RTI section 4 - proactive disclosure duties
Quick Reply: Section 4(1)(b) binds every public authority. A Regional Passport Office must publish its organisation, the norms for its functions, the rules it uses, and the names of its PIOs. Failure to publish is enforced through §4 and the Commission's §19(8)(a) directions, not as a §20(1) penalty for “citizen-charter non-compliance”.
Topic explainer · RTI Act s.4 · not a CIC case against RPO Delhi
Every public authority shall publish the particulars of its organisation, functions and duties, the norms set by it, and the names of its Public Information Officers.
Legal sources
| Nature | Topic explainer. Not a case report. |
|---|---|
| Primary law | RTI Act, 2005, s.4(1)(b), s.4(2), s.19(8)(a), s.20(1) |
Holding
The s.4 duty does not need a CIC caption against any named Regional Passport Office. It is the text of the Act, and it binds every public authority.
A Regional Passport Office is a public authority under the Ministry of External Affairs. It must do what s.4(1)(b) lists. That includes organisation and functions, norms for discharge of functions, the rules and manuals it uses, and the names and designations of its PIOs. Section 4(2) requires as much of this as possible to be put out suo motu, including on the internet.
Ratio
Section 4(1)(b)(i) requires particulars of organisation, functions and duties. Clause (iv) requires the norms set for discharge of functions. Clause (v) requires the rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records used to discharge those functions. Clause (xvi) requires names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information Officers. The list is updated every year.
Section 20(1) is a penalty against a PIO who, without reasonable cause, refuses a request, misses the §7(1) time limit, or gives false, incomplete or misleading information. It is not a penalty for the public authority's failure to keep its §4(1)(b) page current. The Commission's tool for §4 compliance is §19(8)(a), including a direction to publish specified information. Do not tell a first-appeal authority that “failure to publish a citizen charter attracts §20(1)”. That is not what s.20 says.
If an RPO has not published its norms, fee schedule or PIO details, ask under §6(1) for the current §4(1)(b) disclosures and the date of last update. Then first-appeal the gap. For delay on a live application, the clock is still §7(1).
Section(s) applied
- Section 19(8)(a) - directions to publish
- Section 20(1) - PIO penalty for refusal, delay or false information, not a s.4 publishing offence
Related
Sources
- Section 4 in The Right to Information Act, 2005, https://indiankanoon.org/doc/13503/
- Section 20 in The Right to Information Act, 2005, https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1369783/
- RTI Act s.4 and s.20 as published on this site
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Last reviewed: 11 September 2026.