The gap in grievance disposal time between Central Ministries and States/UTs reflects deeper federal governance challenges. Comment.

CPGRAMS, the 24x7 single-window grievance portal run by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), connects 92 Central Ministries/Organisations with 36 States/UTs [1]. Yet average disposal stood at 15 days for Central Ministries against 64 days for States/UTs in 2024-25 [2] — a gap that is less a technology failure than a mirror of India's uneven federal administrative capacity.

The gap is real and structural

• Volume-capacity mismatch: in May 2026, over 2.13 lakh cases were pending across States/UTs, with 22 States/UTs holding more than 1,000 pending cases each [3].
• Last-mile delivery burden: grievances on land, police, health and welfare originate at district and block levels, where the officer handling them is not a dedicated grievance functionary.
• Uneven institutional depth: disposal is concentrated in a few large States — Uttar Pradesh alone disposed of 27,030 cases in May 2026 [3] — showing that performance tracks administrative capability, not portal design.

Why this signals deeper federal challenges

• Autonomy versus uniformity: public order and land are State subjects; the Centre can monitor and rank, but cannot mandate service standards — cooperation, not command, is the only lever.
• Asymmetric digital and human capacity across States limits uniform adoption despite a common platform.
• Accountability without enforceability: DARPG's monthly State/UT reports create competitive pressure and transparency, yet carry no statutory obligation [3].

The gap is narrowing State disposal time fell from 119 days (2023-24) to 64 days (2024-25) [2], aided by the 10-Step CPGRAMS Reforms [4], integration with over 5 lakh Common Service Centres, and the AI voice chatbot Samadhan Didi launched in May 2026 [3].

The disposal gap is therefore a symptom of capacity asymmetry rather than intent. Sustained convergence requires cooperative-federal capacity building — mapped and trained grievance officers in every State, statutory service-delivery timelines on the Right to Public Services model, and outcome-linked incentives. Realising Article 14's promise of fair and non-arbitrary administration demands that a citizen's wait be equal, whichever government is answerable.