Moneylife: National: Tuesday, 13th January 2026
India's Right to
Information (RTI) Act empowers ordinary citizens to demand transparency from
government bodies and public authorities. However, the central information
commission (CIC) the final watchdog for RTI appeals now drowns under 32,232
pending cases as of January 2026. This includes 3,591 unresolved complaints and
a substantial 28,641 second-level appeals, with clearance projected at 40
months.
What the Shocking Numbers
Reveal
Picture this: In December 2025, CIC managed hearings for just 814 cases despite the mountain of backlog. At this pace, it would take over three years exactly 40 months to wipe the slate clean, assuming no new cases arrive. Second appeals, where citizens challenge denials of information, make up nearly 90% of the pile, showing how frustration builds when first-level appeals fail. For everyday people filing RTIs about local issues like road repairs or pension delays, this means waiting years for answers that may no longer matter.
Years of Skeleton Staff Crippled CIC
The RTI Act clearly states CIC should have one chief information commissioner and up to ten Information commissioners to handle the load. Yet, as of late November 2025, only two commissioners were active, leaving thousands of cases in limbo. The commission last worked at full strength back in December 2016 almost a decade ago before vacancies dragged on despite court orders. This chronic shortage let complaints and appeals snowball, turning a quick redressal system into a bureaucratic nightmare.
New Faces Bring Hope But Will It Last?
Good news finally arrived in December 2025: Raj Kumar Goyal was sworn in as the new chief, alongside eight fresh information commissioners like Jaya Verma Sinha and Swagat Das. This restored the full 11-member team after nine empty years, responding to Supreme Court nudges over the 31,000+ backlog. As of early January 2026, these new appointees were still settling in, but experts predict faster hearings ahead. If they hit the ground running, the 40-month timeline could shrink dramatically, breathing life back into RTI.
Rushed Hearings Hurt the Common Man
Even when cases reach hearing, problems persist. CIC schedules allot only two to five minutes per matter barely enough time for an appellant to explain their side amid technical glitches or incomplete records. Cause lists on the CIC website confirm this tight squeeze, leaving many feeling unheard. For a farmer seeking crop subsidy details or a student probing exam irregularities, such brevity discourages follow-ups and erodes faith in the system.
Why This Threatens RTI's Very Soul
Long waits make RTI a joke: By the time information trickles in, elections pass, schemes change, or issues fade. Applicants give up, officials dodge accountability, and corruption festers unchecked. The backlog's root understaffing has been fixed on paper, but success demands better processes, like longer hearings and real-time tracking. Only then can RTI reclaim its role as the common man's weapon against secrecy, ensuring government answers swiftly and fairly.
(Chandramouli Mohan retired as a senior manager from a public sector bank after 38 years of service in various capacities in several places across the country. He has been an RTI and consumer activist since his retirement in March 2020.)
Picture this: In December 2025, CIC managed hearings for just 814 cases despite the mountain of backlog. At this pace, it would take over three years exactly 40 months to wipe the slate clean, assuming no new cases arrive. Second appeals, where citizens challenge denials of information, make up nearly 90% of the pile, showing how frustration builds when first-level appeals fail. For everyday people filing RTIs about local issues like road repairs or pension delays, this means waiting years for answers that may no longer matter.
Years of Skeleton Staff Crippled CIC
The RTI Act clearly states CIC should have one chief information commissioner and up to ten Information commissioners to handle the load. Yet, as of late November 2025, only two commissioners were active, leaving thousands of cases in limbo. The commission last worked at full strength back in December 2016 almost a decade ago before vacancies dragged on despite court orders. This chronic shortage let complaints and appeals snowball, turning a quick redressal system into a bureaucratic nightmare.
New Faces Bring Hope But Will It Last?
Good news finally arrived in December 2025: Raj Kumar Goyal was sworn in as the new chief, alongside eight fresh information commissioners like Jaya Verma Sinha and Swagat Das. This restored the full 11-member team after nine empty years, responding to Supreme Court nudges over the 31,000+ backlog. As of early January 2026, these new appointees were still settling in, but experts predict faster hearings ahead. If they hit the ground running, the 40-month timeline could shrink dramatically, breathing life back into RTI.
Rushed Hearings Hurt the Common Man
Even when cases reach hearing, problems persist. CIC schedules allot only two to five minutes per matter barely enough time for an appellant to explain their side amid technical glitches or incomplete records. Cause lists on the CIC website confirm this tight squeeze, leaving many feeling unheard. For a farmer seeking crop subsidy details or a student probing exam irregularities, such brevity discourages follow-ups and erodes faith in the system.
Why This Threatens RTI's Very Soul
Long waits make RTI a joke: By the time information trickles in, elections pass, schemes change, or issues fade. Applicants give up, officials dodge accountability, and corruption festers unchecked. The backlog's root understaffing has been fixed on paper, but success demands better processes, like longer hearings and real-time tracking. Only then can RTI reclaim its role as the common man's weapon against secrecy, ensuring government answers swiftly and fairly.
(Chandramouli Mohan retired as a senior manager from a public sector bank after 38 years of service in various capacities in several places across the country. He has been an RTI and consumer activist since his retirement in March 2020.)
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