How to file an RTI for PAN card status in Ladakh

If your PAN application is stuck for weeks and the NSDL/UTIITSL status screen keeps saying “under process”, this page walks you through the Ladakh-specific way to force a real answer out of the system. For the general template, decision tree and case law, see the parent guide RTI for PAN card status and the cross-state index PAN card RTIs across all states. For other services you may also be chasing in Ladakh, browse all RTI schemes for Ladakh.

This is the single most important thing to understand, and it is what makes the Ladakh page different from a typical state page.

Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019, administered directly by the Central Government through a Lieutenant Governor with no legislature of its own. Because of that, central laws — including the Right to Information Act 2005 — apply to Ladakh in full, and there is no separate “Ladakh RTI Act” or “Ladakh State Information Commission”. You can confirm this on the official UT site at https://ladakh.gov.in and its RTI corner at https://ladakh.gov.in/rti/.

Separately, PAN (Permanent Account Number) is issued by the Income Tax Department under the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Ministry of Finance. The day-to-day processing is outsourced to two central agencies:

1. Protean (formerly NSDL e-Gov) — manages the TIN system and the pan-only portals at https://www.tin-nsdl.com and https://www.protean-tinpanalytics.com.
2. UTIITSL — the other authorised PAN service agency, at https://www.utiitsl.com.

Both act on behalf of CBDT. So when a Ladakh resident files an RTI about a delayed or wrong PAN, the application must be addressed to the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of a central public authority — typically the CPIO, Income Tax Department / CBDT, or sometimes the designated CPIO of Protean/UTIITSL. The second appeal, if it comes to that, goes to the Central Information Commission (CIC) at https://cic.gov.in, not to any state commission.

This is why the “state” angle for a Ladakh PAN RTI is really about where you live and how you physically file, not about a different law or a different commission.

Choosing the right public authority is the step most applicants get wrong. For PAN matters there are usually three possible targets, depending on what exactly went wrong:

The safest single address for a fresh application is “The CPIO, Income Tax Department, [nearest Regional Office / charges covering Ladakh]“, with a copy of your PAN acknowledgement. The RTI Act does not punish you for picking the wrong CPIO inside the same public authority — Section 6(3) requires the receiving officer to transfer your application to the correct CPIO within 5 days and inform you.

Ladakh's income-tax charge historically falls under the regional jurisdiction that also covers the Jammu & Kashmir region; the exact office name changes from time to time, so it is best to write “CPIO, Income Tax Department, office having jurisdiction over Ladakh (Leh and Kargil districts)” and let the department route it internally.

Because the RTI Act 2005 applies to Ladakh as a central Act, and because your PAN RTI is going to a central public authority, the fee is set by the Central RTI Rules 2012 — not by any state schedule. The amount is small and simple:

For BPL (Below Poverty Line) applicants in Ladakh — and there are many BPL families in the remote belts of Zanskar, Nubra, Changthang and Drass — the Rs. 10 fee is waived entirely. You only need to attach a photocopy of your BPL certificate or ration card. This exemption comes from the same Central RTI Rules 2012 and is binding on the CPIO.

For the broader state-by-state comparison see RTI fees by state; for the directory of all state portals (so you can see what a state portal looks like even though Ladakh does not have one for PAN), see State RTI portals directory.

For most Leh and Kargil residents, the online route is now faster and cleaner than post. Here is the exact sequence:

1. Step 1 — Assemble the questions. Use the AI RTI drafter to write the 5 questions in plain Hindi or English. Save the draft as a PDF.
2. Step 2 — Go to the Central RTI Online portal at https://rtionline.gov.in. Click “Submit Request”.
3. Step 3 — Select the Ministry / Department. Choose “Department of Revenue” → “Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)“. If you want to address NSDL/UTIITSL directly, select the corresponding entry; both are registered as public authorities on the portal.
4. Step 4 — Fill in your details. Name, address (Ladakh pin codes 194101–194109 for Leh district, 194103 etc. for Kargil district), email, mobile.
5. Step 5 — Paste the questions in the “Text of RTI Application” box, or attach the PDF you generated. Keep it under 500 words / 3 MB.
6. Step 6 — Pay the Rs. 10 fee online via net-banking, UPI, debit or credit card. BPL applicants skip this step.
7. Step 7 — Save the registration number and PDF acknowledgment. This is your proof of filing and the start of your 30-day clock.

The acknowledgment is generated immediately and the application lands in the CPIO's inbox the same day. There is no Speed Post delay, no IPO to chase, and no ambiguity about the date of receipt.

If you would rather have the timeline calculated for you, paste your filing date into the RTI timeline calculator.

If you live in an area with patchy internet (large parts of Zanskar, Changthang, upper Nubra and the Drass belt fall in this category), postal filing is still a perfectly valid route. The procedure:

1. Step 1 — Print or hand-write the application using the sample in the Sample RTI section below.
2. Step 2 — Buy an Indian Postal Order (IPO) of Rs. 10 from any post office in Leh, Kargil, Nubra, Zanskar or Drass. IPOs are by far the easiest fee mode in Ladakh because they are sold at every sub-post office. Cross the IPO in favour of “PAO, CBDT” or “Accounts Officer, Income Tax Department” — write the payee name exactly as the CPIO's office asks.
3. Step 3 — Write the envelope addressed to the CPIO, Income Tax Department (or CPIO, NSDL / UTIITSL). Mention your PAN acknowledgement number on the envelope.
4. Step 4 — Send by India Post Speed Post and keep the receipt with the tracking number. The tracking printout is your legal proof of the date of delivery.
5. Step 5 — Note the Speed Post delivery date from the India Post tracking site. That date is the start of your 30-day reply window.

In winter — typically November to March — postal services to and from Ladakh can be slow because of snow on Zoji La and the high passes. Build an extra 10–15 days into your expectations and always keep the Speed Post receipt. Do not send by ordinary post; if it is lost, you cannot prove filing.

For a step-by-step draft of the covering application, run your facts through the AI RTI drafter before you go to the post office.

Two timelines run in parallel, and it helps to know both:

The 30-day limit is the one that matters legally. It comes from Section 7(1) of the RTI Act 2005 — read the full text on the RTI Act page — and it is binding on every CPIO including the ones at CBDT, NSDL and UTIITSL. The CBDT Citizens' Charter 15-day figure is a service commitment, not a statute; if the CPIO replies within 30 days, the RTI Act is satisfied even if the Charter date slipped.

For the calculation of every deadline — reply, First Appeal, Second Appeal — paste your filing date into the RTI timeline calculator and it will hand you the exact dates.

If day 30 passes and there is no reply, or the reply is evasive (“application is under process, please wait”), the law gives you three escalating options:

1. First Appeal under Section 19(1) — to the First Appellate Authority (FAA) of the same public authority. This is the most common and most effective next step.
2. Second Appeal under Section 19(3) — to the Central Information Commission if the FAA also fails you.
3. Complaint under Section 18 — directly to the CIC if there are special circumstances (no CPIO appointed, CPIO demanded illegal fee, etc.). Optional; most applicants skip this and go to Second Appeal.
4. Parallel grievance — a CPGRAMS complaint at https://pgportal.gov.in can be filed alongside the appeal, to keep administrative pressure on the department.

For PAN matters, the First Appeal typically resolves the case — the FAA is usually a senior officer in the same Income Tax charge, and a quick phone call from the FAA's office often unblocks the file within a week. Do not skip it.

To check whether the reply you did receive is legally adequate, paste it into the PIO reply checker before deciding whether to appeal.

The First Appeal is your safety net. It is free of cost — there is no fee for a First Appeal under the Central RTI Rules 2012 — and it goes to the First Appellate Authority (FAA) designated within the same public authority.

Time limit: File within 30 days of the date you should have received a reply. In practice this means:

1. If you got no reply at all — file between day 31 and day 60 from the CPIO's receipt of your application.
2. If you got an unsatisfactory reply on day X — file within 30 days from day X.

A late First Appeal can be accepted if you show “sufficient cause” for the delay, but it is at the FAA's discretion — do not rely on this.

How to file:

1. Online — If your original RTI was filed on rtionline.gov.in, the portal has a “Submit First Appeal” button right next to your original application. Use it; the FAA is auto-routed.
2. By post — Address the appeal to “The First Appellate Authority, [name of public authority]”, enclose a copy of the original RTI, the CPIO's reply (or a note saying no reply was received), and your appeal grounds. Send by Speed Post.

Use the First Appeal drafter to assemble the wording — it auto-fills Section 19(1) language and the right timelines.

The FAA must dispose of the appeal within 30 days of receipt (extendable to 45 days in writing for special reasons). If the FAA also fails, the next step is the Second Appeal.

Because your PAN RTI is against a central public authority, the Second Appeal goes to the Central Information Commission (CIC) at https://cic.gov.in — not to any state commission. This is the same body that hears Second Appeals from Mumbai, Imphal or Car Nicobar; your Ladakh address makes no difference to the route.

Time limit: File within 90 days from the date you received the FAA's order, or from the date the FAA's 30/45-day window expired.

How to file:

1. Online (preferred) — Go to the CIC's Second Appeal portal linked from https://cic.gov.in. Register with your name and email, fill in the public authority, paste your application history and grounds, attach PDFs of (a) the original RTI, (b) the CPIO reply or “no reply” note, © the First Appeal, (d) the FAA order or “no order” note. Pay any applicable fee if the CIC requires it (currently the online portal does not charge for Second Appeals filed by individual citizens).
2. By post — Send a paper Second Appeal to the Central Information Commission, August Kranti Bhavan, Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi — 110066, with the same annexures.

The CIC typically takes 6 to 18 months to list a case for hearing, depending on pendency. Many cases are decided on the basis of written submissions without a hearing. You can attend hearings by video conference from Leh/Kargil — the CIC allows VC participation, which is a major convenience for Ladakh residents who cannot travel to Delhi.

For the wider context on commission decisions and what kinds of arguments succeed, see RTI case law.

#sample-rti-application

Below is a complete, copy-paste-ready application for a Ladakh resident whose PAN is stuck. Replace every field in [SQUARE BRACKETS] with your real details. The 5 questions are the heart of the application — keep them specific and dated.

To,
The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO)
Income Tax Department / Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)
[Office having jurisdiction over Ladakh — Leh & Kargil districts]
[Office address]

Subject: Application under Section 6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005 — status of PAN card application No. [INSERT 15-DIGIT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT NUMBER]

Sir / Madam,

Please furnish the following information under Section 6(1) read with Section 7(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, in respect of my PAN application bearing acknowledgement number [ACK NO.] filed on [DATE] through [NSDL / UTIITSL]:

1. The current status of my aforesaid PAN application, the stage at which it is presently pending, and the date by which the PAN card will be dispatched to my address at [INSERT FULL ADDRESS WITH PIN].

2. The exact date on which my application was received at the processing centre, together with the name, designation and office address of the officer currently handling the file.

3. The detailed reason for the delay in processing / dispatch of my PAN card beyond the timeline specified in the CBDT Citizens' Charter for PAN-related services, with copies of any internal notes or communications recorded on my file.

4. The daily progress made on my application from the date of its receipt till the date of this RTI application, including the dates on which it moved from one desk to another.

5. The action, if any, that has been initiated against the officer(s) responsible for the inordinate delay in processing my application, and the relief being provided to me as a taxpayer for the loss, if any, caused by this delay.

I state that the information sought is not falling under any of the exemptions provided under Sections 8 and 9 of the RTI Act, 2005. I am an Indian citizen. The requisite fee of Rs. 10 is paid herewith by [Indian Postal Order No. ____ dated ____ / Bank Draft No. ____ / online through rtionline.gov.in, registration No. ____].

In case the information sought is held by another public authority, kindly transfer this application to that public authority under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act within five days of receipt, and intimate me accordingly.

Place: Leh / Kargil, Ladakh
Date: [DD / MM / YYYY]

[Your full name]
[Your full postal address with PIN code]
[Mobile number] | [Email]
[Citizen of India]

The following is a composite, illustrative example drawn from common PAN-delay patterns. It is not a single sourced case and is marked illustrative; the timelines and the resolution route, however, follow the procedure above.

Illustrative. Tashi, a small business owner in Leh, applied online for a correction to his PAN (name spelling) through Protean (NSDL) in early October. He received a 15-digit acknowledgement immediately. By mid-November the NSDL status screen still read “Your application is under process at Income Tax Department”. A grievance ticket filed on the Protean portal produced only an auto-reply. In late November, Tashi filed an RTI online through https://rtionline.gov.in addressed to the CPIO, Income Tax Department (CBDT), asking the 5 questions above. The Rs. 10 fee was paid by UPI.

The CPIO's reply arrived on day 24, stating that the application had been held up because the supporting address proof was “not legible” and the file had been sent back to NSDL for re-verification. The reply also gave the name and designation of the handling officer and a date by which dispatch would happen if Tashi uploaded a clearer scan. Tashi uploaded the new scan the same evening and received the corrected PAN card within three weeks.

The point of the example: the RTI did not “fast-track” the file by magic; it simply surfaced the hidden reason for the delay, which Protean's portal had not disclosed. That is exactly what the law is designed to do. If Tashi had received no reply by day 31, his next step would have been a First Appeal under Section 19(1) — and historically, a large share of PAN-related First Appeals result in dispatch within a week.

For a comparable Aadhaar scenario see RTI for Aadhaar update; for a housing-scheme parallel see RTI for PMAY status. The mechanics of escalating are identical.

1. Addressing the application to a Ladakh state official. There is no “Ladakh PAN officer”. PAN is a central subject — address the CPIO, Income Tax Department / CBDT.
2. Sending cash instead of an IPO. The application will be returned and the 30-day clock never starts.
3. Using ordinary post instead of Speed Post. If it is lost, you cannot prove the CPIO received it. Always Speed Post and keep the tracking.
4. Asking vague questions like “Why is my PAN delayed?” The CPIO can lawfully reply “application is under process”. Always ask for dates, names, designations, daily progress — the 5 questions in the sample above are drafted this way deliberately.
5. Missing the 30-day First Appeal window. If the CPIO does not reply and you wait too long, the FAA may reject your First Appeal as time-barred. Run your dates through the timeline calculator the day you file.
6. Filing a Second Appeal straight away. Skipping the First Appeal is allowed only in narrow Section 18 complaints. For ordinary delays, the FAA route is faster and usually sufficient.
7. Forgetting the BPL exemption. If you hold a BPL card, the Rs. 10 fee is fully waived — attach the card copy and file free.
8. Not saving the acknowledgment. Whether online or by post, keep the proof of filing forever — it is the only evidence you have for any later appeal.

If you want a second pair of eyes on the CPIO's reply before deciding whether to appeal, paste it into the PIO reply checker.

Yes. Section 6(1) of the RTI Act lets you file in English, Hindi or the official language of the area. For Ladakh, English and Hindi are widely accepted by central public authorities, and the online portal accepts both. A purely Ladakhi (Bhoti) application may have to be translated by the CPIO's office before processing, which can add a few days, so English or Hindi is usually the practical choice.

No. Ladakh is a Union Territory without a legislature, so there is no separate State Information Commission. For PAN matters — which are central — your Second Appeal goes to the Central Information Commission at https://cic.gov.in. For RTIs against the UT of Ladakh's own departments (such as Education, PWD or Rural Development), the second-appellate route is also through the Central Information Commission, because the UT administration is treated as a central public authority for RTI purposes.

Yes. Under the Central RTI Rules 2012, applicants holding a valid BPL certificate are exempt from the Rs. 10 application fee. Attach a self-attested copy of the BPL certificate or BPL ration card with your application. The exemption is binding on every central public authority, including CBDT, NSDL and UTIITSL.

Keep the bundle thin. You need: (1) a copy of the PAN acknowledgement (the 15-digit number is what the CPIO needs to locate your file); (2) the fee instrument — an IPO of Rs. 10 crossed in favour of “PAO, CBDT” (or the online receipt from rtionline.gov.in); (3) a self-attested copy of your BPL certificate if you are claiming the fee exemption; and (4) a government-photo-ID self-attested copy (Aadhaar, voter ID, driving licence or passport) only if the CPIO specifically asks — it is not mandatory at the filing stage. Do not attach the original PAN card, original documents, or cash. For postal filing from Leh or Kargil, keep photocopies of everything you send — Speed Post occasionally loses envelopes in winter, and you will need a clean set to re-file.

No. Section 6(2) of the RTI Act explicitly says the applicant is not required to give any reason for requesting information, and no personal details except those needed to contact you can be demanded. If a CPIO asks why you want the information, that itself is a violation you can include in your First Appeal grounds.

This is a serious data-integrity problem. File the RTI with the CPIO, Income Tax Department (CBDT), ask specifically for “the basis on which the name [WRONG NAME] was recorded against PAN [NUMBER], and the documents relied upon”, and request a certified copy of the application form that led to the allotment. If the records show an internal error, follow up with a correction application and, if needed, a CPGRAMS grievance at https://pgportal.gov.in. For the data-privacy angle, also see the discussion of personal-information exemption in Section 8(1)(j) on the RTI Act page.

In practice, 6 to 18 months from filing to a decision, depending on pendency. The CIC schedules video-conference hearings so you do not need to travel from Leh or Kargil to Delhi. Interim relief — an order directing the CPIO to furnish the information — is sometimes issued within weeks in clear-cut cases. You can track your case status on the CIC portal with your registration number.

Only the concerned person can invoke the life-and-liberty clause; otherwise, any citizen can file an RTI for any information, including about your PAN, provided they are an Indian citizen. There is no requirement that the applicant be the PAN-holder. NGOs, friends and family members can therefore file on your behalf if they are citizens, but they should mention the PAN-holder's name and acknowledgement number in the application so the CPIO can locate the file.

Under the RTI Act, if the CPIO does not reply within 30 days, the request is deemed to have been refused — and you can go straight to First Appeal without waiting for a “no”. This is important in winter when post is slow: keep the Speed Post delivery date handy, count 30 days from it, and if nothing has arrived by day 31, file the First Appeal. The timeline calculator will give you the exact date.

Only the actual cost of photocopying (Rs. 2 per A4 page under Central RTI Rules 2012) or the cost of a CD/pendrive (Rs. 50 per disk). The Rs. 10 application fee is the only upfront charge. There is no charge for the first hour of inspection of records, and inspections after that are Rs. 5 per 15-minute block. If the CPIO demands more, that is illegal — note it in your First Appeal.

Section 8(1)(a) to (j) of the RTI Act lists the only grounds on which information can be refused, and these override other laws including the secrecy provisions of the Income Tax Act 1961 by virtue of Section 22 of the RTI Act (which gives the RTI Act overriding effect). However, information about a third party (for example, someone else's PAN file) is protected under Section 8(1)(j) and cannot be disclosed without showing larger public interest. Information about your own PAN is yours as of right.

A complaint to the Deputy Commissioner or to the UT administration is a grievance, not an RTI. It is worth doing in parallel — especially via the Ladakh Citizens Help Hub referenced on the UT site at https://ladakh.gov.in — because administrative pressure sometimes resolves PAN delays faster than a legal appeal. But it does not stop the RTI clock; keep both tracks running.

If the original application has a wrong name, date of birth, father's name or address, the RTI will surface the error but cannot correct it. You will need to file a separate change/correction application with Protean/UTIITSL. The RTI is still useful: it gives you a written, dated record of what exactly is on file, which makes the correction application easier to draft accurately.

1. https://ladakh.gov.in — Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh (official site).
2. https://ladakh.gov.in/rti/ — RTI disclosure page of the UT of Ladakh.
3. https://rti.gov.in — Central RTI gateway, Department of Personnel & Training.
4. https://cic.gov.in — Central Information Commission (Second Appeal jurisdiction over CBDT and other central authorities).
5. https://www.tin-nsdl.com/services/pan/pan-index.html — Protean (NSDL) PAN services page.
6. https://www.utiitsl.com — UTIITSL PAN services.
7. https://rtionline.gov.in — Central RTI Online portal (fee payment and tracking).
8. https://pgportal.gov.in — CPGRAMS central public-grievance portal.
9. Right to Information Act, 2005 — Sections 6(1), 6(2), 6(3), 7(1), 8, 19(1), 19(3), 22.
10. Central Right to Information Rules, 2012 — fee schedule (Rs. 10 application fee; BPL exemption; per-page and inspection charges).

Internal pages on this wiki:

1. RTI for PAN card status — the parent guide.
2. PAN card RTIs across all states.
3. All RTI schemes in Ladakh.
4. RTI Act 2005 — full section-by-section text.
5. RTI case law — commission and court decisions.
6. State RTI portals directory.
7. RTI fees by state.
8. RTI for Aadhaar update.
9. RTI for PMAY status.