In a step toward strengthening technological capacity and digital resilience within the tribunal system, the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has directed all its employees to undergo mandatory training in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cyber Security by March 31, 2026.
The directive has been issued through Circular No. 23(49)/CIRCULAR/CESTAT/ADMN/2014 dated February 17, 2026, from the Tribunal’s Principal Bench at R.K. Puram, New Delhi. The circular references an Office Memorandum dated February 11, 2026, issued by the Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue.
Mandatory Course Selection by March 31, 2026
As per the circular, all employees of CESTAT are required to enroll in and complete at least one course each in Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security. The courses are to be selected from a list enclosed as Annexure-2 to the Office Memorandum, and must be relevant to the employees’ respective roles and levels within the organization.
The circular underscores that the training is compulsory and forms part of a broader governmental push to enhance digital literacy, promote secure handling of data, and integrate emerging technologies into administrative and judicial functioning.
Compliance Reporting by April 1, 2026
In addition to completing the training by March 31, 2026, employees are required to submit a compliance report by April 1, 2026. The tight timeline indicates the urgency placed by the authorities on upgrading institutional capacity in areas critical to governance and digital security.
The circular has been signed by Vaishali Kharbanda, Technical Officer (Admin.), and circulated to deputy Registrars and Assistant Registrars of all regional benches for dissemination among concerned staff; all staff of CESTAT, New Delhi; and the Computer Section for uploading the circular on the official CESTAT website.
Push Toward Digital Preparedness
The move aligns with the central government’s broader emphasis on digital transformation and cybersecurity preparedness across departments. With increasing digitization of records, e-filing systems, virtual hearings, and data-driven decision-making tools, tribunals such as CESTAT are handling vast volumes of sensitive financial and commercial information.
Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being explored for legal research, case management, document classification, and analytics, while robust cybersecurity practices are essential to protect judicial data from breaches, ransomware attacks, and other cyber threats.
