3.85 lakh cases pending in 28 information commissions; CIC wait is over two years, says SNS report
Key facts
- Satark Nagrik Sangathan's report card for 2025-26 found 3,85,716 cases pending in 28 information commissions on 30 June 2026.
- Maharashtra had the most pending cases at 77,397. The Central Information Commission had 39,121, up from 24,102 a year earlier.
- The CIC would take about 2 years and 3 months to clear its pile. Fourteen commissions had waits of a year or more.
- Himachal Pradesh's commission has been defunct since 3 July 2025. Jharkhand's has stopped registering new appeals.
Why it matters
[Data] The Right to Information Act, 2005 makes information commissions the final appeal body for citizens. A long backlog weakens the right itself. The report blames vacancies and slow disposal. Use this data in GS-2 answers on transparency and accountability institutions. Note that the CIC's own pile grew by about 15,000 in one year.