Table of Contents
Module 01 — What RTI is, and what it isn't
Quick Reply: Citizen Crash Course in RTI — Module 01: What RTI is, and what it isn't. By the end of this module, you can decide in 30 seconds whether an RTI…
Goal: By the end of this module, you can decide in 30 seconds whether an RTI fits your problem.
A 1-page primer on the RTI Act, 2005
Passed by Parliament in October 2005. Repealed and replaced the older Freedom of Information Act, 2002. Comes into force across India (except Jammu & Kashmir until 2019; now also covered).
The Act has one big idea: a citizen can ask any public authority for any record it holds, and the authority has 30 days to give it. 10 specific exemptions exist, but the default is disclosure.
The Act has 6 chapters and 31 sections. As a citizen, you'll mostly use §3, §6, §7, §8, §10, §19, §20.
Who is a public authority? (§2(h))
Four kinds:
- Body established by/under the Constitution (e.g. Supreme Court, Election Commission)
- Body established by Parliament/State Act (e.g. RBI, SEBI, AIIMS)
- Body owned, controlled, or substantially financed by Government (PSUs like LIC, BEL)
- NGOs substantially financed by Government
So: police, panchayats, municipal corporations, schools/colleges (govt + aided), hospitals (govt), banks (PSU + RBI), railways, defence (subject to §24), passports, IT, GST — all public authorities.
What can you ask for? (§2(f))
Information — defined widely: “any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form.”
Key words: records, documents, data. These are things that already exist at the public authority.
What you cannot ask for: future opinions, hypotheticals, why decisions were made (only what is recorded), or 'how should we…' questions.
The 4 things every RTI needs
- PIO — addressed to the Public Information Officer of the right department.
- Fee — usually ₹10 by Indian Postal Order (BPL exempt).
- Signature — your handwritten signature with name + address + phone.
- Citizenship — “I am a citizen of India” stated explicitly. Only Indian citizens can file under §3.
Myths busted
- “You need a lawyer.” False. Citizens were the design target. AI Drafter generates a legally-correct application in 60 seconds.
- “You need to state a reason.” False. §6(2) explicitly forbids the PIO from asking why you want the information.
- “It costs a lot.” False. ₹10 statutory fee. ₹50 in Tamil Nadu/Punjab/Haryana. ₹20 in Gujarat. BPL applicants pay ₹0.
- “Civil servants protected from RTI.” False. Service records are disclosable to the extent they form 'public activity' (Deshpande boundary).
- “PIO can refuse without reason.” False — that's a §7(8)(i) violation; First Appeal will set it aside.
✅ Quiz
10 questions, 70% to pass. Take it from your course dashboard.
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Last reviewed: 24 April 2026.