Guides — Right to Information Act, 2005

The hub of practical RTI guides on this site. One guide for each role under the Right to Information Act, 2005 — citizen applicant, Public Information Officer, First Appellate Authority, and public authority. For beginners, start with the FAQ or the online-filing walkthrough.

• Guide for applicants. Who can file, what can be asked, how to draft, fee and timelines, the appeal path, and the penalty on the Officer. A short and current reference.
• How to File RTI Online in India — 2026 Step-by-Step Guide. Ten steps through the Central Government portal with a ready-to-use English and Hindi template, the Rs 10 online fee flow, and the appeal path.
• Why RTI Applications Get Rejected. The five drafting mistakes that cause most refusals, with a bad-versus-good fix for each and two case studies of rejected RTIs corrected on appeal.
• Navigating rtionline.gov.in — the Central Government portal. The portal itself, screen by screen, for first-time users.
• State RTI vs Central RTI. Which jurisdiction applies, where to file, the fee and appellate differences, worked examples.

• Guide for PIOs. Your duties under Section 5, the five-question test for every request, third-party procedure under Section 11, the penalty under Section 20, and a standard file-noting structure.
• PIO reply after DPDP Rules, 2025. The revised Section 8(1)(j) test, sample reply paragraphs, and the audit trail the First Appellate Authority will expect.
• Template: standard PIO reply. Ready-to-use.
• Template: PIO partial disclosure with severability.
• Template: third party notice under Section 11.

• Guide for FAAs. Your duty under Section 19(1), how to structure a speaking order, the thirty-day (extendable to forty-five) timeline, when to invoke Section 8(2).
• Template: FAA speaking order. Ready format with severability and public-interest-override clauses.

• Guide for public authorities. Section 4(1)(b) suo motu disclosure duties, record-management for RTI readiness, institutional liability under Section 20, and the annual RTI return to the Information Commission.

Short concept notes — each two to four minutes to read:

• The Right to Information Act, 2005 — full text, as amended.
• RTI Act, 2005 — section-by-section summary.
• What is Right to Information — the basics.
• FAQ — twenty-five most asked questions.
• Grounds for rejection — Section 8.
• What is a "public authority".
• What is "public interest".
• Third party under RTI — Section 11.

• DPDP Rules, 2025 — the amendment to Section 8(1)(j).
• A decade of change, 2015 to 2025.
• Editorial blog — all posts.

• Templates — first RTI, first appeal, second appeal, PIO replies, FAA speaking order.
• Sample RTI applications — thirty-plus drafts for common subjects.

• Case law library — landmark decisions grouped by section.
• High Court decisions.
• Central Information Commission orders.

1. The Right to Information Act, 2005 (No. 22 of 2005), Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18, 19, 20.
2. The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, notified 14 November 2025.

Last reviewed on: 19 April 2026 — RTI Wiki editorial team. Last reviewed: 24 April 2026.

• How to Use RTI to Solve Personal Problems — Real-Life Cases and Templates
• City-by-city RTI guide — 50 cities, every municipal service (2026)
• Digital RTI — the 2026 Guide
• 25 RTI Questions Answered (2026 Update)
• How to file First Appeal under Section 19(1) of RTI Act — complete 2026 guide