Pranav B Prem

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of sixteen new members to the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), the nation’s apex quasi-judicial body responsible for resolving direct tax disputes. The appointments come on the recommendation of the Search-cum-Selection Committee, filling long-pending vacancies in both Judicial and Accountant Member positions.

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According to the official order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on October 28, 2025, the newly appointed members will serve in the pay scale of ₹2,25,000 per month. Their tenure will extend for a period of four years from the date they assume charge of office or until they attain the age of 67 years, whichever occurs earlier.

Judicial Members – Six Vacancies Filled

The order confirms the appointment of six individuals as Judicial Members in the ITAT. Those appointed include:

• Rajani Guduri, Advocate (DOB: 30.07.1964)

• Kuldip Singh, Ex-Judicial Member, ITAT (DOB: 01.04.1962)

• Tapas Ram Misra, Advocate (DOB: 05.05.1966)

• Sanjay Kumar, Advocate (DOB: 09.01.1972)

• Debjani Mitra Neogy, Advocate (DOB: 20.12.1968)

• Rajesh Damodarlal Sharma, Advocate (DOB: 01.08.1973)

Accountant Members – Ten Vacancies Filled

Ten individuals have been appointed as Accountant Members, comprising experienced Chartered Accountants and retired officers from the Indian Revenue Service. The list includes:

• Arvind Soni, Chartered Accountant (DOB: 02.10.1966)

• Rakesh Kumar Lodha, Chartered Accountant (DOB: 10.01.1969)

• Prakash, Chartered Accountant (DOB: 20.05.1972)

• Ratna Dasgupta, IRS (Retd.) (DOB: 20.08.1962)

• R. Govindarajan, IRS (Retd.) (DOB: 16.03.1963)

• Asit Kumar Mohapatra, IRS (Retd.) (DOB: 03.08.1964)

• Vijay Varma, IRS (Retd.) (DOB: 01.01.1965)

• G. M. Doss, IRS (Retd.) (DOB: 08.06.1965)

• Gopalan Gurusamy, IRS (Retd.) (DOB: 08.06.1965)

• Gangadhar Panda, IRS (Retd.) (DOB: 26.05.1965)

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Apart from these appointments, the ACC has also approved two notable administrative decisions. Firstly, it has granted ex-post facto acceptance of the resignation tendered by Shri Anil Kumar Dugar, Judicial Member, ITAT, with effect from May 28, 2024. Secondly, the appointments of Ms. Malati R. Sridharan as Accountant Member and Shri Kamal Kant as Judicial Member have been cancelled. Both individuals have been debarred for a period of three years from being considered for appointments in any autonomous or statutory bodies, except within their parent organizations.