📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Prime Minister's Office
Politics
India's RTI Backlog Grows, Raising Transparency Concerns
✍️ Daily Excelsior
🗓 19 Oct 2026, 07:02 AM
👁 20
The backlog of Right to Information requests has been increasing, according to Daily Excelsior, prompting calls for faster processing and greater transparency.
The Right to Information (RTI) backlog in India has been on an upward trend, a report by Daily Excelsior highlighted. The growing number of pending applications is seen as a challenge to the law’s objective of ensuring government accountability.
RTI requests are filed by citizens seeking public information, and a backlog means that many inquiries remain unanswered for months or even years. This delay can hinder citizens’ ability to hold public officials accountable and may erode public trust in government transparency.
Civil society groups and journalists have voiced concerns over the mounting backlog, urging the government to streamline processing and allocate additional resources to RTI offices. They argue that timely responses are essential for an informed electorate.
While specific measures have not yet been detailed, officials have acknowledged the issue and indicated that steps are being taken to address the backlog, including potential reforms to the RTI framework and increased staffing at key offices.
RTI requests are filed by citizens seeking public information, and a backlog means that many inquiries remain unanswered for months or even years. This delay can hinder citizens’ ability to hold public officials accountable and may erode public trust in government transparency.
Civil society groups and journalists have voiced concerns over the mounting backlog, urging the government to streamline processing and allocate additional resources to RTI offices. They argue that timely responses are essential for an informed electorate.
While specific measures have not yet been detailed, officials have acknowledged the issue and indicated that steps are being taken to address the backlog, including potential reforms to the RTI framework and increased staffing at key offices.