**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Finance issued the Debts Recovery Tribunals (Refund of Court Fees) Amendment Rules, 2026, on May 19, 2026. This notification amends the existing 2013 rules to provide greater flexibility in the application process for the refund of court fees. The amendments are effective immediately as of their publication date in the Official Gazette.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Procedural Amendments**
* **Revision of Rule 5(1):** The mandatory requirement for a "joint application" by both the applicant and the defendant for the refund of court fees has been removed.
* **Flexible Filing Options:** Under the new rules, the applicant alone, or the applicant and defendant together, may file an application or a joint application for the refund of court fees before the Registrar of the Tribunal.
* **Detail Requirements:** Applications must still show the details of the settlement to qualify for a refund of court fees.
**Legal Framework and Title**
* **Statutory Authority:** These rules are made in exercise of powers conferred by the Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act, 1993.
* **Official Title:** The rules are formally cited as the Debts Recovery Tribunals (Refund of Court Fees) Amendment Rules, 2026.
* **Commencement:** The provisions come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette (May 19, 2026).
**Impact Analysis**
**Applicants (typically Creditors/Financial Institutions)**
**Impact**
They are no longer strictly dependent on the defendant's cooperation to file for a refund of court fees, as the rules now permit individual applications.
**Action Required**
When seeking a refund, applicants must ensure their filings correctly state settlement details and follow the updated wording of Rule 5(1).
**Defendants (Debtors)**
**Impact**
Defendants are no longer legally mandated to be part of a "joint application" in every instance where a court fee refund is sought.
**Action Required**
Cooperate with joint applications only when the specific circumstances of the settlement require a combined filing.
**Registrars of Debts Recovery Tribunals (DRT)**
**Impact**
The Registrar is now authorized to accept and process refund applications submitted by an individual applicant rather than requiring a joint submission from both parties.
**Action Required**
Update internal administrative procedures to align with the revised criteria for accepting court fee refund applications.
Key Entities Referenced
Debts Recovery Tribunals (Refund of Court Fees) Amendment Rules, 2026: The newly notified rules that amend existing procedures to allow either the applicant or both the applicant and defendant to file for court fee refunds.
Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act, 1993: The primary legislation under which the Central Government exercises its power to make and amend rules concerning debt recovery and tribunal procedures.
Debts Recovery Tribunals (Refund of Court Fees) Rules, 2013: The principal set of rules governing the refund of court fees, specifically modified by the 2026 amendment regarding application filing.
Department of Financial Services: The department within the Ministry of Finance responsible for the notification and regulatory oversight of debt recovery tribunal rules.
रजिस्ट्री स.ं डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
सी.जी.-डी.एल.-अ.-19052026-272698
CG-DxLx-xEG-I1D9H0x5x2x0 26-272698
xxxGIDExxx
असाधारण
EXTRAORDINARY
भाग II—खण् ड 3—उप-खण्ड (i)
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (i)
प्राजधकार स ेप्रकाजित
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
स.ं 337] नई दिल्ली, मगं लिार, मई 19, 2026/ििै ाख 29, 1948
No. 337] NEW DELHI, TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2026/VAISAKHA 29, 1948
जित्त मत्रं ालय
(जित्तीय सिे ाए ं जिभाग)
अजधसचू ना
नई दिल्ली, 19 मई, 2026
सा.का.जन. 372(अ).— केन्द्रीय सरकार, ऋण िसूली और िोधन अक्षमता अजधजनयम,1993 (1993 का 51) की
धारा 19 की उप-धारा (3ख) के साथ पठित धारा 36 की उप-धारा (2) के खडं (गग) द्वारा प्रित्त िजियों का प्रयोग करत े
हुए ऋण िसूली अजधकरण (न्द्यायालय फीस का प्रजतिाय) जनयम, 2013 में जनम्नजलजखत संिोधन करती ह,ै अथाात-्
1. सजक्षप्त नाम और प्रारंभ - (1) इन जनयमों का संजक्षप्त नाम ऋण िसूली अजधकरण (न्द्यायालय फीस का
प्रजतिाय) संिोधन जनयम, 2026 ह।ै
(2) ये रािपत्र म ेंइनके प्रकािन की तारीख को प्रिृत्त होंगे।
2. ऋण िसूली अजधकरण (न्द्यायालय फीस का प्रजतिाय) जनयम, 2013 के जनयम 5 म ें उप जनयम (1) म ें
“आिेिक (आिेिकों)और प्रजतिािी (प्रजतिादियों) अजधकरण के रजिस्ट्रार के समक्ष न्द्यायालय फीस के प्रजतिाय के
3572 GI/2026 (1)2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(i)]
जलए जनपटारे के ब्यौरे ििााते हुए संयुि आिेिन फाइल करेंगे” िब्िों और कोष्ठकों के स्ट्थान पर "आिेिक या आिेिक
और प्रजतिािी, यथाजस्ट्थजत, अजधकरण के रजिस्ट्रार के समक्ष न्द्यायालय फीस के प्रजतिाय के जलए जनपटारे के ब्यौरे
ििााते हुए आिेिन या संयुि आिेिन, फाइल कर सकेंग े ”, िब्ि रख ेिाएगें।
[फा. स.ं 11/09/2023-डीआरटी]
समीर कुमार, आर्थाक सलाहकार
ठटप्पणी: मलू जनयम भारत के रािपत्र, असाधारण, भाग II, खंड 3, उपखंड (ii) म ें सा.का.जन.311अ, तारीख 15 मई,
2013 के द्वारा प्रकाजित दकए गए थे।
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
(Department of Financial Services)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 19th May, 2026
G.S.R. 372(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (cc) of sub-section (2) of section 36 read with
sub-section (3B) of section 19 of the Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act, 1993 (51 of 1993), the Central Government
hereby makes the following amendments to the Debts Recovery Tribunals (Refund of Court Fees) Rules, 2013,
namely:—
1. Short title and commencement- (1) These rules may be called the Debts Recovery Tribunals (Refund of Court Fees)
Amendment Rules, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Debts Recovery Tribunals (Refund of Court Fees) Rules, 2013, in rule 5, in sub-rule (1) for the words and
brackets “The applicant(s) and the defendant(s) shall file a joint application”, the words “The applicant or the applicant
and defendant may file an application or joint application, as the case may be,” shall be substituted.
[F. No.11/09/2023-DRT]
SAMIR KUMAR, Economic Adviser
Note: The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, sub-section (ii),
vide number G.S.R. 311E, dated 15th May , 2013
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064
and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054.