---
title: "Appellate Tribunal: meaning under the DPDP Act"
url: https://dpdp.myndsolution.com/wiki/glossary/appellate-tribunal/
description: "\"Appellate Tribunal\" as defined in section 2(a) of the DPDP Act, 2023: the official definition, its plain meaning, and where the term is used."
kind: term
updated: 2026-09-09
official_source: https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2024/06/2bf1f0e9f04e6fb4f8fef35e82c42aa5.pdf
text_type: official-text-plus-interpretation
publisher: MYND Integrated Solutions
license: Official Government of India texts are reproduced verbatim (public domain / open government data). Interpretation is CC BY 4.0, MYND Integrated Solutions.
disclaimer: Not legal advice. Official text prevails over any interpretation.
html_version: https://dpdp.myndsolution.com/wiki/glossary/appellate-tribunal/
---
# Appellate Tribunal

## Official definition

**Act, s. 2(a):** (a) “Appellate Tribunal” means the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal established under section 14 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997;


## Interpretation in plain English (not legal advice)

> This is a plain-English interpretation of the official text, prepared by the DPDP Wiki editorial team. It is not the law and not legal advice, and it may be incomplete or wrong. Always rely on the official text of the Act, the Rules and the notifications, and take advice from a qualified professional for your situation.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 defines the term "Appellate Tribunal" to identify the specific legal body responsible for handling appeals under the law. Instead of creating a new tribunal exclusively for data protection matters, the Act assigns this responsibility to an existing institution. \n\nUnder this definition, the Appellate Tribunal is explicitly stated to be the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal. This specific tribunal was originally established under section 14 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997. \n\nBy defining the term this way, the Act ensures that any reference to the Appellate Tribunal throughout the text points directly to this established telecom tribunal. This means that the existing framework of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal is utilized for the purposes of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. Whenever a Data Fiduciary, Data Principal, or the Board interacts with the Appellate Tribunal under this Act, they are dealing with this specific telecom body.

### Key points

- The term "Appellate Tribunal" refers to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal [Section 2(a)].
- This tribunal was established under section 14 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 [Section 2(a)].
- The Act uses this existing tribunal rather than creating a new one for data protection appeals [Section 2(a)].

### Common misreadings

- People might think the Act creates a new, dedicated data protection tribunal, but it actually uses the existing Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal.

*Interpretation prepared 2026-09-09 from the official text only; the official text prevails.*

## Used in

- [s. 29 Appeal to Appellate Tribunal](https://dpdp.myndsolution.com/wiki/act/section-29-appeal-to-appellate-tribunal/)
- [s. 30 Orders passed by Appellate Tribunal to be executable as decree](https://dpdp.myndsolution.com/wiki/act/section-30-orders-passed-by-appellate-tribunal-to-be-executable-as-decree/)
- [s. 44 Amendments to certain Acts](https://dpdp.myndsolution.com/wiki/act/section-44-amendments-to-certain-acts/)
- [r. 22 Appeal to Appellate Tribunal](https://dpdp.myndsolution.com/wiki/rules/rule-22-appeal-to-appellate-tribunal/)