India Justice Report flags vacancies, backlogs and declining women’s representation in consumer courts
The Facts
- The Consumer Justice Report 2026 says India’s consumer dispute redressal system is facing significant vacancies, rising backlog and other structural weaknesses.
- The report says more than half of president and member posts in state consumer disputes redressal commissions were vacant in 2025.
- The report says case pendency in the consumer system rose by 21% between 2020 and 2024, reaching about 5.15 lakh cases.
- The report says more than one-third of cases in state consumer commissions have been pending for over three years.
- The report says women’s representation in state consumer commissions has declined, despite a legal requirement for at least one woman member in district and state commissions under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
- The report ranks Andhra Pradesh first among 19 large and mid-sized states, with Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan also in the top three and Karnataka and West Bengal in the top five.
- The report places Telangana last among 19 large states, while Maharashtra is ranked 11th and Gujarat 14th.
Context
What does the report say is driving the delays in consumer courts?
It points to a shortage of presidents and members, rising caseloads, and uneven or weak infrastructure as the main reasons cases are taking much longer to resolve mint Times of India mid-day.
How far behind are consumer cases compared with the legal timeline?
Several sources say the statutory disposal window is about three to five months, but the report finds that more than one-third of state-commission cases have been pending for over three years mint ThePrint Statesman.
Which states are highlighted as strong or weak performers?
Andhra Pradesh is ranked first among 19 large and mid-sized states, while Karnataka is fourth and West Bengal is also in the top five; Telangana is ranked last among large states cnbctv18.com New Indian Express Hans India.
The receipts — all 22 sources
Independent coverage (22)
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