By order No.18/13/2026-EO(SM.II) dated 29.04.2026 issued by the Secretariat of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, the Government of India has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for the appointment of Justice (Retd.) Anupinder Singh Grewal, former Judge of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, as President of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The appointment is for a period of five years with effect from the date of assumption of charge, or till he attains the age of 67 years, whichever is earlier.
The Appointment
The President of the NCLT is appointed by the Central Government under Section 412 of the Companies Act, 2013, on the recommendation of the Selection Committee constituted under that provision, and presides over the principal bench of the Tribunal at New Delhi as well as superintends the work of the eleven other benches across the country.
At the Bar
Justice Grewal enrolled at the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in 1992. He held successive positions for the State of Punjab, serving as Assistant Advocate General from 10.03.1995, Deputy Advocate General from 13.06.1997, Senior Deputy Advocate General from 16.04.2002 and Additional Advocate General from 07.09.2005 until his elevation to the Bench. He was also appointed Central Government Counsel in November 2007 and designated Senior Panel Counsel for the Union of India in 2009. Over the course of his practice he was retained in a wide range of constitutional, service and commercial matters, and was repeatedly appointed Amicus Curiae in suo motu proceedings before the High Court.
On the High Court Bench
Justice Grewal was sworn in as an Additional Judge of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana on 25.09.2014. He was transferred to the High Court of Rajasthan in December 2014 and sworn in as a permanent Judge on 20.05.2016, before returning to the High Court of Punjab and Haryana on 05.10.2016. Over more than eleven years on the Bench, he authored a body of work in the areas of service law, criminal law, and constitutional and administrative review, and he became known in the Bar for an active suo motu practice. Notable matters during his tenure included the proceedings concerning the recording of the Lawrence Bishnoi interview within Punjab, the stay and subsequent withdrawal of the Punjab Land Pooling Policy on the ground that the State had not undertaken any Social Impact Assessment or Environmental Impact Assessment, and the consideration of police accountability in custodial and encounter cases.
In a farewell interview to Bar and Bench, Justice Grewal spoke at length about his judicial philosophy and the institutional standing of the judiciary, and about the conditions in which he began his practice as a first-generation lawyer.
The Office of President, NCLT
The NCLT, constituted by the Central Government under Section 408 of the Companies Act, 2013, is the principal forum of original jurisdiction in matters arising under the Companies Act, 2013, the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 and, since 2016, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. The President of the Tribunal exercises administrative superintendence over its principal bench and benches. The post had been the subject of considerable interest at the Bar pending the present appointment.
The order takes effect from the date Justice Grewal assumes charge.