Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Legislative Assembly today passed the Gujarat Educational Institutions Service Tribunal (Amendment) Bill-2026, with the state government stating that the amendment will help ensure speedy justice for employees of universities and educational institutions while also reducing the burden on courts.

Education Minister Dr. Pradyuman Vaja said the amendment has been introduced to bring all state universities under the jurisdiction of the Educational Institutions Service Tribunal so that service-related disputes can be resolved quickly and efficiently.

He said the Gujarat Educational Institutions Service Tribunal Act, 2006 is currently in force in the state to provide speedy and inexpensive resolution of disputes related to academic and non-academic employees working in educational institutions. In 2023, the state government enacted the Gujarat Public Universities Act-2023, consolidating various laws related to universities. After the new Act came into force, several universities went out of the purview of the Tribunal Act, making it necessary to amend the law.

Dr. Vaja said that through the amendment, all such universities will again come under the jurisdiction of the tribunal, which will strengthen justice delivery, accountability, and administrative efficiency in the higher education system.

He added that under the amended provisions, the state government will have the authority to include additional universities under the tribunal through a notification. However, universities cannot be removed arbitrarily, ensuring institutional stability and autonomy.

The amendment also allows the state government to exclude any Act listed in Schedule-1 through a notification in the Official Gazette, while keeping the autonomy of universities in mind.

The minister said that bringing universities under the tribunal will help resolve service-related and institutional disputes through a specialised forum, ensure uniformity in decisions, and reduce the workload of regular courts.

He added that the tribunal provides an accessible system of justice, where parties can present their case either through a lawyer or in person, making it easier for employees from primary-level institutions to universities to seek timely relief.

Dr. Vaja informed the House that since 2014, the Educational Tribunal has disposed of around 3,650 cases. In eligible cases, benefits have been granted to employees, while applications not meeting the criteria have been rejected as per rules.

He said the amendment will strengthen the judicial mechanism in the education sector, increase transparency, and ensure faster resolution of disputes. DeshGujarat