RTI for Clinical Establishment Act Compliance

Ramesh took his mother to a private nursing home for knee surgery. The bill was huge, the room was dirty, and the lab looked makeshift. When he complained, the manager shrugged. Ramesh then heard that every clinic and hospital must be registered under a central law, and that any citizen can use RTI to check whether the clinic followed the rules. He did not know which office holds those records, what fee to pay, or what to ask. This guide shows the full path, step by step, using only facts verified against the law and official portals.

The Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 is Act 23 of 2010. Parliament passed it on 18 August 2010 under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, using Article 252(1) of the Constitution. That article lets two or more states ask Parliament to make a law for them, so the Act applies only where states have adopted it.

The Act came into force on 1 March 2012 through a gazette notification dated 28 February 2012. It first applied to four states — Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Sikkim — and to all Union Territories except the NCT of Delhi. Since then more states have adopted it: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam and Haryana, and the official portal also lists Telangana and Ladakh. As of 2026 the Act is active in 11 states and 6 Union Territories.

The rules under the Act are the Clinical Establishments (Central Government) Rules, 2012, made under Section 52 and amended up to G.S.R. 115(E) dated 14 February 2020. Each adopting state also issues its own state rules and notifications.

A common myth says AYUSH hospitals — Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Siddha, Unani, Yoga and Naturopathy — were brought into the Act by a 2018 amendment. That is wrong. Section 2(h) of the original 2010 Act already lists Allopathy, Yoga, Naturopathy, Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Siddha and Unani as “recognised systems of medicine”. So AYUSH establishments are covered from day one. The 2018 amendment (notified 18 May 2018) only added Minimum Standards for Medical Diagnostic Laboratories through a new Rule 8-A. It had nothing to do with AYUSH.

To file a useful RTI, you must know which office keeps the records. The Act sets up a clear chain.

The National Council for Clinical Establishments is created under Section 3 and is chaired by the Director-General of Health Services (DGHS), MoHFW. It frames the minimum standards.

The District Registering Authority is set up under Rule 8. The District Collector is the Chairperson and the District Health Officer or Chief Medical Officer is the Convenor, with nominated members. This office registers clinics, inspects them, issues deficiency notices, and starts penalty action. For records about one specific hospital or clinic, this is your first stop.

The State Health Directorate or State Health Society holds state-wide figures — how many establishments are registered, how many inspections happened, how many prosecutions were launched. File here for the big picture.

The Act also requires three registers to be kept in digital form and published: the District Register, State Register and National Register (Sections 37 to 39). The National Register is searchable on the official portal at clinicalestablishments.gov.in, and the MoHFW portal even has a proactive disclosure section under Section 4 of the RTI Act. So before filing RTI, search the public register — your answer may already be online.

Section 33 gives the authority or an authorised officer the power to inspect any registered establishment — its buildings, laboratories and equipment — through a multi-member team. The inspection reports are public records you can ask for under RTI.

Section 48 requires every establishment to furnish returns to the authority. Section 42 sets a penalty up to Rs. 5 lakh for wilful disobedience, obstruction, or refusal to furnish information or returns. So if a clinic blocks an inspection or hides its returns, the law allows heavy fines — and RTI can surface whether those fines were ever imposed.

For the wider patient-rights angle, see our guide on medical negligence consumer complaint at NCDRC and mental health rights under MHCA 2017.

Step 1 — Check the Act applies in your state. The National Register lists the Act as active in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. If your state is not listed, the central CEA Act does not apply there; check for a state clinical establishments law or fall back to state public health rules.

Step 2 — Search the public National Register first. Visit clinicalestablishments.gov.in and search the establishment name. Note its registration number, status and address — this is your starting evidence.

Step 3 — Decide your questions. Pick from the list below. Keep one application to one clinic or one district so the office cannot reject it as too broad.

Step 4 — Identify the Public Information Officer. For records of one clinic, address the application to the PIO, Office of the District Registering Authority, District Collector's Office (or District Health Officer / CMO office). For state-wide data, address it to the PIO, State Health Directorate / State Health Society. Do not file at the hospital itself — hospitals are not the public authority that holds CEA records.

Step 5 — Pay the fee. The central RTI application fee is Rs. 10 by Indian Postal Order, court-fee stamp, or cash for central and UT authorities. State fees vary under each State's RTI Rules — check your State RTI Rules before paying.

Step 6 — Submit and keep proof. Submit by hand, by registered post, or online where the state portal allows it. Keep the receipt and postal tracking. The PIO must reply within 30 days (48 hours where life or liberty is involved).

Step 7 — First appeal if no reply. If you get no answer or an evasive one, file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority within 30 days of the reply deadline. The FAA is usually a senior officer in the same department.

Step 8 — Second appeal to the Commission. If the First Appeal fails, file a Second Appeal to the State Information Commission (or the Central Information Commission for UT authorities) within 90 days. For the mechanics at each stage, see how to file an RTI online in India.

Ask sharp, numbered questions. A tested set:

1. Furnish the registration certificate and current registration status of [name and address of establishment] under the Clinical Establishments Act 2010.
2. Furnish the last inspection report and date of inspection of this establishment under Section 33, including the names of the inspection team members.
3. Furnish copies of all deficiency notices or show-cause notices issued to this establishment in the last three years.
4. Furnish the returns filed by this establishment under Section 48 for the last three years.
5. State whether any penalty under Section 42 (up to Rs. 5 lakh) has been imposed on this establishment; if yes, furnish the order and the amount.
6. State whether the registration of this establishment has ever been suspended or cancelled; if yes, furnish the order and reasons.

For a hospital-licence angle beyond the CEA, pair this with the hospital licence RTI guide, and to cross-check empanelment under the government insurance scheme, see how to find a PMJAY empanelled hospital.

To: The Public Information Officer,
    Office of the District Registering Authority,
    District Collector's Office, [District], [State]

Subject: Application under Section 6 of the RTI Act, 2005 —
         Clinical Establishments Act 2010 compliance

Sir/Madam,

Please furnish the following information about
[full name and address of the establishment]:

1. A certified copy of its registration certificate and
   current registration status under the Clinical
   Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010.
2. The last inspection report under Section 33, with the
   inspection date and names of team members.
3. Copies of all deficiency or show-cause notices issued in
   the last three years.
4. The returns filed under Section 48 for the last three
   years.
5. Whether any penalty under Section 42 has been imposed;
   if yes, a certified copy of the order.
6. Whether the registration has been suspended or cancelled;
   if yes, a certified copy of the order.

Fee: Rs. 10 paid by [IPO number / court-fee stamp / cash].

Signature: ____________________  Date: __________
Name:      ____________________
Address:   ____________________

A common worry: “The clinic is private, so RTI will not work.” The Central Information Commission has answered this. In Anita Singh v. Directorate of Health Services, GNCTD, order CIC/SA/A/2015/001894 decided on 16 March 2016, Information Commissioner Prof. M. Sridhar Acharyulu held that even private hospitals cannot claim immunity from statutory disclosure. The CPIO can invoke Section 5(4) of the RTI Act to secure assistance from the private hospital's authorities, who are deemed CPIOs under Section 5(5). So if the District Registering Authority needs the hospital's own records, it can legally pull them. This is also the logic in our case digest CIC: hospital inspection records are disclosable under RTI, where inspection reports were treated as public-health records with Section 8(1)(j) carve-outs for personal data.

1. Level 1 — PIO, District Registering Authority (clinic-level records) or PIO, State Health Directorate (state-wide data). Reply in 30 days.
2. Level 2 — First Appellate Authority, same department. File within 30 days of the deadline.
3. Level 3 — State or Central Information Commission. File within 90 days of the First Appeal order.
4. Level 4 — High Court writ if the Commission delays unreasonably or the order is perverse.

1. Filing at the hospital. The hospital is not the public authority. File at the District Registering Authority or State Health Directorate.
2. Skipping the state-applicability check. The CEA Act applies only in the 11 states and 6 UTs listed above. In other states, use the state's own law or public health rules.
3. Believing AYUSH is exempt. AYUSH systems are covered from the original 2010 Act through Section 2(h). The 2018 amendment only added lab standards.
4. Ignoring the public registers. Sections 37 to 39 require digital District, State and National Registers. Search them first — you may not need an RTI at all.
5. Vague questions. Ask for specific documents by section number — registration certificate, Section 33 inspection report, Section 48 returns, Section 42 penalty order.

1. Q: Is the CEA Act in force across India? No. It is in force in 11 states and 6 UTs as of 2026, listed on the National Register portal. Other states need their own law.
2. Q: Are AYUSH clinics covered? Yes, from the original 2010 Act through Section 2(h), which lists Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Siddha, Unani, Yoga and Naturopathy as recognised systems.
3. Q: Can a private hospital refuse to share records? Not when a public authority can secure them. Under CIC order CIC/SA/A/2015/001894, the CPIO can use Section 5(4) and 5(5) to get the private hospital's assistance.
4. Q: What is the fee? Rs. 10 for central and UT authorities; state fees vary — check your State RTI Rules.
5. Q: What is the maximum penalty on a clinic? Up to Rs. 5 lakh under Section 42 for wilful disobedience, obstruction, or refusal to furnish information or returns.

1. Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 (Act 23 of 2010) — indiacode.nic.in/handle/123456789/2048
2. Official CEA portal — Act text, State and UT Rules and Notifications — clinicalestablishments.gov.in
3. MoHFW CEA portal — Proactive disclosure under Section 4 RTI — clinicalestablishments.mohfw.gov.in/en/proactive-disclosure
4. DGHS, MoHFW — CEA 2010 and National Council background note — dghs.mohfw.gov.in
5. CommonLII — Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act 2010, sections 2(h), 33, 37-39, 42, 48, 52 — commonlii.org/in/legis/cen/num_act/ceara2010499
6. CIC order — Anita Singh v. Directorate of Health Services, GNCTD, CIC/SA/A/2015/001894, decided 16.03.2016 (IC Prof. M. Sridhar Acharyulu)

Last reviewed: 3 July 2026.

• How to check if your doctor is registered with the NMC

If this helped, take the next step with The RTI Playbook — a plain-language guide to drafting applications that get answers and using RTI to hold public authorities accountable.

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RTI for Clinical Establishment Act compliance — complete guide on checking hospital registration:

1. Step 1: What is the Clinical Establishments Act 2010? (a) The Clinical Establishments — (Registration — and Regulation) — Act — 2010 — provides — for the registration — and regulation — of the clinical — establishments — in India, (b) the key features: (i) the clinical — establishment — must be registered — with the State — Council, (ii) the clinical — establishment — must meet — the minimum — standards, (iii) the clinical — establishment — must display — the registration — certificate, (iv) the clinical — establishment — must maintain — the records — and the reports, © the coverage: (i) the Act — applies — to all — clinical — establishments — (public — and private), (ii) the Act — has been adopted — by 11 states — and UTs — so far, (iii) the states — that have not adopted — the Act — have their own — state — laws.
2. Step 2: Compliance table — key requirements. (a) Registration: (i) the requirement: state — council — registration, (ii) the penalty: Rs 50,000 — for the first — offense — Rs 5,00,000 — for the subsequent — offense, (iii) the RTI: State — Council, (b) Minimum standards: (i) the requirement: infrastructure — staff — equipment, (ii) the penalty: cancellation — of registration, (iii) the RTI: State — Council, © Records: (i) the requirement: patient — records — reports, (ii) the penalty: Rs 25,000, (iii) the RTI: State — Council, (d) Display: (i) the requirement: registration — certificate — rates — timings, (ii) the penalty: Rs 10,000, (iii) the RTI: State — Council, (e) Emergency: (i) the requirement: emergency — services — mandatory, (ii) the penalty: Rs 50,000, (iii) the RTI: State — Council.
3. Step 3: How to file RTI for hospital registration status. (a) the State — Council — and the Ministry — of Health — and Family Welfare — are public authorities — under the RTI Act, (b) the RTI application — can ask: (i) “Provide the registration — status — for the clinical — establishment — [name] — [address] — including: (a) the registration — number, (b) the registration — date, © the registration — validity, (d) the category, (e) the bed — strength, (f) the complaints — against — the establishment”, (ii) “Provide the statistics — of the clinical — establishments — for [district] — for [period] — including: (a) the total — establishments, (b) the registered — establishments, © the unregistered — establishments, (d) the complaints — received, (e) the action — taken”, © the application fee — is Rs 10.
4. Step 4: How to file RTI for hospital records and reports. (a) the clinical — establishment — is a public authority — under the RTI Act — if it is a government — hospital, (b) for a private — hospital — the RTI — can be filed — with the State — Council — for the compliance — records, © the RTI application — can ask: (i) “Provide the compliance — report — for the clinical — establishment — [name] — including: (a) the inspection — date, (b) the inspection — findings, © the deficiencies — noted, (d) the action — taken, (e) the compliance — status”, (ii) “Provide the complaint — status — for the complaint — [number] — against — the clinical — establishment — [name] — including: (a) the complaint — date, (b) the complaint — details, © the investigation — status, (d) the action — taken”, (d) the application fee — is Rs 10.
5. Step 5: How to complain about a hospital. (a) the State — Council: (i) file — the complaint — with the State — Council — for the Clinical Establishments, (ii) the complaint — should include: (a) the hospital — details, (b) the grievance — details, © the evidence — (medical — records — bills — photos), (b) the Medical Council: (i) file — the complaint — with the Medical Council — for the doctor — negligence, © the Consumer Forum: (i) file — the complaint — at edaakhil.nic.in — for the deficient — service, (d) the Police: (i) file — the FIR — for the criminal — negligence.
6. Step 6: Practical tips. (a) check — the hospital — registration — before — the admission, (b) file RTI — with the State — Council — for the registration — status — and the compliance — records, © file — the complaint — with the State — Council — for the non-compliance, (d) file — the consumer — forum — complaint — for the deficient — service, (e) Example: A patient — was charged — Rs 5,00,000 — for the surgery — and the patient — filed — the RTI — with the State — Council — and found — the hospital — was not registered — and the patient — filed — the complaint — and the hospital — was fined — Rs 50,000 — and the registration — was cancelled.

See Clinical Establishment RTI and Hospital Negligence RTI.