New Delhi

Massive vacancies and a backlog of over five lakh cases are severely impacting India’s consumer grievance redressal system, according to a report by the India Justice Report.

The Consumer Justice Report (2021–2025) found that more than half the posts of presidents and members in state consumer commissions remain vacant, weakening the functioning of the redressal mechanism.

Between 2020 and 2024, case pendency rose sharply by 21 per cent—from about 87,500 to over 5.15 lakh cases—despite the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 mandating disposal within three to five months. The study noted that over one-third of cases have been pending for more than three years.

Former Supreme Court judge S K Kaul flagged the vacancy crisis as a major concern, saying it undermines public confidence in the system.

The report highlighted that around half of state commissions and one-third of district commissions lack a sitting president, while nearly 40 per cent of sanctioned member posts are vacant.

States such as Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand have particularly high long-pending cases, with 70–80 per cent unresolved for over three years.

On performance, Andhra Pradesh ranked highest among large and mid-sized states due to efficient case disposal and low long-term pendency, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Among smaller states, Meghalaya topped the list.

The report also noted that while 88.5 per cent of cases filed between 2020 and 2024 were disposed of, states like Maharashtra had high filings but low clearance rates, with 65 per cent of cases still pending.

It further pointed to under-utilisation of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and limited gender diversity, with only Delhi and Sikkim having women presidents in state commissions as of 2024.

The findings come amid recent intervention by the Supreme Court of India, which allowed high courts to hear consumer appeals in states where commissions are non-functional.

READ MORE: Colonel Ishrat Ahmed is the pride of Kayamkhanis and Rajasthan

The report called for urgent reforms, including time-bound appointments, better staffing, improved budget utilisation, transparent data systems, and greater use of mediation to reduce pendency.