File RTI in Tamil Nadu — 2026 guide

Tamil Nadu has NO application fee for RTI — a unique advantage among Indian states. State RTIs are filed in person or by post to the department concerned; accepted in Tamil, Hindi or English under §4(3). The Tamil Nadu State Information Commission (TNSIC) sits at Chennai, with regional support at Madurai. Average response time 25-40 days. Central Government RTIs use rtionline.gov.in with the standard Rs 10 fee.

Tamil Nadu is one of four Indian states with zero RTI application fee (the others: Manipur, Sikkim, some circumstances in Meghalaya). Only copy fees of Rs 2 per A4 page apply if copies are requested; inspection of records is free for the first hour. Every state's fee and rule differences are tabulated in the state RTI rules directory.

Central Government RTIs filed in Tamil Nadu still use rtionline.gov.in with the standard Rs 10 Central fee.

• Main bench: Kamarajar Salai, Chennai-600009
• Website: https://cic.gov.in/links-to-state-information-commissions (Tamil / English)
• Second Appeal: by post or in person within 90 days of FAA decision

• Tamil filing: under §4(3) and state policy, Tamil-language RTIs are fully accepted.
• In-person filing: most State departments still prefer in-person submission with stamped acknowledgement; post is also valid.
• Department-specific portals: some TN departments (Revenue, Education) have online submission forms; these are convenience layers — paper filing remains valid.
• GCC online: Greater Chennai Corporation has an online RTI form for municipal matters.
• Tamil Nadu e-Sevai: peripheral tracking for some department RTIs.

Template 1 — Patta transfer / chitta records (Revenue Department)

Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005:

1. Copy of the patta transfer application for Survey No. [SF No.],
   [Village], [Taluk], [District], dated [date].
2. Copy of the chitta / adangal entries for the said survey number
   for the years [range].
3. Current status of the transfer — pending, approved, rejected.
4. Copy of the Tahsildar's order if passed.

Template 2 — GCC property-tax records

Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005:

1. Copy of the property-tax assessment for Assessment No.
   [AN], Ward [ward no.], Greater Chennai Corporation, for
   the years [range].
2. Copies of any revision / correction notices issued.
3. Current dues and payment history.
4. Copy of the mutation / name-change application if filed.

Template 3 — Education Department — teacher posting

Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005:

1. Copy of the posting / transfer order of [designation, name or
   "any teacher"] at [School name], [Block], [District], dated [date].
2. Criteria / transfer policy applied.
3. Statement of teacher transfers in [District] for the academic
   year [year] by cadre.
4. Vacancy position in the said school by subject.

• “Not a citizen” — you are; §3 of the RTI Act applies. Your Indian voter card or Aadhaar (if offered) is proof of citizenship.
• “Use e-Sevai portal” — e-Sevai is optional; paper RTI is a statutory right. Ask the PIO to cite which provision mandates portal filing.
• “Records with another department” — §6(3) requires transfer within 5 days; demand the transfer letter.
• “§8(1)(j) personal information” — post-DPDP 2025, check if the information truly concerns another individual. Public-authority action records are not personal.

• Public servants' asset disclosure — Madras HC 2024 — post-Deshpande
• §6(2) no-motive rule — Madras HC 2013
• §20 penalty — Madras HC 2020 — specific mala fide required
• Municipal works — TN SIC 2021 — §4 works register disclosure
• Right to be heard at FAA / Commission — Madras HC 2020

Q1: Is RTI truly free in Tamil Nadu? Yes — zero application fee. Only copy fees (Rs 2/page) and inspection fees (beyond first hour) apply.

Q2: Can I file RTI in Tamil? Yes. §4(3) permits local-language filing; Tamil is fully accepted.

Q3: How long does an RTI reply take in Tamil Nadu? 25-40 days for most matters; 30-50 days for GCC and Home Department.

Q4: Can an NRI file RTI? Only Indian citizens under §3. OCI card-holders don't have direct standing.

Q5: Where is Tamil Nadu SIC? Chennai — Kamarajar Salai. Website: CIC State IC directory.

Q6: Is there an online RTI portal for the Tamil Nadu government? No single unified portal. Individual departments (Revenue e-Sevai, GCC online) offer their own forms. Paper RTI to the department is the statutorily valid path everywhere.

• Public Servants' Assets Disclosure — Madras HC 2024 — Public-servant asset lists protected under §8(1)(j); public interest must be specifically pleaded.
• BARC TRP and DD audience data — Madras HC — Public-broadcaster audience data OK; BARC TRP methodology §8(1)(d); aggregate ratings disclosable.
• Pension sanction delay — Madras HC — Pension sanction delay: FAA may direct release + cite PIO §20 exposure; structural remedy under §19(8)(a).
• Municipal works records — Tamil Nadu SIC — Municipal works register + tender + completion records: §4(1)(b) proactive disclosure.
• §20 penalty — Madras HC clarifications — §20 penalty requires specific mala-fide or persistent-negligence finding; formal 30-day delay alone is insufficient.
• Applicant's right to be heard at FAA / Commission — Madras HC — Applicant's right to be heard at FAA / IC — adverse orders passed ex parte are liable to be set aside.
• Defying Commission order — Madras HC — Willful defiance of Commission direction is contempt — actionable via Art.215 HC jurisdiction.
• Section 20 penalty on PIO for deliberate delay — Madras HC 2020 — Deliberate PIO delay without recorded reasonable cause attracts the full §20(1) penalty.

Browse the full case-law database — 362 curated rulings and filter by court / section / keyword.

• State-wise RTI Guide India 2026 — Rules, Fees, Commissions, Portals — discovered via internal-link audit 2026-04-24

• Pan-India: File RTI online
• File RTI in Maharashtra
• File RTI in Karnataka
• RTI fees by State — full table

• Tamil Nadu SIC: https://cic.gov.in/links-to-state-information-commissions
• Tamil Nadu e-Sevai: https://tnesevai.tn.gov.in
• Greater Chennai Corporation: https://chennaicorporation.gov.in

Filing RTI in Tamil Nadu — complete guide on rules, fees, and the online portal for 2026:

1. Step 1: Tamil Nadu RTI rules. (a) Tamil Nadu has its own RTI Rules (the Tamil Nadu Right to Information Rules, 2005 — notified under the Central RTI Act, 2005 — which apply to all public authorities in Tamil Nadu — state government departments, municipalities, panchayats, police, courts, and public sector undertakings), (b) the fee is Rs 10 (payable by court-fee stamp — or Indian Postal Order — or cash — at the PIO's office — or through the online portal — if available), © the application can be in Tamil or English (the PIO must accept applications in either language — under Section 6(1) of the RTI Act), (d) the PIO must respond within 30 days (48 hours if the information concerns life or liberty — under Section 7(1)), (e) the first appeal is filed with the First Appellate Authority (FAA — within 30 days of the PIO's response — or non-response), (f) the second appeal is filed with the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission (located in Chennai — within 90 days of the FAA's order — or non-response).
2. Step 2: Online filing. (a) the Tamil Nadu government has an online RTI portal (tnrti.gov.in — or through the e-Sevai portal — the citizen can file RTI online — to state government departments), (b) the process: (i) register on the portal (with mobile number and email — OTP verification), (ii) select the department (and the sub-department — and the PIO), (iii) write the RTI application (in the text box — or upload a PDF), (iv) pay the fee (Rs 10 — online — through net banking, UPI, or credit/debit card), (v) submit — and get a registration number (for tracking), © the online portal is available for most state government departments (but not for central government departments in Tamil Nadu — for central departments, use rtionline.gov.in), (d) the PIO's response is sent electronically (to the registered email — and can be viewed on the portal).
3. Step 3: How to file offline. (a) write the application (on plain paper — in Tamil or English — with the applicant's name, address, and the information sought — and the fee — court-fee stamp of Rs 10), (b) submit to the PIO (by hand — at the PIO's office — and get a receiving — or by registered post — with the court-fee stamp), © the PIO must respond within 30 days (if submitted by hand — or within 35 days if submitted by post — the 30-day period starts from the date of receipt by the PIO), (d) if the PIO does not respond: file a first appeal (with the FAA — within 30 days of the non-response — i.e., within 60 days of filing the RTI), (e) if the FAA does not respond: file a second appeal (with the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission — within 90 days of the FAA's non-response — i.e., within 120 days of filing the first appeal).
4. Step 4: Common issues in Tamil Nadu. (a) PIO not designated (many departments — especially at the Panchayat level — have not designated PIOs — or the PIOs are additional charge — and do not respond), (b) court-fee stamp not available (the court-fee stamp of Rs 10 is not easily available — especially in rural areas — the post office may not have it — and the citizen has to go to the court or the treasury to get it), © Tamil applications rejected (some PIOs reject Tamil applications — claiming they cannot read Tamil — which is illegal — under Section 6(1) — the PIO must accept applications in the official language), (d) the State Information Commission is slow (the Tamil Nadu SIC has a huge backlog — with thousands of pending second appeals — and the appeals take 2-5 years), (e) municipal corporations (the Greater Chennai Corporation, Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation — and other municipal corporations — have their own PIOs — and the RTI process is separate), (f) TASMAC and state PSUs (the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation — and other state PSUs — are public authorities — and RTI can be filed — but the PIOs may not respond).
5. Step 5: File RTI on Tamil Nadu-specific issues. (a) land records: ask the VAO (Village Administrative Officer) or the Revenue Department for: (i) the patta (of [survey number] — village [name] — for the year [year]), (ii) the chitta (of [survey number] — village [name]), (iii) the adangal (of [survey number] — village [name] — for the year [year]), (b) civic issues: ask the Greater Chennai Corporation or the municipality for: (i) the status of [complaint number] (filed on [date] — for [issue] — the action taken), (ii) the building permission (of [building] — the approved plan — and the OC status), © police: ask the police for: (i) the FIR copy (of FIR number [number] — at [police station]), (ii) the status of the investigation (of FIR number [number] — the charge sheet — and the trial status), (d) education: ask the school/college for: (i) the admission criteria (and the number of seats — and the list of admitted students), (ii) the fee structure (and the fee hike approval), (e) ration card: ask the Food and Civil Supplies Department for: (i) the ration card status (application number [number] — the current status — and the reason for delay), (ii) the PDS supply (at FPS [number] — for the month [month] — the stock position).
6. Step 6: Tamil Nadu State Information Commission. (a) the Commission is located in Chennai (at the 5th Floor, Singanallur Co-op Colony, Coimbatore - or the main office in Chennai - check the website - tnsic.gov.in), (b) the second appeal is filed with the Commission (in writing — with the RTI application, the PIO's response, the first appeal, the FAA's order — and the fee — if any), © the Commission can: (i) order the PIO to provide the information (within a specified timeline), (ii) impose a penalty (Rs 250 per day — up to Rs 25,000 — under Section 20(1)), (iii) recommend disciplinary action (against the PIO — under Section 20(2)), (iv) order compensation (to the appellant — under Section 19(8)(b)), (d) the Commission's orders are available on the website (tnsic.gov.in — for reference), (e) the Commission conducts hearings (in person — and through video conferencing).
7. Step 7: Practical tips. (a) use the online portal (tnrti.gov.in — for faster filing — and tracking), (b) file in Tamil (if the records are in Tamil — e.g., land records — the PIO cannot reject on language grounds), © be specific (the PIOs in Tamil Nadu — especially in rural areas — may not be trained — be specific — and avoid vague queries), (d) use the Corporation RTI (for civic issues in Chennai — file with the Corporation PIO — not the state department), (e) follow up (the PIOs may not respond — follow up with the FAA — and the Commission), (f) Example: A citizen filed RTI with the VAO — asking for the patta and chitta — the VAO did not respond — the citizen filed a first appeal — the FAA ordered the VAO to respond — the VAO provided the patta — showing that the land was wrongly transferred — the citizen used the RTI reply to correct the patta — and to save his land from a fraudulent transfer.

See RTI Tamil Nadu and Find PIO.