Online RTI portals — a 2026 state-by-state comparison
As of April 2026, all 28 states + 8 UTs have an online RTI portal — in principle. In practice, usability varies wildly.
Central RTI Online Portal
rtionline.gov.in remains the best-in-class: fee payment, SMS/email tracking, document upload, auto-FAA, auto-CIC escalation.
State snapshots
- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Delhi — full-featured, mirror central standards.
- UP, Bihar, MP — basic portals; SMS tracking weak.
- J&K, Ladakh, Lakshadweep — minimal functionality; manual filing still dominant.
- Gujarat, Tamil Nadu — state-specific but robust.
Issues on state portals
- Fee payment gateway failures (average 8-12% failed transactions per CIC audits).
- Deadline-tracking not auto-escalating.
- CIC second-appeal flow not integrated.
What to do
- Always keep a screenshot + PDF of the submission receipt.
- Where the state portal lacks FAA flow, download acknowledgement and file FAA offline by Speed Post.
- If fee-payment fails, keep the gateway error screenshot; UCO Bank or SBI e-payment typically.
Sources
- CIC audit report on online portals 2024-25.
- rtionline.gov.in and state RTI portals (April 2026 review).
Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.
Why this matters for citizens
This blog post is part of RTI Wiki's editorial coverage of India's information-rights ecosystem under the Right to Information Act, 2005. We track court rulings, policy changes, RTI activist work, and citizen success stories monthly. Subscribe to the monthly newsletter for a curated digest.
Citizen action steps
- File a free RTI on a related issue using the AI RTI Drafter.
- Track deadlines with the Timeline Tracker (Day 30 + Day 60 alerts).
- If your reply is evasive, paste it into the PIO Reply Checker.
- For voice input in 11 Indian languages, use AwaazRTI.
Citations and sources
- Right to Information Act, 2005 — full text
- CPIO Supreme Court v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal (2020) 5 SCC 481 — Constitution Bench
- Anjali Bhardwaj v. UoI (2019) 9 SCC 199 — IC accountability
- DPDP Act 2023 + DPDP Rules 2025 (in force 14 Nov 2025)
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