Table of Contents
State Information Commissions — the silent vacancies crisis of 2026
The Right to Information Act lives or dies at the Information Commission. In 2026, most state commissions are running at half-strength or worse. Here is the picture.
State-by-state snapshot (April 2026)
- Bihar — 0 of 10 posts filled; commission paralysed since November 2025.
- Karnataka — 4 of 11 filled; backlog 22,000 second appeals.
- Maharashtra — 7 of 11 filled; backlog 28,000.
- Rajasthan — 5 of 10; backlog ~14,000.
- Uttar Pradesh — 8 of 11; backlog 45,000+ (largest in India).
- Tamil Nadu — full strength; backlog 8,000.
- Kerala — 9 of 11; backlog 6,000 (best ratio).
- Delhi — 6 of 10; backlog 11,500.
Why this matters
The CIC has affirmed (and the Supreme Court has reiterated) that the Right to Information without an enforceable redressal is no right at all. With backlogs of 12-30 months, citizens turn away.
What citizens can do
- Use First Appeal aggressively — FAA is your real escalation; do not wait for SIC.
- File a Writ Petition (Article 226) for time-sensitive matters; HCs are increasingly receptive.
- Coordinate with NGOs & coalitions — public-interest amici can persuade SIC priority listing.
- PIL for vacancy filling — citizens have standing under public interest litigation; recent SC orders direct 90-day filling.
Sources
- SIC websites (April 2026).
- Anjali Bhardwaj v. UoI (SC 2019).
- SNS Foundation report on RTI commissions 2025.
Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.