Format for giving information to the applicants

important-decisions / cic-case-laws / format-rti-cpio — RTI Wiki

In one line. The Department of Personnel and Training has prescribed, by Office Memorandum No. 10/1/2013-IR dated 6 October 2015, the minimum content of every reply by a Public Information Officer under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

What that means in practice. Every reply should carry the application reference number and date, the name and contact particulars of the Public Information Officer, the clause-wise ground for any withholding, the particulars of any Section 6(3) transfer, the name and contact particulars of the First Appellate Authority with the thirty-day appeal period, and a certified-copy endorsement in the prescribed form where the applicant has asked for certified copies.

Department of Personnel & Training has issued Format1) for giving information to the applicants under RTI Act.

CPIO may also like to read the detailed Guidelines here!

It has been observed that different public authorities provide information to RTI applicants in different formats. Though there cannot be a standard format for providing information, the reply should however essentially contain the following information:

  1. RTI application number, date and date of its receipt in the public authority.
  2. The name, designation, official telephone number and email ID of the CPIO.
  3. In case the information requested for is denied, detailed reasons for denial quoting the relevant sections of the RTI Act should be clearly mentioned.
  4. In case the information pertains to other public authority and the application is transferred under section 6(3) of the RTI Act, details of the public authority to whom the application is transferred should be given.
  5. In the concluding para of the reply, it should be clearly mentioned that the First Appeal, if any, against the reply of the CPIO may be made to the First Appellate Authority within 30 days of receipt of reply of CPIO.
  6. The name, designation, address, official telephone number and e-mail ID of the First Appellate Authority should also be clearly mentioned.

2. In addition, wherever the applicant has requested for 'certified copies' of the documents or records, the CPIO should endorse on the document “True copy of the document/record supplied under RTI Act”, sign the document with date, above a seal containing name of the officer, CPIO and name of public authority; as enumerated below:

True copy of the document/record supplied under RTI Act.
Sd/-
Date
(Name of the Officer)
CPIO
(Name of the Public Authority)

Last reviewed on: 20 April 2026

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1)
OM No- 10/1/2013-IR dated 6th Oct 2015