Activist demands overhaul of SHRC, as RTI reveals 11,385 pending petitions

The Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) is grappling with a staggering backlog that threatens its core mission.

A recent data obtained through the Right to Information Act revealed that 11,385 petitions have remained unresolved over the last six years, sparking an outcry from social activists over the efficiency of the State’s primary rights redress body.

Madurai-based activist S. Karthik said, “The SHRC was founded to protect and promote the fundamental rights of citizens. Operating under Section 12(f) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, the Commission is mandated to function with absolute autonomy and transparency.”

Its powers were significant: it could take suo motu action on rights violations, make binding recommendations to the government, and was required to place its annual reports before the Assembly.

The Commission was now led by a Chairperson, a retired Judge, supported by two members. Despite the high-level judicial oversight, the RTI data suggests a widening gap between the filing of grievances and their actual resolution.

According to Mr. Karthik, Tamil Nadu is a pioneer in the field, as it is the fifth State in the country to establish the Commission after West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Himachal Pradesh. However, the early momentum appears to have slowed.

The statistics for 2020 – 2025 paint a concerning picture. While the number of petitions received was 76,830, only 65,445 petitions have been resolved, leave a backlog of 11,385 petitions.

While the Commission showed a burst of efficiency in 2022, disposing of 16,427 cases (including older backlogs) against 15,374 new filings, the overall trend indicated that thousands of citizens are left waiting for years for a verdict.

The revelation has also turned the spotlight on the significant public expenditure required to maintain the Commission. The Chairperson and members receive salaries totalling lakhs of rupees, supplemented by government perks including travel allowances and subsidized housing. Furthermore, the Commission’s infrastructure — from furniture and vehicles to a fleet of outsourced staff— was entirely funded by taxpayer money.

“The public pays for a system that is supposed to work for them,” he said. “When more than 11,000 petitions are gathering dust, we have to ask if the taxpayers are getting the justice they were promised.”

As the SHRC enters its 27th year of operation, there is a growing demand for a radical overhaul.

As activists and members of the general public are calling for the formation of a specialised committee to conduct a formal strength and weakness assessment of the Commission’s functioning, another primary demand is for the implementation of a public feedback/comment system, allowing petitioners to rate the transparency and speed of the Commission’s judgments.

“Only a rigorous, external assessment of these delays will lead to the constructive changes needed to restore public faith,” the activist said.