In a strategic move to enhance India’s debt recovery ecosystem, the Department of Financial Services under the Finance Ministry convened a high-level seminar of Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunals (DRAT) Chairpersons and Presiding Officers of Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) at Vigyan Bhavan.
The seminar centered on reducing case pendency and accelerating resolution timelines—two critical bottlenecks in India’s credit recovery framework. The Secretary, DFS, highlighted a clear reform roadmap anchored on mandatory e-filing, hybrid hearings, and the rollout of E-DRT 2.0, aimed at improving operational efficiency and transparency.
Encouraging trends were noted, with DRTs witnessing improved monthly disposal rates, driven by targeted capacity-building programs and infrastructure upgrades. High-performing tribunals were urged to share best practices, creating a benchmarking-led performance improvement model across jurisdictions.
Key Strategic Directives:
- Digitization at Scale: Strengthening end-to-end digital workflows to reduce procedural delays
- Case Prioritization: Fast-tracking high-value cases to maximize recovery outcomes
- Alternative Dispute Resolution: Leveraging Lok Adalats for quicker settlements
- Institutional Strengthening: Structured training programs for judicial and operational staff
- Bank-Level Accountability: Enhancing internal monitoring systems to improve recovery efficiency
Additionally, a structured approach to identifying cases suitable for mediation was emphasized to ease tribunal burden and accelerate dispute resolution.
