Ensure the application reaches the Department by 5:00 PM on 9 November 2026. Use the Application Deadline Planner to set a safer personal dispatch date.
- Before dispatch, review the Government Job Document Verification Guide to check that every eligibility claim is supported by the exact service/document evidence requested in the circular.
Documents Required
| Document / Record | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Prescribed bio-data / Annexure-I | Main application |
| Employer / forwarding-authority certificate, where applicable | Proper-channel verification |
| APAR/ACR dossier for the prescribed period | Service and performance assessment |
| Cadre clearance, where applicable | Serving-candidate clearance |
| Integrity certificate | Service-vigilance requirement |
| Vigilance / disciplinary clearance | Suitability verification |
| Statement of major/minor penalties, if any | Service record disclosure |
| Judicial / Indian Legal Service proof | Core eligibility |
| Date-of-birth / service record proof | Tenure/age-rule verification |
| Other annexures required in the circular | Completeness of application |
Candidates should follow the exact number of years, attestation requirements and annexure formats printed in the current DFS circular.
Important Candidate Instructions
- This is a senior tribunal appointment, not an entry-level law recruitment.
- The last date has been extended from 2 November to 9 November 2026 by the later corrigendum.
- Candidates should read the original 1 October circular and 10 October corrigendum together.
- The notified list includes existing and anticipated vacancies; selected candidates may be posted to another covered DRT depending on the vacancy position.
- Applications received after the prescribed deadline or without required service documents may be rejected.
- Serving candidates must comply with proper-channel, cadre-clearance and vigilance requirements where applicable.
- No TA/DA should be assumed for interaction unless specifically authorised by the Department.
Important Links
| Link | Purpose |
|---|---|
| DFS Vacancies Page | Official vacancy circular and 10 October corrigendum |
| DFS DRT/DRAT Information Page | Official information about the DRT/DRAT system |
| Department of Financial Services | Recruiting department website |
| Government Job Document Checklist | Prepare notice-specific supporting records |
| Application Deadline Planner | Plan dispatch before the 9 November receipt deadline |
FAQ
How many Presiding Officer vacancies are covered in the 2026 DRT recruitment?
The current recruitment cycle lists 20 Presiding Officer vacancies/locations, including existing and anticipated vacancies.
What is the revised last date?
Applications must reach the Department of Financial Services by 9 November 2026 at 5:00 PM.
Who can apply?
The recruitment is for persons who are, or have been, District Judges, or eligible members of the Indian Legal Service in Grade I or above.
Is this recruitment on deputation?
No. This is a selection for appointment as Presiding Officer of a Debts Recovery Tribunal. It should not be confused with separate DFS deputation advertisements for Registrar, Assistant Registrar or Recovery Officer posts.
What is the tenure?
The appointment is for five years or until age 70, whichever is earlier, under the applicable tribunal framework.
Is there an application fee?
No fee has been identified in the current circular information used for this package.
How is selection made?
Applications are scrutinised by the Search-cum-Selection Committee, which considers eligibility, experience and suitability and conducts the applicable personal interaction process.
Where must the application be sent?
The original application must reach the Under Secretary (DRT), Department of Financial Services, 3rd Floor, Jeevan Deep Building, Sansad Marg, New Delhi – 110001 by the revised deadline.