Karnataka RTI Form — Format, Fee and Filing

Reviewed on 25 August 2026 by Dr. Shrawan Kumar Pathak.

In Karnataka an RTI application needs no special stationery: Form A or a plain sheet of paper both work, the language can be Kannada, English or Hindi, the fee is ₹10, and no photograph or ID proof is required. State public authorities accept online filing at rtionline.karnataka.gov.in; central offices in Karnataka take applications on rtionline.gov.in.

• Applicant name and full postal address — the reply comes by post unless you gave email and the office agrees to send it digitally.
• Particulars of the information — item by item. “Certified copy of the sanction order for work no. _” beats “details of corruption in this office” every time. * The ₹10 fee — or the BPL card copy that waives it. * Date and signature — a plain signed letter with all of the above is a valid application. Section 6(2) of the RTI Act, 2005 says an application cannot be rejected only because it is not in the prescribed form. The Supreme Court spelt out in CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, (2011) 8 SCC 497, that the Act gives you access to material on record — so frame each item as a record, not a question demanding an opinion. ===== Language, fee and exemption ===== * Language — Kannada and English are both accepted across the state; Hindi works too, since Section 6(1) allows English, Hindi or the official language of the area. * Application fee — ₹10. * Further charges — photocopies and other modes are charged at the rates in the Karnataka Right to Information Rules, 2005; the PIO must tell you the amount before copying. * BPL exemption — applicants below the poverty line pay nothing under Section 7(5); attach a self-attested BPL or ration-card copy. * No photo, no ID proof, no reason — the Act demands none of these at the filing stage. The full state-by-state comparison of fees and payment modes is in RTI fees by state. ===== Where to file — pick the right counter ===== - Karnataka state offices — online at rtionline.karnataka.gov.in, or by post or by hand to the PIO of the office holding the records. - Central government offices in Karnataka — income tax, railways, postal, PSU banks, EPFO — file at rtionline.gov.in. - Wrong office? — the PIO must forward it to the right public authority within 5 days under Section 6(3); you lose nothing by an honest mistake. The wider picture — which department answers for what, the Commission's benches, the state's appeal practice — is covered in how to file RTI in Karnataka. ===== Why applications come back — and the fix ===== * Fee not enclosed or wrong mode — attach the IPO or the online receipt. This is the most common return memo of all. * Unsigned or undated — sign with date before sending. * Questions instead of records — rewrite each item as “certified copy of _”. Composite multi-subject applications can be returned; one subject per application is safest.
• Wrong addressee — send to the office that holds the record; Section 6(3) saves you only if the receiving PIO acts.
• Asked for opinions — “why was my licence rejected” becomes “copy of the rejection order with file notings”.

1. Day 0 — file with fee, signature and date.
2. Day 30 — silence is deemed refusal under Section 7(2). File the first appeal under Section 19(1) — free in most states.
3. Day 90 — escalate to the Karnataka Information Commission; second appeals can be filed online at rtisecondappeal.karnataka.gov.in.

To draft the application or the first appeal in about a minute, use the free AI RTI Drafter — it produces the finished page with the fee and format already correct.

No. Section 6(2) of the RTI Act stops a PIO rejecting an application merely because it is not on a prescribed form. A signed plain-paper letter with the particulars and the ₹10 fee is valid.

Yes — Kannada and English are both accepted, and Hindi as well. Section 6(1) allows English, Hindi or the official language of the area.

State public authorities accept online applications at rtionline.karnataka.gov.in. For central government offices anywhere in the state, use rtionline.gov.in.

No. The RTI Act asks for neither. Attach a BPL card copy only to claim the fee exemption under Section 7(5).

₹10 per application. Photocopy and other charges follow the Karnataka Right to Information Rules, 2005, and the PIO must inform you of the exact amount before incurring it.

A PIO can return an application only for defects the law recognises — no fee, no signature, or information a different office holds. Missing trivia like your phone number is not a ground. Correct the real defect and refile; appeal if the return is plainly wrong.

Section 7(5) bars any fee from persons below the poverty line. Attach a self-attested copy of the BPL or ration card to the application and no fee is payable.

Yes — the Commission accepts online second appeals at rtisecondappeal.karnataka.gov.in. Its own site at kic.gov.in carries orders, disclosures and bench information.

• Right to Information Act, 2005 — Sections 6(1), 6(2), 6(3), 7(2), 7(5), 19(1) — full text
• CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, (2011) 8 SCC 497 — what counts as information
• Karnataka online RTI filing
• KIC online second appeal
• Karnataka Information Commission

• All RTI forms and downloads
• How to file RTI in Karnataka
• RTI fees by state
• Karnataka High Court RTI rulings
• AI RTI Drafter
• The RTI Playbook

Last reviewed: 25 August 2026.