How to File RTI in Tamil Nadu — Online & Postal Guide (2026)

Step-by-step guide to filing an RTI application in Tamil Nadu — state portal, fee, SIC address, sample template and appeal path. Rs.

Part of How to file RTI online in India — this page covers the Tamil Nadu state procedure.

• Portal: https://cic.gov.in/links-to-state-information-commissions
• Works for most Tamil Nadu state departments, public undertakings, and major urban local bodies.
• Fee is paid online through SBI e-Pay.
• You get a unique Registration Number that you use for all follow-ups.

• Address the application to the Public Information Officer, [Name of Public Authority], [Full address].
• Send by Speed Post with Acknowledgement Due. Retain the receipt — it is your filing evidence.
• Enclose the fee in one of the accepted modes: demand draft or crossed banker's cheque in favour of 'Accounts Officer, [Department]' (postal); court-fee stamp; limited online via individual department portals.

• Application fee: Rs. 50 (one of the higher state fees; BPL is free) (BPL applicants: free, on production of a BPL card copy).
• Additional cost for copies: Rs. 2 per page (A4); Rs. 50 per CD.
• Inspection of records: free for the first hour; Rs. 5 for each subsequent 15 minutes (standard state rule).
• Fee modes: demand draft or crossed banker's cheque in favour of 'Accounts Officer, [Department]' (postal); court-fee stamp; limited online via individual department portals.

Governing rules: Tamil Nadu Right to Information (Fees) Rules, 2005.

To,
The Public Information Officer,
[Name of Public Authority],
[Full Address, Tamil Nadu]
[PIN Code]

Subject: Request for information under Section 6(1) of the
Right to Information Act, 2005.

Sir / Madam,

I, [Full Name], resident of [Complete Address with PIN], a citizen of
India, request the following information / records under the RTI Act:

1. [Specific record, file number, or data you want — name the document]
2. [Date / period — anchor the timeframe]
3. [Identifier — your application number, account number, or similar]
4. Name and contact of the First Appellate Authority for this office.

I enclose Rs. 50 (one of the higher state fees; BPL is free) by way of [IPO No. / DD No. / online payment ref.]
in favour of [Accounts Officer, concerned department].

Please send the information to the address below by Registered Post.

Yours faithfully,
[Signature]
Name:    __________________
Address: __________________
PIN:     __________________
Mobile:  __________________
Date:    __________________

Need a topic-specific template? Pick from the sample RTI library — FIR, admission, exam marks, ration card, pension, refund, and more.

1. Day 0 — PIO receives your RTI.
2. Day 0–5 — Transfer under §6(3) if the matter sits with another public authority; the 30-day clock restarts from the date of transfer.
3. Day 10–25 — Most routine requests are answered.
4. Day 30 — Statutory reply deadline. Silence = deemed refusal under §7(2).
5. Day 31 → Day 60 — First Appeal under §19(1) to the Department FAA (one rank above PIO)..
6. Day 75 → Day 165 — Second Appeal under §19(3) to TNSIC at Chennai..

For deadlines in detail, see First Appeal timelines and FAA appellate-review checklist.

• Tamil Nadu has a relatively high RTI application fee of Rs. 50 — cited as a barrier in several reviews, but consistent with the state rules.
• TNSIC has handed down a notable body of case-law on answer-script disclosure, service records, and university governance.
• Tamil is the preferred language; English is accepted.
• For Greater Chennai Corporation and other major ULBs, file directly to the Corporation's PIO; state portal may not route.

• Name: Tamil Nadu State Information Commission (TNSIC)
• Address: Kamadhenu Super Market Building, Old No. 273, Anna Salai, Teynampet, Chennai - 600018
• Website: CIC State IC directory

For §19(3) Second Appeals, file directly to the Commission's Registry — postal or online where the Commission's portal allows.

• Filing at the wrong PIO — route via the concerned department, not the generic state grievance portal.
• Asking “why” questions. Ask for records, not answers — see the records-not-answers drafting guide.
• Missing the fee payment — even online filings fail if the payment is not completed.
• Skipping the application reference / identifier that lets the PIO locate your file.
• Drafting in English when the authority uses a regional language — use either, but be consistent.

• Public Servants' Assets Disclosure — Madras HC 2024 — Public-servant asset lists protected under §8(1)(j); public interest must be specifically pleaded.
• BARC TRP and DD audience data — Madras HC — Public-broadcaster audience data OK; BARC TRP methodology §8(1)(d); aggregate ratings disclosable.
• Pension sanction delay — Madras HC — Pension sanction delay: FAA may direct release + cite PIO §20 exposure; structural remedy under §19(8)(a).
• Municipal works records — Tamil Nadu SIC — Municipal works register + tender + completion records: §4(1)(b) proactive disclosure.
• §20 penalty — Madras HC clarifications — §20 penalty requires specific mala-fide or persistent-negligence finding; formal 30-day delay alone is insufficient.
• Applicant's right to be heard at FAA / Commission — Madras HC — Applicant's right to be heard at FAA / IC — adverse orders passed ex parte are liable to be set aside.
• Defying Commission order — Madras HC — Willful defiance of Commission direction is contempt — actionable via Art.215 HC jurisdiction.
• Section 20 penalty on PIO for deliberate delay — Madras HC 2020 — Deliberate PIO delay without recorded reasonable cause attracts the full §20(1) penalty.

Browse the full case-law database — 362 curated rulings and filter by court / section / keyword.

• How to file RTI online — national guide
• Why RTI gets rejected — drafting fix-it guide
• Ask for records, not answers
• Grounds for RTI rejection
• First Appeal timelines
• FAA appellate-review checklist
• Sample RTI applications
• RTI FAQ — 25 most-asked questions

• Right to Information Act, 2005 (as amended 2019, 2023)
• Tamil Nadu Right to Information (Fees) Rules, 2005
• Tamil Nadu State Information Commission (TNSIC) — annual reports
• Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — §44(3), amending RTI §8(1)(j)

Last reviewed: 24 April 2026.