Before a consumer complaint can be heard, it has to be filed in the right commission. Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, there are three tiers: the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, and the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC). Which one hears your case depends on its pecuniary (financial) jurisdiction.
The limits currently in force come from the Consumer Protection (Jurisdiction of the District Commission, the State Commission and the National Commission) Rules, 2021, notified by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on 30 December 2021. Many websites still quote the older figures from 2020, so it is worth checking which set you are reading.
Current Pecuniary Limits at a Glance
| Commission | Value of goods or services paid as consideration |
|---|---|
| District Commission | Up to ₹50 lakh |
| State Commission | Above ₹50 lakh, up to ₹2 crore |
| National Commission (NCDRC) | Above ₹2 crore |
The value is calculated strictly on the amount paid for the goods or services, not on the compensation claimed.
How the Value Is Calculated: Consideration Paid, Not Compensation Claimed
Under Sections 34(1), 47(1)(a)(i) and 58(1)(a)(i) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, jurisdiction turns on the value of the goods or services paid as consideration. The compensation or damages you claim do not count towards it, and there is no cap on how much compensation you can ask for.
This is a major change from the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, under which jurisdiction was decided on the value of the goods or services together with the compensation claimed. Under the old Act, a large compensation claim could push even a small case up to the State or National Commission. That no longer happens.
Example: a medical negligence complaint
A patient pays a hospital ₹8 lakh for surgery and later claims ₹3 crore as compensation for negligence. The relevant figure is the ₹8 lakh paid for the treatment, so the complaint goes to the District Commission, however large the compensation claim.
What Changed: The 2019 Act Limits vs the 2021 Rules
When the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 came into force in July 2020, it raised the limits sharply from those under the 1986 Act. Seventeen months later, the 2021 Rules lowered them again, mainly to reduce the backlog of cases piling up in the District Commissions.
| Commission | Current limit (2021 Rules) | Previous limit (2019 Act, from July 2020) |
|---|---|---|
| District Commission | Up to ₹50 lakh | Up to ₹1 crore |
| State Commission | Above ₹50 lakh to ₹2 crore | ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore |
| National Commission (NCDRC) | Above ₹2 crore | Above ₹10 crore |
If you see the ₹1 crore / ₹10 crore figures quoted anywhere, they are out of date for new complaints.
The Supreme Court Has Upheld the Consideration-Based Test
In Rutu Mihir Panchal v. Union of India (2025 INSC 593, decided on 29 April 2025), the Supreme Court upheld Sections 34(1), 47(1)(a)(i) and 58(1)(a)(i). It held that vesting jurisdiction on the basis of the value of goods or services paid as consideration is neither illegal nor discriminatory, and that Parliament is competent to fix the pecuniary limits of courts and tribunals. The Court also noted that the relief or compensation a consumer can claim remains unrestricted.
A Matter Still Pending in the Supreme Court
On 13 August 2026, a Bench of the Supreme Court sought the Centre’s response on alleged anomalies in the pecuniary jurisdiction of consumer commissions under the 2019 Act. The Union was directed to file an affidavit within six weeks, which must also explain the reduction of the National Commission’s pecuniary jurisdiction from ₹10 crore to ₹2 crore by the December 2021 notification.
The limits in this article remain in force for now. Before relying on them in a filing, check whether the Supreme Court has passed any further order in this matter.
Which Commission Should You Approach?
- Add up what was actually paid for the goods or services: the hospital bill, the treatment package, the price of the product. Leave out the compensation you plan to claim.
- Match that figure to the table above. Up to ₹50 lakh goes to the District Commission, above ₹50 lakh up to ₹2 crore to the State Commission, and above ₹2 crore to the NCDRC.
- Claim the compensation you need. The amount of compensation does not change the forum, and it is not capped by the forum’s limit.
Filing in the wrong commission can mean the complaint is returned for want of jurisdiction, which costs time. If the value is close to a threshold, or the payments were made in parts, take advice before filing.