Over 10,000 Cases Pending: Parliamentary Panel to Examine RTI Act and CIC Functioning

A parliamentary panel is set to examine the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act and the functioning of the Central Information Commission (CIC) amid growing concerns over a backlog of more than 10,000 pending cases before the transparency watchdog.

The review comes even as the CIC is operating at its full sanctioned strength of 11 information commissioners, raising questions among activists about delays in disposing of cases despite all posts being filled.

According to a Lok Sabha bulletin issued on Wednesday, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice has selected several key subjects for examination over the coming year, covering governance, judicial reforms and public service delivery.

Under the Department of Personnel and Training, the committee will review vacancies in Central government departments, the functioning of the Central Administrative Tribunal, vigilance administration and the implementation of citizens’ charters. It will also assess reservation policies for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Persons with Disabilities in Central government services.

The Department of Justice will come under scrutiny over the performance of fast-track special courts, judicial infrastructure schemes and the e-Courts Mission Mode Project. The panel will also examine the use of digitisation and artificial intelligence in the justice delivery system, along with the performance of legal aid institutions.

Public grievance redressal mechanisms will be another focus, including measures to strengthen the system and improve awareness of the CPGRAMS and CPENGRAMS portals.

Under the Department of Legal Affairs, the committee will assess the formulation and implementation of the National Litigation Policy and review legal education in the context of the Viksit Bharat vision.

The Legislative Department will be examined on the availability of Supreme Court and High Court judgments in languages listed in the Constitution’s Eighth Schedule.

The parliamentary standing committees were recently reconstituted for a one-year term and are selecting subjects for detailed examination during this period.