Section 6 of the RTI Act — your front door to government information

Most rejected RTI applications fail at Section 6, not Section 8. Officers ask why you want the information, demand the “prescribed form”, or send the file back saying the matter belongs to another department. Each of these moves is illegal. Section 6 was written precisely to stop them, and it is the shortest, simplest part of the Act to enforce.

Section 6(1) says your request must be in writing or sent electronically, in English, Hindi, or the official language of the area. You send it to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the office you believe holds the record. You attach the application fee — usually Rs 10 (waived for BPL applicants under Section 7(5)). That is the whole filing procedure. There is no fixed form, no question of admissibility, no review by a committee.

Section 6(2) says you do not have to give any reason for asking. The only personal detail the office can require is enough information to contact you. Section 6(3) covers the situation where you sent the application to the wrong office: the office cannot reject it, it must transfer the application — or the relevant portion of it — to the right office within five working days and tell you about the transfer in writing.

“An applicant making request for information shall not be required to give any reason for requesting the information or any other personal details except those that may be necessary for contacting him.” — Section 6(2), RTI Act, 2005 ¹⁾

1. No form, no reason, no proof of identity. A handwritten letter saying “Please supply the following information under the RTI Act, 2005” is enough. The office cannot refuse for “wrong format”.
2. You never have to explain yourself. If the PIO calls, e-mails, or writes asking why you want the information, reply citing Section 6(2) and refuse to answer.
3. Wrong-office rejections are illegal. If the matter belongs to another public authority, the PIO must transfer your application within five working days under 6(3). A rejection for “wrong jurisdiction” is itself a ground for appeal.
4. Always add a “transfer paragraph” at the end. Write one line: “If any part of this request lies with another public authority, please transfer it under Section 6(3) within five working days and intimate me.” This forecloses the wrong-door rejection entirely.
5. Section 6 covers electronic filing. You can use rtionline.gov.in for Central Government bodies and several State portals. The fee can be paid digitally.

• You write to a District Magistrate asking about a State scheme that turns out to be run by the State Tourism Department. Under Section 6(3), the DM's office must transfer your file within five working days, not return it. Refer to our Section 6(3) transfer format when you draft the application.
• A PIO writes back asking “What is the purpose of this application?” You reply in two lines citing Section 6(2) and say the question is impermissible. The 30-day clock under Section 7 keeps running while the PIO waits.

1. If they reject for “no reason given” — file a first appeal under Section 19(1) citing Section 6(2). Use the deemed-refusal first appeal template.
2. If they reject for “wrong office” — file a first appeal citing 6(3). The first ground of appeal is the failure to transfer, the second is the substantive denial.
3. If they ignore the application altogether — wait until day 31, then treat it as a deemed refusal and file the first appeal anyway.

• Back to the Act index
• Section 4 — What the office must publish on its own
• Section 7 — The 30-day clock
• Section 8 — Exemptions
• Section 19 — Appeals
• AI RTI Drafter — draft your application in 60 seconds
• First Appeal Builder
• First RTI template

Yes. Section 3 of the Act limits the right to citizens. A non-citizen can have a citizen — relative, advocate, friend — file the application in their own name and pass the answer on.

No, the request must be in writing or electronic. But Section 6(1) has a proviso saying if you cannot write the request yourself, the PIO must reduce your oral request to writing for you. This applies to elderly, illiterate, or disabled applicants.

The PIO can only ask for contact details necessary to reach you under Section 6(2). Aadhaar is not required to file an RTI. Some Central portals demand it for online filing; you can avoid this by filing on paper.

Last reviewed on: 15 May 2026 — RTI Wiki editorial team.