To file RTI in India

To File RTI in India

Any Indian citizen can lodge an RTI application against any Central Ministry in under ten minutes on rtionline.gov.in for a flat ₹10 fee. The public authority must reply within 30 calendar days — or 48 hours if the matter concerns life or liberty. If it does not, you have a two-tier appeal route ending at the Central Information Commission (CIC), which can impose a personal penalty of up to ₹25,000 on the errant officer. This guide covers every step — drafting, fees, timelines, appeals, and Section 8 exemptions — updated for India 2026.

What the RTI Act Actually Gives You

The Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) empowers any Indian citizen to request information from a "public authority" — broadly any body constituted by or under the Constitution, established by a Parliamentary or State Legislature enactment, or owned, controlled, or substantially financed by the Central or State government. This sweeps in Central Ministries, public sector undertakings, autonomous regulators such as SEBI and EPFO, local bodies, and universities receiving government grants.

Under Section 2(f), "information" means records, documents, memos, emails, opinions, advice, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, and data held by or under the control of any public authority. In practical terms, you can ask for:

• Certified copies of documents — stamped copies admissible as evidence
• File notings — the internal noting sheets showing how a decision was reached
• Inspection of records or works — physically visiting and examining files or project sites
• Samples of material — where the information exists in physical form
• Information in electronic form — CDs, printouts, or downloadable files

What RTI cannot do: the Act does not obligate any authority to create fresh data, compile new analysis, or offer interpretations. If the document does not exist in the authority's custody, the PIO (Public Information Officer) may lawfully say so. This is why framing your request as a demand for existing named documents — not a request for the authority to explain itself — is so important.

Who Can File — and Who Cannot

Only Indian citizens can file RTI applications. There is no requirement that you be directly affected by the matter — you can file purely as a concerned citizen. A legal guardian may file on behalf of a minor or a person of unsound mind under Section 5.

What cannot file: companies, partnerships, NGOs acting as organisations, non-resident Indians filing in a foreign capacity, and foreign nationals. If you are a director of a private company trying to track a government tender that affected your firm, file in your individual name as a citizen — not on company letterhead. The distinction matters; PIOs have refused applications submitted on corporate stationery.

Separately, the RTI Act under the Second Schedule excludes intelligence and security organisations — RAW, IB, NSG, NTRO, and others listed therein. A narrow exception applies for information related to corruption and human rights violations even for Schedule II bodies, but the scrutiny is higher and responses slower.

Step-by-Step: Filing RTI Online on the Central Portal

The Central Government's portal is rtionline.gov.in, maintained by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). The sequence is:

1. Go to rtionline.gov.in and click "Submit Request" on the homepage.
2. Read the guidelines and tick the acceptance checkbox. This page also flags departments not yet integrated into the portal — some smaller sub-offices still require offline filing.
3. Select the Ministry or Department. If you are unsure which department holds the records, file with the apex Ministry and note in your application that you welcome a Section 6(3) transfer. Under Section 6(3), if the PIO determines the information is held elsewhere, they must transfer your application within 5 working days and inform you in writing.
4. Fill in personal details — name, postal address, email ID, mobile number, and citizenship status. Use an email ID you monitor actively: all communication, including the PIO's reply and any demand-for-additional-fee notice, arrives here.
5. Type your RTI request in the "Text for RTI Request" field. The hard limit is 3,000 characters. Number your sub-questions. If context is necessary, attach a brief supporting PDF (up to 1 MB) rather than consuming the character budget on background.
6. Pay the ₹10 application fee via net banking, debit/credit card, or UPI. BPL card holders are fully exempt — upload your Below Poverty Line certificate in the document attachment field and select the BPL fee category.
7. Save the Registration Number from the confirmation screen. This is your only tracking token for replies, demand notices, and future appeals. Note it in a safe place; the portal lets you check status at any time under "View Status."

Filing RTI Offline and Through State Portals

State Government authorities are governed by their respective State RTI rules, not the Central portal. Major state-specific portals in 2026 include Maharashtra (rtionline.maharashtra.gov.in), Delhi (rti.delhi.gov.in), Karnataka (rtionline.karnataka.gov.in), Uttar Pradesh (rtionline.up.gov.in), and Tamil Nadu (rtionline.tn.gov.in).

For offices not yet on any online portal — district sub-offices, urban local bodies, smaller PSU branches — file a physical application following these steps:

1. Address the letter to "The Public Information Officer, [Name of Office], [Full Address]". There is no prescribed statutory form; a plain A4 sheet works.
2. State your name, postal address, contact number, and citizenship. Then set out your numbered questions.
3. Attach payment: a ₹10 Indian Postal Order (IPO) drawn in favour of the Accounts Officer of that public authority, or a court fee stamp of ₹10 where State rules permit it. Some states accept demand drafts; verify the applicable State RTI Rules before sending.
4. Dispatch by Speed Post with Acknowledgement Due (AD). Retain the postal receipt and the returned AD card — this is your documentary proof of the date of delivery, which anchors the 30-day response clock.
5. Keep a self-attested photocopy of the complete application including all attachments.

RTI Fees in 2026: What You Pay and When

The Central RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005 set the following schedule for Central Government applications:

BPL exemption: BPL cardholders pay no fee at any stage — application, documents, or inspection. Attach the BPL certificate copy with the application.

Demand notice for document fee: Once the PIO processes your query, they may issue a formal demand notice requiring payment of the per-page fee before releasing the documents. You have 30 days to pay from receipt of this notice. The 30-day response clock is paused for this period and resumes once payment is confirmed.

State fees vary. Goa, for example, charges ₹10 for the application; some northeastern states charge different amounts. Always verify the specific State RTI Fee Rules before attaching payment to an offline application.

Drafting an Application That Gets Useful Answers

Filing RTI is a five-minute task. Getting substantive, usable information back is a craft. The following principles have practical consequences.

Specificity over breadth. Ask for "certified copies of the comparative statement and technical evaluation matrix for Tender Reference No. XYZ issued on 15 February 2026" rather than "all information about the tender." A broad ask gives the PIO room to provide a summary instead of source documents, or to invoke Section 8(1)(d) (commercial confidence) as a blanket shield.

Number every sub-question. A PIO can — and should — respond to Question 1, 2, and 3 individually. If you write a single paragraph, a partial denial is harder to attack on appeal because it is unclear which part was refused.

Quote your frame of reference. Mention date ranges, scheme names (e.g., PM Awas Yojana Urban 2.0), file numbers you already know from prior correspondence, or notification references. This reduces the PIO's search burden and eliminates the "records not traced" response that is often a convenient evasion.

One subject, one public authority per application. The definition of "public authority" in Section 2(h) is singular. An application spanning two departments or two unrelated topics can be legitimately split or rejected. File two separate ₹10 applications if your queries concern different offices or distinct subject matters.

Ask for documents, not reasons. "Why was the contractor awarded the work?" invites the PIO to draft a justification — which is not information under Section 2(f). Rephrase it as "Please provide certified copies of the file noting sheet and award decision note for Contract No. XYZ." The noting sheet will tell you the reasoning, and it is a document the PIO must produce.

Stay within 3,000 characters. If your query requires more space, front-load your most important questions into the text box and attach a brief numbered PDF. Truncated questions mid-sentence can be answered only for the portion that is legible.

The Appeal Ladder: First Appeal, Second Appeal, and CIC Penalties

When the PIO fails you — by silence, evasion, or outright refusal — the RTI Act provides a structured escalation path. The timelines are statutory; missing them costs you rights.

First Appeal under Section 19(1)

File with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) — the officer senior in rank to the PIO within the same public authority — within 30 days of:

• The expiry of the 30-day response period (i.e., any time from Day 30 to Day 60 from filing), or
• The date of receipt of an unsatisfactory, incomplete, or refused reply

No fee is payable. On the Central portal, file through rtionline.gov.in using your Registration Number under the "First Appeal" section. The FAA must dispose of the appeal within 30 days of receipt, extendable to a maximum of 45 days from the date of filing with reasons recorded in writing.

Second Appeal to the Central Information Commission under Section 19(3)

If the FAA also fails you, or if 45 days pass without a decision, file a Second Appeal with the CIC at cic.gov.in within 90 days of the date the FAA order was received or should have been received. No fee. The CIC schedules a hearing, summons the PIO, and examines the justification for refusal.

Section 20 Penalty — The Numbers

The CIC can impose a personal penalty on the PIO of ₹250 per day from the date the information should have been provided to the date it is actually provided, subject to a cap of ₹25,000. This is a personal liability — it comes from the PIO's salary, not the department's budget — which makes it meaningful pressure.

To illustrate the arithmetic: a PIO who delays beyond the 30-day window by 60 additional days faces a penalty of ₹250 × 60 = ₹15,000. A 100-day delay hits the statutory cap: ₹250 × 100 = ₹25,000. The CIC also has authority to recommend disciplinary proceedings under service rules.

Section 18 Complaints

Separately from appeals, you can file a Complaint directly with the CIC under Section 18 if the PIO was inaccessible, if the office has not designated a PIO, or if there is evidence of bad faith. A Complaint and a Second Appeal are distinct tracks; circumstances sometimes warrant both.

Section 8 Exemptions — and the Overrides That Defeat Them

Section 8(1) lists ten categories of exempt information. Understanding them precisely lets you frame applications to sidestep them and challenge refusals that misapply them.

Three rules that limit or override these exemptions:

Section 8(2) — Public Interest Override. Even exempt information must be disclosed if the public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm in doing so. When a PIO refuses a tender-evaluation matrix citing Section 8(1)(d), the correct First Appeal response is to argue specifically: accountability for public expenditure constitutes a direct and demonstrable public interest; the harm to commercial confidence is negligible because the contract is already awarded; disclosure should be ordered under Section 8(2). The CIC has consistently endorsed this line of reasoning across numerous decisions.

Section 8(3) — 20-Year Sunset. Exemptions under Section 8(1) do not apply to information more than 20 years old, except clauses (a), (c), and (i) — sovereignty, Parliament privilege, and Cabinet papers. This means old inspection reports, audit findings, administrative orders, and land acquisition files from before 2006 cannot legally be withheld on most grounds.

Section 22 — Overriding Effect. The RTI Act overrides the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and any other inconsistent law. A PIO who cites "government confidentiality" without specifying which sub-clause of Section 8(1) applies is making a legally deficient refusal — challenge it by name in your First Appeal.

Common Mistakes That Get RTI Applications Rejected or Stonewalled

Filing against the wrong authority. RTI goes to the PIO of the office that holds the records, not the Ministry's headquarters if the file lives in a district office. If genuinely unsure, file with the apex Ministry and note your willingness to accept a Section 6(3) transfer. The Ministry must forward it within 5 working days.

Mixing subjects in one application. An application asking simultaneously for MGNREGS budget allocations in District X and the service record of a named BDO spans two unrelated subjects. A PIO can reject on this ground. File two separate ₹10 applications.

Asking for opinions. "Was the contractor selection fair?" is not a document. It is an invitation for the authority to write a justification — which is not information within Section 2(f). Rephrase every question as a request for a specific named document.

Missing the First Appeal window. The 30-day window for filing a First Appeal closes at Day 60 from your original filing date (where no reply has been received). Missing it means seeking condonation of delay from the FAA, which is discretionary and often denied. Set a calendar reminder for Day 31 — the earliest you can file — and treat Day 55 as your personal deadline.

Not invoking Section 8(2) in the First Appeal. When information is denied, applicants often write "the denial is incorrect." A far stronger position: name the specific sub-clause the PIO cited, explain why the preconditions of that clause are not met on the facts, and invoke Section 8(2) with a concrete public-interest argument. Vague protests rarely succeed; targeted legal arguments frequently do.

Using RTI as a substitute for grievance redressal. Government employees disputing pay fixation, pensioners seeking status updates, consumers challenging billing errors — RTI can help you obtain the relevant documents, but the substantive remedy lies in a different forum (CAT, consumer commission, ombudsman). Treating RTI as the resolution mechanism misunderstands its function.

Losing the postal proof on offline applications. Without the Speed Post receipt and the returned AD card, a PIO can plausibly claim non-receipt. The burden of proving delivery is the applicant's. No postal proof means the 30-day clock never officially started, and any appeal will face a threshold challenge.

Worked Example: Tracking a Tender from Application to Second Appeal

Background. A manufacturer suspects a State PSU procurement committee awarded a ₹4.8 crore supply contract without following the price comparison norms under GFR 2017. He wants the evaluation documents.

Day 0 — Filing the RTI. He files on the State RTI portal addressed to the procurement department's PIO. His query reads:

"1. Please provide certified copies of the Comparative Statement of Tenders for Supply Order No. PSU/2025-26/XYZ. 2. Please provide certified copies of the Evaluation Matrix and scoring sheet for the above tender. 3. Please provide the file noting sheet recording the basis for the final award decision."

Fee paid: ₹10 (State application fee).

Day 28 — Partial reply. The PIO provides the comparative statement but denies the evaluation matrix, citing Section 8(1)(d) (commercial confidence of competing bidders).

Day 38 — First Appeal. Filing is within 30 days of the Day-28 reply (outer limit is Day 58). In the appeal, he argues:

• The evaluation matrix is a government-created document, not a trade secret belonging to any bidder.
• Accountability for public procurement is a direct public interest.
• Under Section 8(2), this public interest demonstrably outweighs any marginal harm to commercial confidence, particularly since the contract is already awarded and no competitive prejudice can result from disclosure.

Day 60 — FAA order. The FAA reverses the PIO's refusal and directs supply of the evaluation matrix. The PIO issues a demand notice for ₹2 × 22 pages = ₹44. He pays; receives certified copies on Day 75.

Total cost of the entire process: ₹10 (application) + ₹44 (document fee) = ₹54 to scrutinise procurement decisions on a ₹4.8 crore contract.

What if the FAA had been silent? At Day 105 (Day 60 + 45-day max disposal period), with no FAA order, he would file a Second Appeal to the State Information Commission within 90 days of that date — and simultaneously request a Section 20 penalty inquiry against the PIO for the unlawful denial.

Key Takeaways

• ₹10 and under ten minutes is the entry cost to file an RTI against any Central Ministry on rtionline.gov.in; BPL card holders pay nothing at any stage.
• The 30-day response clock starts from the PIO's receipt of your application — confirm this date from the portal confirmation email; it is not always the same as your submission date.
• Specificity is what separates a useful reply from a polite refusal. Quote file numbers, tender references, scheme names, and date ranges. Ask for certified copies of named documents, not explanations.
• The appeal process is free at both stages. File a First Appeal on Day 31 if no reply has arrived; do not wait. File a Second Appeal with the CIC at cic.gov.in within 90 days of the FAA order (or its expected date).
• Section 8(2) is your strongest tool on appeal. When information is denied, name the exemption sub-clause cited, explain why it does not factually apply, and mount a concrete public-interest argument — generic objections rarely succeed before the CIC; targeted ones frequently do.
• The 20-year sunset under Section 8(3) means that most documents pre-dating 2006 (except sovereignty, Parliament privilege, and Cabinet papers) cannot legally be withheld — a significant lever for historical land records, old audit reports, and pre-reform administrative files.
• The Section 20 penalty is personal and progressive: ₹250 per day of delay, capped at ₹25,000, comes out of the PIO's own pay — raising it in your Second Appeal petition adds disciplinary pressure where systematic non-compliance is evident.