RTI Act and Information Commissions: A 20-Year Review

As the Right to Information (RTI) Act marks its 20th anniversary on October 12, a study by Satark Nagrik Sangathan reviews the performance of information commissions across India.

Key Findings

• Eighteen out of 29 information commissions have a waiting period of over one year for resolving RTI queries.
• The Central Information Commission (CIC) is among those with significant delays, despite being the final appellate authority for central ministries and departments.

Specific Waiting Times

• Telangana Commission: Estimated to take 29 years and 2 months for resolving matters, meaning an application filed in 2025 may be disposed of by 2054.
• Tripura Commission: Estimated 23 years.
• Chhattisgarh Commission: Estimated 11 years.
• Madhya Pradesh and Punjab Commissions: Estimated 7 years each.

Systemic Challenges

• Some commissions are functioning at reduced capacities, leading to increased waiting times.
• Six commissions, including Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Tripura, and Madhya Pradesh, were defunct between July 1, 2024, and October 7, 2025, due to lack of appointments.
• Currently, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh commissions remain defunct.
• CIC, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh commissions are without chiefs; CIC has faced this issue seven times in the last 11 years.

Penalties and Compliance

• There is a noted reluctance to impose penalties for wrongful denial of information.
• Penalties were not imposed in 98% of potential cases as per the report.

These findings highlight major inefficiencies and systemic issues within the RTI framework that require urgent attention for effective governance and transparency.