New Delhi: As the Right to Information (RTI) Act completes 20 years on October 12, 2025, transparency watchdogs across India are struggling with a rising backlog of appeals and complaints, vacancies of Information Commissioners (ICs), and limited enforcement against officials refusing to provide information. A report by Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS) highlights the growing challenges facing the Central Information Commission (CIC) and 28 State Information Commissions (SICs).

Pendency of appeals

The SNS report titled “Report Card on the Performance of Information Commissions in India 2024-25” reveals that as of June 30, 2025, the CIC and SICs collectively face 4.13 lakh pending appeals and complaints. Among the states, Maharashtra (95,340), Karnataka (47,825), and Tamil Nadu (41,059) have the highest pendency.

Pendency has steadily increased over the years:

  • March 2019: 2.18 lakh
  • June 2019: 2.86 lakh
  • June 2023: 3.88 lakh
  • June 2025: 4.13 lakh

The report notes that non-appointment of commissioners in a timely manner is a key reason for the growing backlog.

Vacancies and operational challenges

The CIC is currently headless, functioning with only two Information Commissioners, while Jharkhand SIC has been defunct for over five years and Himachal Pradesh SIC for over three months. Karnataka’s SIC, although functioning with eight ICs, operated with just three commissioners for several months until January 2025.

Telangana and Tripura SICs face particularly severe delays. According to the report, Telangana SIC may take 29 years and two months to dispose of appeals filed on July 1, 2025, while Tripura SIC may take 23 years.

Disposal of appeals

Between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, 2.41 lakh appeals and complaints were registered, of which 1.82 lakh were disposed of. Maharashtra registered the highest number of appeals (54,869), followed by Tamil Nadu (27,748) and Karnataka (27,490).

A concerning trend noted by SNS is that CIC and SICs returned 51,148 appeals and complaints without passing any orders. Maharashtra topped this list with 23,509 cases, followed by CIC (11,993), Bihar (8,729), and Karnataka (4,886). In 2024, the CIC website indicated that 38% of appeals and complaints were returned without resolution.

Weak enforcement and penalties

The report also highlights the reluctance of ICs to penalise Information Officers who deny information incorrectly. Under the RTI Act, ICs can impose penalties up to Rs 25,000 per violation. Between July 2024 and June 2025, only 1,252 cases resulted in penalties amounting to Rs 2.32 crore.

  • Chhattisgarh SIC imposed the highest penalties: Rs 1.06 crore in 431 cases

  • Karnataka SIC followed with Rs 38.11 lakh in 192 cases

    • Conclusion

    As the RTI Act marks two decades, the growing backlog, vacancies, and lack of stringent action against erring officials reflect the challenges in ensuring transparent governance. Without timely appointments and stricter enforcement, the promise of RTI as a tool for accountability risks being undermined, affecting citizens’ access to vital information.