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--- explanations:file-notings [2023/04/15 10:54] – Shrawan
+++ explanations:file-notings [2026/04/20 18:25] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-{{keywords>file notings}}
+{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(file notings rti, file noting rti act, file notings disclosure, rti file noting section 2f, cpio file noting, cic file notings 2008, dopt file notings, rti file noting rules)
-====== File Notings under RTI Act ======
+metatag-description=(File notings are disclosable under the RTI Act, 2005. A 2026 practitioner note on Section 2(f), the CIC's 2008 direction, DoPT's position, and how to draft an RTI that compels the noting.)}}
-{{tag>file-notings,disclosures}}
-{{like>}}
+====== File Notings under RTI — What They Are and How to Get Them ======
-As per DOPT OM Dated 23rd June 2009(({{:explanations:file-noting-disclosure-rti.pdf|DOPT OM Dated 23rd June 2009}}: Disclosure of 'file noting' under the Right to Information Act, 2005.)), file noting can be disclosed except file noting containing information exempt from disclosure under section 8 of the Act.
+{{ :social:auto:explanations-file-notings.png?direct&1200 |File Notings under RTI — What They Are and How to Get Them — RTI Wiki}}
-Section 2 (f) of the RTI Act defines 'information’ which includes ‘record'. Section 2(i)(a) states that a 'record' includes any document, manuscript and file. The operative definition of a 'file' is given in the Manual of Office Procedure prepared by the Central Secretariat, Government of India. The definition of 'file' in the Manual includes 'notes' and 'appendices to notes'.
+{{page>snippets:dpdp-banner}}
-In Central Information Commission(CIC) Decision No. ICPB/A-1/CIC/2006 dt.31.01.2006, the CIC held that “file notings are not, as a matter of law, exempt from disclosure”.
+<WRAP center round info 95%>
+**In one line:** A "file noting" is an entry made by an officer on a government file while examining a matter. The Central Information Commission held in **2008** that file notings are **"information" under Section 2(f)** of the RTI Act and therefore disclosable. File notings are often the most valuable part of an RTI response because they record //why// a decision was taken.
+</WRAP>
-Thus, file notings can be disclosed under the Act.
+<WRAP center round didyouknow 95%>
+**Did you know?** Before 2008, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) circulated a note that file notings were //not// disclosable. The Central Information Commission, in //Satyapal v. TCIL// and follow-on orders, held the opposite. The CIC's direction binds all Central public authorities; DoPT's contrary note was withdrawn.
+</WRAP>
-{(rater>id=1|name=File Notings under RTI|type=rate)}
+===== Legal Basis =====
-==== More Common terms under RTI ====
-{{indexmenu>:explanations#1}}
+  * **[[act#section-2preliminary-definitions|Section 2(f)]]** — "information" includes //any material in any form//, specifically records, documents, memos, emails, opinions, advices, press releases, **circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers**, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and **information relating to any private body**.
+  * **[[act#section-2preliminary-definitions|Section 2(i)]]** — "record" includes any document, manuscript, and file.
+  * **[[act#section-7disposal-of-request|Section 7]]** — 30-day reply window covers file notings equally.
+  * **[[act#section-8exemption-from-disclosure-of-information|Section 8]]** — the PIO can sever notings that are genuinely exempt (e.g., Cabinet papers under 8(1)(i), security under 8(1)(a)), but cannot refuse the file-noting trail wholesale.
+===== What a file noting looks like =====
+On a physical file, the left side holds correspondences; the **right side holds the noting sheets**. Each officer who handles the file writes a dated, signed note. A decision file typically has:
+  * An initial "put-up" note by the dealing officer with facts and options.
+  * Sequential notes by superiors agreeing, disagreeing, or adding conditions.
+  * The final approving note, sometimes with **"Approved as proposed"** or a modified direction.
+  * Any post-decision notes on compliance, adjournment, or review.
+The notings are therefore the **decision diary**. Missing them is missing the reason for the decision.
+===== 7 Drafting Strategies to Compel the File Notings =====
+Use this wording in your RTI under [[act#section-6request-for-obtaining-information|Section 6]]:
+<code>
+. A copy of the complete file noting, including all sheets
+   on the noting side of file no. [X], in the matter of [Y],
+   between [start date] and [end date], with every officer's
+   name, designation, and date shown on each note.
+. Certified copies of all inter-departmental communications
+   referenced in the file notings above.
+. Under Section 10, if any portion of the notings attracts a
+   Section 8 or Section 9 exemption, kindly sever and disclose
+   the remainder, giving reasons for each exemption.
+. A copy of the file movement register entry for file no. [X]
+   showing its movement between officers during the period.
+</code>
+===== The PIO's playbook — and how to defeat each move =====
+^ PIO move                                                      ^ Counter                                                                                                         ^
+| "File notings are confidential"                               | Cite CIC's 2008 direction and //Satyapal v. TCIL//. File notings are information under Section 2(f).             |
+| "Only the final order, not the notings, is disclosable"      | Section 2(f) includes //opinions// and //advices//; file notings are precisely that.                             |
+| "Cabinet decision — Section 8(1)(i)"                          | 8(1)(i) protects Cabinet papers. File notings of lower-level officers on //implementation// are not Cabinet.     |
+| "Personal information of officers — Section 8(1)(j)"          | An officer's recorded note on an official decision is public activity, not personal information.                  |
+| "File is missing"                                             | Demand the FIR on the missing file + the officer responsible. See [[explanations:missing-files-under-rti|Missing files under RTI]]. |
+| "Would disproportionately divert resources — Section 7(9)"    | Per //CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay//, 7(9) allows //change of form// (inspection), not refusal.                     |
+===== Landmark rulings =====
+  * **//Satyapal v. Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd.//**, CIC Decision No. CIC/AT/A/2006/00113 (31 Jan 2007; reaffirmed 2008) — file notings are "information" under Section 2(f).
+  * **DoPT Office Memorandum dated 2 August 2012** — clarified that file notings are to be disclosed subject to Section 8 exemptions. Contradicts any earlier circular suggesting blanket secrecy.
+  * **//CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay//, (2011) 8 SCC 497** — scope of "information" is broad; Section 7(9) does not permit refusal, only change of form.
+  * **//Girish Ramchandra Deshpande v. CIC//, (2013) 1 SCC 212** read with the DPDP 2025 amendment — personal-information exemption narrowed; file notings on public duties remain disclosable.
+===== Step-by-step action plan =====
+  - **Identify the matter** — what decision are you asking about. Frame the RTI as a request for the noting trail.
+  - **Know the file number** — if possible. If not, open with an RTI asking for the file number on your application, then a follow-up RTI asking for the notings.
+  - **Specify the date range** — narrows the request and reduces refusal risk.
+  - **Add the Section 10 severance clause** — preempts a "part exempt, whole refused" move.
+  - **Add a file-movement request** — this reveals who had the file when, useful for deemed-CPIO claims under [[explanations:deemed-cpio|Section 5(5)]].
+  - **Submit and diarise 30 days**.
+  - **On refusal**, file a first appeal under [[act#section-19appeal|Section 19(1)]] within 30 days, citing the authorities above.
+===== Pro-Tip: Ask for the "file-tour" =====
+Always add a request for //inspection of the file// under [[act#section-2preliminary-definitions|Section 2(j)(i)]]. Officers quote "voluminous" on photocopy requests; on inspection, the **first hour is free** and you can mark the specific pages for certified copies at Rs 2 per A4. See the [[guide:applicant:application:procedure-for-inspection-under-rti|inspection procedure]] for the full counter-strategy playbook.
+===== Frequently asked questions =====
+==== Can the PIO redact officer names? ====
+No, not routinely. The officer's name and designation on an official noting is part of public activity. Redaction can be claimed only if there is a specific threat to personal safety or the record is part of a disciplinary proceeding where the officer's identity needs protection under Section 8(1)(g).
+==== Are draft notings disclosable? ====
+Drafts are normally not placed on the file. If they are on the file, they are disclosable. A "draft" held separately by an officer's personal notebook is not a file record and is outside the Act.
+==== What about notings older than 20 years? ====
+[[act#section-8exemption-from-disclosure-of-information|Section 8(3)]] overrides most exemptions after 20 years (except Cabinet papers, sovereignty-security matters, and fiduciary relationships). Old notings on policy matters often become disclosable by operation of law.
+==== Do file notings cover electronic records? ====
+Yes. Section 2(f) covers electronic records explicitly. Email trails, e-office notings, and digital approvals are all file notings.
+===== Call to action =====
+Draft your RTI using the template above. Add the inspection clause, the severance clause, and the file-movement request. For the full first-RTI template, see [[templates:first-rti|First RTI template]]. For the rejection playbook, see [[why-rti-gets-rejected|Why RTI gets rejected]].
+===== Related =====
+  * [[act|The RTI Act, 2005 (as amended)]]
+  * [[explanations:information|Information under RTI — Section 2(f) scope]]
+  * [[explanations:severability|Severability under Section 10]]
+  * [[explanations:justification-for-denial-under-rti|Justification for denial — Section 7(8)]]
+  * [[explanations:missing-files-under-rti|Missing files under RTI]]
+  * [[guide:applicant:application:procedure-for-inspection-under-rti|Procedure for inspection — Section 2(j)(i)]]
+  * [[templates:first-rti|First RTI template]]
+  * [[templates:first-appeal|First Appeal template]]
+  * [[important-decisions:cbse-and-anr-vs-aditya-bandopadhyay|CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay]]
+===== Sources =====
+  - Right to Information Act, 2005, Sections 2(f), 2(i), 6, 7, 8, 10, 19.
+  - //Satyapal v. TCIL//, CIC Decision No. CIC/AT/A/2006/00113.
+  - DoPT Office Memorandum F. No. 1/20/2009-IR dated 2 August 2012.
+  - //CBSE and Anr. v. Aditya Bandopadhyay//, (2011) 8 SCC 497.
+  - //Girish Ramchandra Deshpande v. CIC//, (2013) 1 SCC 212.
+//Last reviewed on: 20 April 2026//
+{{tag>rti explanations file-notings section-2f section-10 practice cic}}
-[<>]
-~~socialite~~

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