Statutory citizen request and appellate petition filed under Section 6(1) and Section 19(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 to access government records, inspect public works, uncover tender allocations, and challenge unlawful denials before the First Appellate Authority (FAA)
Under Section 7(6) of the RTI Act, if the Public Information Officer (PIO) fails to provide information within the statutory 30-day timeline, they MUST provide all subsequent information completely FREE OF COST, regardless of how many hundred pages or document photocopies are involved.
💡 An RTI Application is a formal citizen tool to demand government records, file inspection notes, certified copies of government orders, and project accounts from any public authority. If the Public Information Officer (PIO) fails to respond within 30 days or wrongfully rejects the request under Section 8 exemptions, the citizen can file a 'First Appeal' under Section 19(1) before the senior departmental officer (First Appellate Authority) without paying any extra court fees.
Navigating the three-tier transparency structure under the Right to Information Act.
| Stage | Adjudicating Authority | Statutory Time Limit | Application Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial RTI Application | Public Information Officer (CPIO / SPIO) | 30 days (48 hrs for life & liberty) | ₹10 (Free for BPL cardholders) |
| First Appeal | First Appellate Authority (Senior Officer in same dept) | 30 days (max 45 days for recorded reasons) | Zero fee (₹0) across all central departments |
| Second Appeal | Central or State Information Commission (CIC / SIC) | Decided by Information Commissioner (quasi-judicial) | Zero fee (₹0); can levy personal salary fines up to ₹25,000 |
| Section 18 Complaint | Direct complaint to CIC/SIC without filing appeal | Investigates refusal to accept RTI or missing PIO | Inquiry power to punish, but cannot order disclosure of document directly |
Statutory mandate of 30 days for standard requests; 48 hours if information concerns the life or liberty of a person (Section 7(1)); 35 days if transferred via Assistant PIO.
Statutory application fee of ₹10 (payable via net banking, UPI, or postal order); completely FREE (₹0 fee) for citizens belonging to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category.
Every Indian citizen has the statutory right to seek information under Section 3 of the RTI Act; corporations and non-citizens cannot directly file RTI applications.
Indian citizens seeking transparency on government recruitment exams, public welfare fund allocations, pending passport or police verification files, municipal development works, road quality audits, and educational university marksheet re-evaluations.
Visit rtionline.gov.in for Central Government ministries, banks, and PSUs, or visit your respective State RTI Portal (e.g., rtionline.maharashtra.gov.in, rtionline.karnataka.gov.in).
Click 'Submit Request'. Select the appropriate Ministry/Department (e.g., Ministry of Railways, Ministry of External Affairs) and the specific Public Authority from the dropdown menu.
Provide your name, address, pin code, and email. If you belong to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category, select 'Yes' and upload your BPL certificate to claim 100% fee exemption.
Write concise, numbered questions asking for specific records, inspection files, or certified copies (e.g., 'Provide certified copy of...', 'State the date on which...'). Avoid asking subjective opinions or 'Why' questions.
Complete payment of ₹10 via UPI, internet banking, or credit/debit card. The portal generates a unique 14-digit RTI Registration Number.
Track progress using your registration number. The CPIO must upload the digital response or dispatch certified hard copies within 30 days.
The Central or State Information Commission is the highest appellate court for transparency under the Act.
Submit a Second Appeal before the Central Information Commission (cic.gov.in) or State Information Commission within 90 days of the First Appellate order.
The Information Commissioner issues notice to both parties and conducts an interactive hearing via video conference.
Under Section 20(1), if the PIO malafidely refused or delayed information without reasonable cause, the Commission imposes a mandatory penalty of ₹250 per day up to a maximum of ₹25,000 deducted directly from the PIO's salary.
Under Section 19(8)(b), the Commission has statutory power to order the public authority to compensate the complainant for any loss or detriment suffered.
If the PIO does not reply within 30 days or provides misleading information, file a First Appeal online.
Navigate to rtionline.gov.in and click on the 'Submit First Appeal' link.
Enter your 14-digit RTI Registration Number and the registered email address to auto-fetch your application details.
Choose the ground of appeal from the dropdown: 'No response within time', 'Refusal of information', 'Excessive photocopy fee demanded', or 'Misleading / Incomplete information'.
Draft your grounds of appeal explaining why the PIO's exemption or silence is illegal, attach the original RTI and PIO reply, and submit. There is ZERO (₹0) fee for filing a First Appeal.
The First Appellate Authority (FAA) must decide the appeal within 30 days (extendable to 45 days) and direct the PIO to disclose the records.
Legal counter-arguments against standard PIO rejection clauses.
| PIO Rejection Ground | Statutory Checkpoint | Counter-Argument & Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| PIO rejects stating 'Information is Personal' under Section 8(1)(j) | Public interest proviso to Section 8(1)(j) | Argue that the information cannot be denied to an applicant if it cannot be denied to the Parliament or State Legislature under the statutory proviso. |
| PIO demands exorbitant photocopy fees (e.g. ₹50 per page) | RTI Rules 2012 (Prescribed rate is ₹2 per A4 page) | File First Appeal citing Rule 4 of RTI Rules 2012 fixing photocopy fee strictly at ₹2 per page; demand inspection of original files under Section 2(j)(i). |
| PIO claims records are 'Untraceable / Lost' | Public Records Act, 1993 & CIC Precedents | The Delhi High Court has held that stating records are untraceable is an admission of negligence; the commission will order an internal inquiry and lodge an FIR. |
The statutory fee for a Central Government RTI application is ₹10. It can be paid online via UPI/net banking or offline via an Indian Postal Order (IPO), Demand Draft, or Court Fee Stamp. Citizens living Below the Poverty Line (BPL) are 100% exempt from paying any fee upon attaching their BPL card.
If 30 days pass without a reply, the request is deemed refused under Section 7(2). You should immediately file a First Appeal under Section 19(1). Additionally, under Section 7(6), all records must now be supplied to you completely free of cost.
Private companies and un-aided private institutions do not directly fall under the definition of 'Public Authority' under Section 2(h). However, you can access information relating to a private body through the government regulatory department (e.g., MCA, RBI, Education Department) that regulates it under Section 2(f).
No. Section 6(2) of the RTI Act explicitly mandates that an applicant making a request for information SHALL NOT be required to give any reason for requesting the information or any other personal details except those necessary for contacting them.
Central Act to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information.
Apex transparency tribunal in India adjudicating second appeals and complaints.
Statutory legal instrument executed under Section 30 of the Advocates Act, 1961 and Order III Rule 4 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, authorizing an advocate to plead, act, compromise, and represent a client before any Indian Court, Tribunal, High Court, or the Supreme Court
Quasi-judicial formal petition filed under Section 35, 47, or 58 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 via the central e-Daakhil digital portal before the District, State, or National Consumer Commission against corporations, builders, e-commerce sellers, banks, or hospitals for deficiency in service or unfair trade practice
Foundational criminal proceeding document registered under Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure / Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita for cognizable offenses, required for insurance theft claims and judicial defense
Guide to creating affidavits for various purposes
Official security clearance certificate issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) through Passport Seva Kendras confirming zero criminal records in India for overseas employment, immigration, and long-term visas
Official statutory employment entitlement document and household work register issued by the Gram Panchayat under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA 2005), guaranteeing a minimum of 100 days of unskilled manual wage employment per financial year to rural households
Governed by the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) and the Right to Information Rules, 2012.
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