Guide for RTI Applicants: File, Track, Appeal and Get Information

Use this page if you are about to file your first RTI, or you have filed one and the reply is unsatisfactory. It covers the full path from drafting the first application to receiving the Information Commission's order. For role-specific pages, see the guide hub.

Section 3 confers the right on every citizen of India. The Act does not require an applicant to:

• Show a reason for asking (Section 6(2) bars the PIO from asking).
• Produce Aadhaar, PAN, or any other identification beyond a name and an address for reply.
• Be 18 or above. Minors may file through a parent or guardian.
• Reside in the State whose public authority holds the record. A resident of Tamil Nadu can file with the Government of Punjab.

A company, society, trust, foreign national, or NRI cannot file in its own name. The standard workaround is to file through a citizen-shareholder or citizen-employee in their personal capacity. See Who can ask information under RTI for the full position.

Section 2(f) defines “information” as any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, emails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, log books, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, and data held in an electronic form. Section 2(j) extends the right to inspection, taking notes, taking certified copies, and taking samples.

The right is to existing information. The Supreme Court in CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay (2011) 8 SCC 497 held that the PIO is not required to:

• Create a new record that does not exist.
• Answer a hypothetical or opinion question.
• Compile data not already compiled in the form asked for.

The right does not extend to private bodies that are not “substantially financed” by the government - see public authority test.

A sound first application has nine parts. We have a line-by-line walkthrough, but the skeleton is:

1. PIO address block. Name and office address. If the name is unknown, write to “The Public Information Officer”. See how to find the PIO.
2. Subject line. One line naming what you want.
3. Information sought. A numbered list of specific records or classes of records. Each item must be record-shaped, not a question of opinion.
4. Period. The date range.
5. Citizenship declaration. “I am a citizen of India.”
6. Fee details. Rs 10 IPO, court-fee stamp, online challan, or BPL exemption.
7. Applicant name and address. With phone and email for follow-up.
8. Date and place.
9. Signature.

Need a draft right now? Use the AI RTI Drafter. Free.

• Central Government. Rs 10 application fee under the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. Pay by Indian Postal Order, Demand Draft, banker's cheque, court-fee stamp, or online challan on rtionline.gov.in.
• State Government. Rs 10 to Rs 50 depending on State Rules. See the State Rules library.
• Photocopies. Rs 2 per A4 page at the Centre. State fees vary.
• Inspection of records. Free for the first hour, then Rs 5 every 15 minutes (Centre).
• BPL exemption. Section 7(5) makes the application and copy fee zero for an applicant holding a valid BPL card.
• Free reply. If the PIO misses the 30-day deadline, Section 7(6) makes the information free of cost. See when information must be supplied free of cost.

The full table with worked examples is at RTI time limits.

Filed under Section 19(1) within 30 days of the PIO's reply or deemed refusal. Goes to the First Appellate Authority - an officer senior in rank to the PIO, named in the public authority's Section 4 disclosure. No fee at the Centre. State fees vary. The FAA must decide in 30 days, extendable to 45 days for recorded reasons.

The full filing guide with template is at First appeal under Section 19(1).

Filed under Section 19(3) within 90 days of the FAA order or deemed refusal. Goes to the Central Information Commission (cic.gov.in) for Central public authorities, or the relevant State Information Commission for State authorities. Format prescribed by Commission rules.

The full filing guide is at Second appeal to the Information Commission.

Different from a second appeal. A complaint to the Commission under Section 18 challenges the conduct of the PIO - refused to accept your application, demanded a reason, gave misleading information, destroyed the record, or charged an unreasonable fee. A second appeal challenges the decision. You can file both. See complaint under Section 18.

Under Section 20(1), the Information Commission can impose a penalty of Rs 250 per day of delay, capped at Rs 25,000, on the PIO who without reasonable cause refused, delayed, gave wrong information, or destroyed records. Only the Commission imposes this penalty - the FAA cannot.

Under Section 19(8)(b), any Commission (and the FAA in its appeal jurisdiction) can order compensation to the applicant for the loss or detriment suffered.

Full procedure, prayer wording, and the difference between the two: Penalty and compensation under RTI.

1. Asking “why” or “is it true that” instead of asking for a record. Rephrase as a request for a document.
2. Filing with the wrong public authority. The PIO must transfer in 5 days but often does not. See find the PIO.
3. Not paying the right fee. Rs 10 IPO not stapled, court-fee stamp not affixed, online challan not generated. The PIO can return the application as defective.
4. Forgetting the citizenship declaration. A line saying “I am a citizen of India” is part of the standard format; without it, some PIOs refuse.
5. Asking about something covered by Section 8. File-noting on national security, cabinet papers, personal information after the DPDP commencement of 14 November 2025.
6. Missing the appeal deadline. 30 days for FAA, 90 days for the Commission. Late appeals are dismissed without a hearing.
7. No address for reply. A PO Box without a deliverable address gets the application rejected.
8. Vague period. “All records since the start” is too wide. Use a date range.
9. Mixing multiple subjects. Some State Rules require one subject per application. Split into separate applications.
10. Ignoring the third-party notice. If your RTI affects a third party, the PIO must hear them under Section 11. Pre-empt by stating in the application that there is no third party, if true.

• How to file an RTI under Section 6
• Fill the form, line by line
• Find the right PIO
• When the reply is free
• Penalty + compensation
• Inspection of records
• Who can ask information
• Where you cannot apply RTI
• Sample RTIs by subject (30+)
• First appeal: Section 19(1)
• Second appeal: Section 19(3)
• Complaint: Section 18
• Fundamental RTI facts
• RTI time limits

No. Section 6(2) expressly bars the PIO from asking why you want the information. If a PIO insists, file a complaint to the Commission under Section 18.

Yes. Citizenship is the only test. A resident of Mumbai can file with the Punjab government and a resident of Chennai can file with a Delhi public authority.

Section 7(2) treats the silence as a “deemed refusal”. You can file the first appeal on day 31 without waiting any longer. The information itself becomes free under Section 7(6).

Yes. Section 6(1) allows the application in English, Hindi, or the official language of the area where the application is being made. The PIO cannot reject for language.

No. The Act is designed for citizen self-filing. The PIO, FAA, and the Commission cannot bar an applicant from appearing in person. A lawyer is allowed but not required at any stage.

Yes, and there is no rule against it. Some Commissions have observed that “frivolous and vexatious” applications can be ignored, but a citizen genuinely chasing different aspects of one record is on safe ground.

Use the AI RTI Drafter. Free, no login.

A free tool on this site. Describe your problem in plain language. The tool produces a Section 6(1) application with your name and address pre-filled, plus a draft first appeal and second appeal if needed.

Centre yes - through rtionline.gov.in. State usually no - most State Rules still require physical filing. Check your State Rules.

CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay (2011) 8 SCC 497 is the most-cited. It clarifies that RTI is for existing records, not fishing expeditions or opinion questions.

1. The Right to Information Act, 2005 - India Code, official text.
2. rtionline.gov.in - Central RTI portal, DoPT.
3. DoPT Master Circular on RTI.
4. CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, (2011) 8 SCC 497 - Supreme Court of India.
5. cic.gov.in - Central Information Commission.

Last reviewed: 9 May 2026.