The Ministry of Finance’s Department of Revenue has invited applications for nine Member posts in the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), comprising five Technical Members and four Judicial Members.

According to the vacancy circular, complete applications must reach the Department by December 16, 2026. The last date for submitting applications will also be the cut-off date for determining eligibility.

The vacancies are spread across Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi and Chandigarh. However, the circular expressly states that selected candidates may be posted at any bench of the Tribunal.

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The circular provides three alternative eligibility routes for appointment as a Judicial Member.

A person is eligible if they are, or have been, a District Judge and Additional District Judge for a combined period of ten years.

Alternatively, an advocate with ten years of practice and substantial experience in litigation under indirect tax laws before CESTAT, a High Court or the Supreme Court may apply.

A person who is, or has been, a member of the Indian Legal Service in Grade I or above is also eligible under the notice.

Applicants for Technical Member posts must be, or have been, members of the Indian Revenue Service, Customs and Indirect Taxes Group ‘A’.

They must have held the post of Principal Commissioner of Customs or Central Excise, or an equivalent or higher post, and must have performed judicial, quasi-judicial or adjudicating functions for three years.

The notice prescribes fixed pay of ₹2,25,000, along with allowances admissible to a Government of India Group ‘A’ officer carrying the same pay.

Where an appointed Member receives a pension, their pay will be reduced by the gross amount of pension drawn.

A Member will hold office for five years or until attaining the age of 67 years, whichever is earlier. Members will not be entitled to additional pension, provident fund or gratuity for their services in the Tribunal.

The circular also requires serving persons covered by its resignation or voluntary retirement provision to leave their parent service before joining the Tribunal.

According to the notice, the qualifications, eligibility and service conditions are governed by the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2026, read with the National Tribunals Commission and Qualification, Selection, and Conditions of Service of Chairperson and Members of Tribunals Rules, 2026.

It further states that serving or former CESTAT Members may be considered for reappointment in accordance with Section 14 of the Act cited in the circular.

A Search-cum-Selection Committee will assess candidates comprehensively, including through personal interaction.

The assessment will consider candidates’ integrity and suitability, together with the requirements of the Tribunal, applying the weightage specified in the relevant regulation.

Candidates called for interview or interaction will not receive travelling allowance or daily allowance and must make their own arrangements.

Eligible and willing applicants must submit their biodata in the prescribed proforma at Annexure I.

Serving officers, including judicial officers, must also submit the certificate prescribed in Annexure II from their employer, head of office or forwarding authority.

Their applications must include clear photocopies of the up-to-date CR/APAR dossier covering at least the last five years, duly attested by a Group ‘A’ officer, along with cadre clearance.

An integrity certificate and vigilance/disciplinary clearance in Annexure III are also required, together with a statement detailing any major or minor penalties imposed during the preceding ten years.

The application form seeks educational qualifications, employment history, relevant professional experience and details of cases handled before courts, tribunals or adjudicating authorities. It also requires an adjudicating-experience write-up wherever applicable, details of five major achievements, and information on awards, publications and professional affiliations.

For advocates, the form seeks proof of experience and annual income supported by the latest income-tax return. For the specified judicial/ILS and IRS categories, it also seeks relevant indirect tax experience and copies of two adjudicating orders.

Applications must reach Shri Tarandeep Singh, Under Secretary (Ad.1C), Department of Revenue, Room No. 14108, 4th Floor, ‘C’ Wing, Kartavya Bhawan-1, New Delhi–110001, by December 16, 2026.

The contact details provided in the circular are tarandeep.s14@nic.in and 011-24012544.

According to the notice, the advertisement and prescribed application form can be downloaded from the Department of Revenue or CESTAT websites.

Applications received after the deadline or without the necessary annexures will not be entertained.

The circular expressly requires interested candidates who applied against the earlier vacancy notice to submit fresh applications.

The uploaded notice contains differing references to the earlier circular: its opening vacancy paragraph refers to April 15, 2025, while paragraph 7 refers to April 15, 2026. Nevertheless, the requirement to apply afresh under the present recruitment exercise is explicit.

The declaration accompanying the application requires candidates to undertake that they will not withdraw their candidature after the Selection Committee meeting or decline appointment if selected by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

Candidates must also undertake to join within 30 days from the date of the appointment order.

The declaration states that violating these undertakings may lead to debarment for three years from consideration for appointments outside the cadre and in autonomous, statutory or regulatory bodies. Concealment or distortion of material information may lead to summary termination without notice.

CESTAT hears appeals under the Customs Act, 1962, the Central Excise Act, 1944, and the Finance Act, 1994.

Its principal bench is situated in New Delhi, while its other benches are located at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Chandigarh and Hyderabad.

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