Which of the following became, in March 2015, the first high court to announce setting up of dedicated commercial benches?

The correct answer is D, Delhi High Court. In early 2015 it moved first to announce dedicated commercial benches to hear high-value business disputes, ahead of the statutory framework that followed.

• Allahabad High Court (A): Commercial disputes there were heard in ordinary civil benches, and it did not lead the move in 2015.
• Gujarat High Court (B): Gujarat was not the first to announce such benches in this period. Do not confuse later developments with the March 2015 announcement.
• Rajasthan High Court (C): Similarly, no early-2015 first-mover claim belongs to Rajasthan.

The core concept is judicial reform for commercial litigation. This was later given statutory backing by the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Act, 2015, which created commercial courts, commercial divisions in High Courts with original civil jurisdiction, and a commercial appellate division. For Mains GS-II and GS-III, link this to the ease of doing business, speedy dispute resolution and the economic cost of pendency.

Trap: Aspirants often mix up the 2015 announcement with the later statutory Commercial Courts Act and its implementation. Remember that the question asks about the first high court to announce benches in March 2015, not about who was covered by the Act.