RTI fee rationalisation — the 2024-25 debate, and what 2026 looks like

Currently: Rs. 10 application fee + Rs. 2/page. DoPT's 2024 OM proposed Rs. 50 + Rs. 20/page, citing inflation and processing costs.

• Rs. 10 unchanged since 2005 (~5x inflation).
• “Vexatious applicants” filing 50+ RTIs per month.
• Processing-cost study placed average per-application cost at ~Rs. 380.

• Fee is a barrier to access — particularly rural, low-income.
• Vexatious-applicant data thin — most applicants file 1-2 RTIs lifetime.
• §7(5) BPL exemption doesn't cover lower-middle-class.
• Article 19(1)(a) chilling-effect concern.

• Central rule — Rs. 10 + Rs. 2/page stands (DoPT deferred indefinitely).
• State rules vary — UP Rs. 10; Maharashtra Rs. 25; Delhi Rs. 10.
• HC orders in 2025 reaffirmed reasonableness as standard.

1. Always file via RTI Online Portal (Rs. 10 secure payment).
2. For BPL, attach certificate copy and invoke §7(5).
3. For state portal fees > Rs. 50, challenge under Article 19(1)(a) reasonableness.

1. DoPT OM 1/2/2024-IR.
2. Anjali Bhardwaj v. UoI (2019) on RTI accessibility.

Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.

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• Right to Information Act, 2005 — full text
• CPIO Supreme Court v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal (2020) 5 SCC 481 — Constitution Bench
• Anjali Bhardwaj v. UoI (2019) 9 SCC 199 — IC accountability
• DPDP Act 2023 + DPDP Rules 2025 (in force 14 Nov 2025)

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