TL;DR. Kerala wins on second-appeal disposal speed — only 6,000 pending cases vs national average 25,000+. Tamil Nadu wins on district-level access via Maavattam kiosks (RTI filing assistance in every district). Both lead India in RTI culture.
| Metric | Tamil Nadu | Kerala |
| State portal | rtionline.tn.gov.in | kerala.gov.in/rti |
| State language | Tamil + English | Malayalam + English |
| District kiosks | ✅ Maavattam in every district | ⚠️ Only some |
| Avg PIO response | 24 days | 21 days |
| SIC backlog | 8,000 cases | 6,000 cases |
| SIC commissioners filled (Apr 2026) | 8/11 | 9/11 |
| Disposal time avg | 12 months | 9 months |
| BPL fee waiver | ✅ Operational | ✅ Operational |
| Online to physical access | ✅ Both routes | ⚠️ Online dominant |
Kerala has historically had higher RTI literacy (legacy of public-affairs activism). The SIC is well-staffed and disposes appeals quickly. Penalty under §20 is enforced more often.
Maavattam kiosks help senior citizens, illiterate citizens, and rural users physically. Kerala's online-first model misses this segment.
Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.