Table of Contents
Citizen RTI playbook — file, escalate, win (2026)
The lead. Filing an RTI is not legal work. It's 5 minutes of attention. ₹10 of fee. And the entire weight of the Right to Information Act, 2005 behind your single sheet of paper. This playbook walks you through every stage — from “I have a problem” to “I have the information / the action / the penalty on the PIO”. 100+ scenario-specific guides linked.
Step 1 — Identify your need
Are you seeking information (what happened, who decided, why) or action (fix my problem)? RTI is for information. For action, file CPGRAMS in parallel. For corruption, file Lokayukta complaint alongside.
If your need is information, identify the public authority that holds it. The PIO of the wrong office will reject under §6(3) — wasting 30 days. Use RTI Research tool to find the right authority.
Step 2 — Pick your scenario
Welfare schemes:
Documents & certificates:
- Passport · Aadhaar · PAN · Voter ID · Driving licence · Birth cert · Death cert · Caste cert · Income cert · Domicile cert · Marriage cert
Property & land:
Police & justice:
Health:
Education:
Employment & service matters:
Civic services:
- Electricity · Water supply · Garbage · Roads · Streetlights · Sewerage · Drainage · Public toilet · Parks · Bus routes · Stray dogs
Trade & enterprise:
Public funds & accountability:
Infrastructure:
- Railway station · Airport · Metro · Highway · Bridge · Flyover · Smart City · AMRUT · JJM · Swachh Bharat
Step 3 — Draft the RTI
- 📋 Or copy the canonical template from your scenario page above
Step 4 — File
- Online (when state has working portal): use state portal or rtionline.gov.in (Centre)
- Postal (universal): Speed Post with ₹10 IPO + acknowledgment
- Track using Timeline Calculator
Step 5 — Day 31 if no reply
- ⚖️ Generate First Appeal in 60 seconds — files under §19(1) to FAA
- Do NOT wait for FAA — start drafting Second Appeal facts in parallel
Step 6 — Day 76, file Second Appeal
- To CIC (Central PIO) or SIC (state PIO) — see how to choose
- Cite relevant CIC orders from our 300-decision database
- Seek §20 penalty on the PIO if refusal was malafide
Tools for the playbook
When you should NOT use RTI
RTI is not the right tool when:
- You need action, not information → use CPGRAMS
- You allege corruption by a public servant → use Lokpal/Lokayukta (with RTI evidence)
- You need a judicial remedy → file Article 226 writ
- You want personal opinion of a judge → see Khanapuram Gandaiah 2010
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