The Right to Information (RTI) Act, implemented in 2005 to promote transparency in governance, is facing a critical challenge with vacancies in the Central Information Commission and state information commissions. The Supreme Court raised concerns about the Act becoming a “dead letter law,” as the commissions were unable to handle public complaints due to the large number of vacancies. Petitioner Anjali Bhardwaj’s lawyer, Prashant Bhushan, informed the court that seven out of 11 information commissioner posts in the CIC were vacant, and the incumbent commissioners would retire soon. The situation was worse in state information commissions, with all 11 posts vacant in Jharkhand and vacancies in other states like Telangana and Tripura. Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar also faced issues due to vacancies. With appeals and complaints piling up, the court urged the government to collate information on the vacancies and take appropriate action. It also directed the Centre and states to fill the vacancies promptly. The RTI Act, enacted to ensure transparency and accountability in public authorities, has become increasingly ineffective due to the lack of commissioners. The Supreme Court’s attention to this matter highlights the urgent need to address the vacancies and preserve the effectiveness of the RTI Act.