Parliament passes Tribunals Reforms Bill amid Opposition walkout

The Rajya Sabha recently passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2026, amidst opposition walkouts and disruptions. Deputy Chairman Harivansh allowed the Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, to speak on the Bill, but Kharge shifted the focus to the Ram Mandir donation theft row. As a result, the Opposition MPs walked out of the House.

The Bill aims to establish a National Tribunal Commission, chaired by a former Supreme Court judge or former Chief Justice of High Courts, with two judicial and two technical members. The government's move to rationalize the number of tribunals from 26 to 19, now down to 16, was praised by the Minister of State for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal.

The Bill seeks to ensure a transparent, timely, and fair resolution system for tribunals, addressing concerns about skewed representation of minority communities, such as SC and ST judges.