Eleven benches, one of them at Kochi: how the Armed Forces Tribunal is spread across the country
Background
There are 11 Benches of the Armed Forces Tribunal in the country, including the Principal Bench in New Delhi. The Regional Benches are functioning from Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Srinagar, the Srinagar Bench currently functioning at Jammu. The Tribunal has been hearing cases since its inception in 2009. Its sanctioned posts cover Group 'A', 'B' and 'C' posts as well as Members, and vacancies arise from completion of the deputation period or tenure, superannuation, delay in the selection process because of litigation and non-availability of eligible candidates. After the notification of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal and other Authorities (Qualifications, Experience and other Conditions of Service of Members) Rules, 2017 on 01 June 2017, nine persons were appointed as Members of the Tribunal in accordance with those Rules.
In plain words
Tribunal Tribunal — A body outside the ordinary court system set up to decide a defined class of disputes.
Principal Bench Principal Bench — The main bench of a tribunal, to which its regional benches are subordinate in administration.
Superannuation Superannuation — Retirement from service on reaching the prescribed age.