Table of Contents

Citizen RTI playbook — file, escalate, win (2026)

⚠️ DPDP Rules, 2025 (14 Nov 2025) amended Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act — public-interest override now under Section 8(2). Read the note →

· 2026/04/19 05:02

The lead. Filing an RTI is not legal work. It's 5 minutes of attention. ₹10 of fee. And the entire weight of the Right to Information Act, 2005 behind your single sheet of paper. This playbook walks you through every stage — from “I have a problem” to “I have the information / the action / the penalty on the PIO”. 100+ scenario-specific guides linked.

Step 1 — Identify your need

Are you seeking information (what happened, who decided, why) or action (fix my problem)? RTI is for information. For action, file CPGRAMS in parallel. For corruption, file Lokayukta complaint alongside.

If your need is information, identify the public authority that holds it. The PIO of the wrong office will reject under §6(3) — wasting 30 days. Use RTI Research tool to find the right authority.

Step 2 — Pick your scenario

Welfare schemes:

Documents & certificates:

Property & land:

Police & justice:

Health:

Education:

Employment & service matters:

Civic services:

Trade & enterprise:

Public funds & accountability:

Infrastructure:

Step 3 — Draft the RTI

Step 4 — File

Step 5 — Day 31 if no reply

Step 6 — Day 76, file Second Appeal

Tools for the playbook

When you should NOT use RTI

RTI is not the right tool when:

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