Has the number of pending consumer cases surged by 12,021 in 2025 so far?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 12,021 new consumer complaints added in 2025.
- Total consumer complaints filed this year: 76,318.
- Complaints resolved: 64,297.
- Consumer Protection Act, 2019 aims for quick resolutions.
- 685 district consumer courts are currently operational.
New Delhi, July 29 (NationPress) The tally of consumer complaints awaiting resolution in commissions and district fora nationwide has surged by 12,021 during the initial seven months of 2025, as reported to the Rajya Sabha. The Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, B. L. Verma, stated in a written reply that a total of 76,318 consumer complaints have been lodged in courts across the nation up to July 22 this year.
During this timeframe, 64,297 consumer cases, which include those from previous years, were successfully resolved in consumer courts, according to the minister. This means that the number of new complaints registered this year exceeds the number of cases resolved by 12,021 as of July 22, 2025.
In response to inquiries from MPs Kavita Patidar and Manan Kumar Mishra regarding pending cases in consumer commissions, the MoS indicated that the total number of cases filed from 2022 to July 22 this year stands at 5.99 lakh.
Furthermore, the Minister noted that consumer courts have resolved approximately 5.91 lakh complaints from 2022 to July 22 this year, which also includes some backlog from prior years.
In 2024, 1,73,160 consumer complaints were submitted, while 1,58,290 cases, including backlog from previous years, were resolved, as per the data shared by the Minister.
The statistics for 2022 and 2023 indicate that 1,75,676 and 1,74,278 consumer cases were filed, respectively, with 1,82,870 and 1,85,777 cases being resolved during those years.
MoS Verma informed the Rajya Sabha that there are currently 685 operational district consumer courts across the country, in addition to 10 benches of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and 35 benches of State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (SCDRC).
Uttar Pradesh hosts the highest number of district consumer fora, with 79 operational, followed by 48 in Madhya Pradesh, the MoS stated.
To expedite justice for consumers, the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, specifies that no adjournment should typically be granted by consumer commissions unless a valid reason is documented in writing by the Commission.
Moreover, the act mandates that every complaint should be resolved as swiftly as possible, aiming to settle complaints without the need for commodity analysis within three months, and within five months if such analysis is required.