CAT Delhi Case Status: How to Check Central Administrative Tribunal Principal Bench Cases Online (2026)

Court Status · CAT Delhi

Updated for 2026 · Claw Editorial

Anyone with a service matter before the Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench in New Delhi, hits the same wall: you know your case is filed, but the status page shows nothing, or the wrong bench, or only a diary number. This guide explains how to check CAT Delhi case status online on the official portal, which search method to use, and what each status means, so you can find your next date without a trip to the registry.

01What the CAT Principal Bench in Delhi handles

The Principal Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal sits in New Delhi, at Copernicus Marg, and it hears service matters of central government employees. It is the largest bench of the tribunal by case load.

The Tribunal was set up under the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985. It decides disputes about recruitment and service conditions of persons working for the Union, such as promotion, seniority, pay fixation, transfer, disciplinary action, pension and appointment. Most cases are filed as an Original Application (OA), and related requests come as Miscellaneous Applications (MA).

Because many central offices, ministries and departments are based in Delhi, a large share of central service disputes are filed here. That is why a Delhi specific status guide is useful: the volume is high, and a single wrong entry in the search form returns an empty page.

02Why CAT Delhi status checks fail

Most failed searches come from a few small mistakes, not from the portal being down.

Wrong bench or wrong number type

The CAT status search is bench specific. If you leave the bench blank or choose another one, your case will not appear. A fresh filing also carries a diary number first. The OA number comes only after the registry checks and registers the filing, so searching by an OA number too early gives nothing.

Party names are spelled many ways

Service cases name an individual against a ministry or department. Names appear as initials, with or without a middle name, or in a different spelling. An exact match box is unforgiving, so the same case can be found under one spelling and missed under another.

Status without the next step

The record may say a case is listed or reserved, but not what you should do next. Knowing the meaning of each status, and reading the cause list alongside it, is what turns a status check into a plan.

To check a CAT Delhi case, pick the Principal Bench first, then search by case number or diary number, and use party name only when you do not have a number.

03How to check CAT Delhi case status, step by step

The official source is the CAT website at cgat.gov.in, which links to the case information system. Follow these steps.

1. Open the official site. Go to cgat.gov.in and find the case status or case information link.
2. Select the bench. Choose the Principal Bench, New Delhi. This step decides everything that follows.
3. Pick a search method. Use case number and year if you have it. Use the diary number for a new filing. Use party name or advocate name if you have no number.
4. Enter the details. Select the case type (OA, MA, TA and so on), type the number and year, and enter the captcha if asked.
5. Open the record. Read the next date, the stage, and the last order or daily order.
6. Check the cause list. On the date shown, look at the cause list for the bench and court to see your item number.

Keep a note of the diary number and the OA number together. You will need both, because the older record sits under the diary number until it is registered.

04CAT Delhi search methods compared

Different details work best at different times. This table shows when to use each method on the official portal.

If you search by name, try the short form of the name first, then the full name, then the surname alone. For more on name based searching across courts, see how to check case status by party name in India.

05CAT case status glossary

These are the common words you will see, in plain English.

• Diary number: the first number given when a filing is received, before registration.
• OA (Original Application): the main case filed by an employee, usually under Section 19 of the Administrative Tribunals Act.
• MA (Miscellaneous Application): a side request inside a case, such as for condonation of delay or interim relief.
• TA (Transferred Application): a case moved to the Tribunal from a court.
• Admitted or notice issued: the Tribunal has taken the case up and asked the other side to reply.
• Reply or rejoinder pending: one side is yet to file its answer or its counter.
• Reserved: arguments are over and the order will come later.
• Disposed: the case has been finally decided.
• Interim order: a temporary direction passed while the case is still going on.

Status words are the portal’s own labels and can vary, so always read the last order itself.

06If your CAT Delhi case does not show up

Run through this short list before you worry.

• Check the bench. Confirm it says Principal Bench, New Delhi.
• Try the diary number. If the OA number is not yet issued, the case sits under the diary number.
• Allow for data lag. A new filing can take some days to appear. If it is still missing after a couple of weeks, ask the registry.
• Try a looser name search. Use the surname only, or the respondent department.
• Cross-check the cause list. A case can show in the daily list even when the search page is slow.

Cases heard in other tribunals follow similar steps. For a tax appeal, for example, see how to check ITAT appeal status by PAN.

07Where Claw fits

The official portal is the source of truth for a CAT Delhi case, and you should always confirm a date there. The difficulty is doing it again and again for many cases, across many forums.

Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.

Claw tracks cases across 9,102 forums, so a CAT Delhi matter can sit in the same list as your High Court and district court files. Search takes under five seconds and runs against more than 30 crore judgements. You can look up a CAT Delhi case by party name or by number, and the search is built to tolerate spelling differences in names. A free Claw account is required to use it, and the free plan for individual advocates is available. Create a FREE Claw account and search CAT Delhi by party name or number.

For tools that go beyond the national portal, see the best tools for tracking cases beyond NJDG, and for the wider picture across forums, see case search across Indian courts.

08Sources and further reading

• Central Administrative Tribunal (official site): cgat.gov.in
• CAT case information system: cis.cgat.gov.in
• Claw: clawlaw.in

Last verified 6 October 2026. Portal menus and labels can change, so confirm on the official site.

09Frequently asked questions