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+{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(file rti kerala,rti online kerala,kerala rti portal,kerala state information commission,rti fee kerala,rti thiruvananthapuram,kerala state information commission ksic)&metatag-description=(File RTI online in Kerala — complete 2026 guide. Kerala RTI portal, fees, timelines, appeal routes. Kerala State Information Commission contact in Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam filing, templates for land, panchayat, health records.)}}
+====== File RTI in Kerala — 2026 guide ======
+<WRAP center round tip 95%>
+**Need help drafting this RTI?** Use our free **[[:tools:rti-assistant|RTI Assistant]]** — describe your problem, get a ready-to-file Section 6(1) application with your name and address pre-filled. Also handles First Appeal and Second Appeal to the CIC/SIC.
+</WRAP>
+**Kerala accepts RTI at Central (rtionline.gov.in, Rs 10), State (in person or by post, Rs 10), and local-body (panchayat/municipality, Rs 10) levels. Malayalam, Hindi, and English are accepted under §4(3). The Kerala State Information Commission sits in Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala has a strong RTI culture — response times are among India's best (20-30 days average). Kerala scored 45/50 on the [[:state-rti-portal-rankings|State RTI Portal Rankings]] 2026.**
+{{page>_snippets:dpdp-banner}}
+===== Where to file =====
+| **Department** | **Where / portal** | **Fee** |
+| Central Government (Income Tax, Railways, KSEB, BSNL) | rtionline.gov.in | Rs 10 |
+| State Government (Revenue, Education, Health, LSGD, Power) | At the department; some via Akshaya Kendra; e-District Kerala for some | Rs 10 |
+| Kerala Legislative Assembly Secretariat | At the Assembly office | Rs 10 |
+| Municipal Corporations (Kochi, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram) | Corporation RTI Cell | Rs 10 |
+| Panchayats / LSG institutions | At the Panchayat / Block office | Rs 10 |
+| Kerala Police | District SP / Commissionerate | Rs 10 |
+===== Kerala State Information Commission =====
+  * **Address**: Punnen Road, Statue, Thiruvananthapuram-695001
+  * **Website**: https://keralasic.gov.in (Malayalam / English)
+  * **Email**: keralasic@kerala.gov.in
+  * **Second Appeal**: within 90 days of FAA decision
+===== Key Kerala-specific points =====
+  * **Malayalam filing**: §4(3) and State-language policy allow native filing; no applicant-side translation needed.
+  * **e-District Kerala**: integrates some services but not a unified RTI portal — paper and Akshaya Kendra routes remain primary.
+  * **Kerala's strong §4 compliance**: many departments maintain well-populated §4(1)(b) disclosure pages. Use these FIRST before filing an RTI — saves 30 days.
+  * **Cooperative sector**: after //Thalappalam// (SC 2013) and **[[:cases:kerala-hc-cooperative-banks-rti-2017|Kerala HC 2017]]**, routine cooperatives are NOT §2(h) public authorities.
+  * **Pensioner-rights**: under **[[:cases:kerala-hc-rti-pension-records-2018|Kerala HC 2018]]**, a pensioner is entitled to their own pension calculation, arrears and retirement-benefit records.
+===== Templates =====
+**Template 1 — Panchayat / LSG accounts**
+<code>
+Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005:
+. Copy of the annual income-and-expenditure statement of
+   [Panchayat name], [block], [district] for the FY [year].
+. Copies of all works tendered and completion reports for the
+   said year.
+. MGNREGS muster rolls and job-card register for the period.
+. Details of plan-fund utilisation with project-wise breakdown.
+</code>
+**Template 2 — Revenue / land records**
+<code>
+Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005:
+. Copy of the pokkuvaravu / mutation file for Survey No.
+   [SF No.], [village], [taluk], [district].
+. Copies of the Thandaper register entries for the said
+   survey number.
+. Current status of the transfer — pending, allowed, rejected.
+. Copy of the Tahsildar's order if passed.
+</code>
+**Template 3 — Government hospital records (own treatment)**
+<code>
+Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005:
+. Copy of my hospital admission file dated [date] at [Hospital name].
+. Discharge summary, billing breakup, and treating-physician's notes.
+. If treatment under Karunya / Aarogyakeralam scheme, details of
+   scheme utilisation.
+. Copies of any medico-legal documentation (with appropriate
+   redaction where required).
+</code>
+===== Common rejection reasons — and the counter =====
+  * **"Records with LSGD"** — §6(3) transfer within 5 days, get the transfer letter.
+  * **"§8(1)(j) — personal"** — post-DPDP 2025, check if genuinely about another person. Public-authority action isn't personal.
+  * **"Not in our records"** — ask for the department's file-register to verify.
+===== Notable Kerala rulings =====
+  * **[[:cases:kerala-hc-cooperative-banks-rti-2017|Cooperative banks under RTI — Kerala HC 2017]]**
+  * **[[:cases:kerala-hc-rti-pension-records-2018|Pension records — Kerala HC 2018]]**
+  * **[[:cases:hc-kerala-rti-mgnregs-beneficiary-2020|MGNREGS beneficiary lists — Kerala HC 2020]]**
+  * **[[:cases:sic-kerala-ration-card-records-2020|Ration-card records — Kerala SIC 2020]]**
+  * **[[:cases:kerala-hc-political-parties-2015|Political parties under RTI — Kerala HC 2015]]**
+===== When an RTI fails =====
+  - First Appeal to FAA within 30 days.
+  - Second Appeal to **Kerala SIC**, Thiruvananthapuram, within 90 days.
+  - Writ petition to Kerala High Court (at Kochi) under Article 226.
+===== FAQs =====
+**Q1: Can I file RTI in Malayalam?** Yes. §4(3) permits local-language filing; Malayalam is accepted without applicant-side translation.
+**Q2: Is there a Kerala state-wide RTI portal?** No unified portal. Some department-specific online forms exist; paper / in-person remains primary.
+**Q3: What's the average response time in Kerala?** 20-30 days — among the best in India. Kerala's §4 compliance means you often don't need to file at all.
+**Q4: Where is the Kerala SIC?** Punnen Road, Thiruvananthapuram. Website: keralasic.gov.in.
+**Q5: Is RTI fee reduced in Kerala?** No — standard Rs 10 State fee. BPL applicants fully exempt.
+===== Notable RTI rulings from Kerala (from the case-law corpus) =====
+  * **[[:cases:hc-kerala-rti-lokayukta-2024|Lokayukta inquiry report RTI — Kerala HC 2024]]** — Concluded anti-corruption findings are public; live inquiries are protected.
+  * **[[:cases:hc-kerala-rti-beverage-corporation-2022|Kerala Beverage Corp records — Kerala HC]]** — KSBC = §2(h); tender + licensing + revenue records disclosable.
+  * **[[:cases:kerala-hc-rti-service-book-personal-2021|Service book disclosure to public servant — Kerala HC]]** — Own service book + notings fully accessible; §8(1)(j) protects against third-party access only.
+  * **[[:cases:sic-kerala-ration-card-records-2020|Ration card / PDS records — Kerala SIC]]** — PDS beneficiary lists are §4 suo-motu material; individual card entitlements also disclosable.
+  * **[[:cases:hc-kerala-rti-mgnregs-beneficiary-2020|MGNREGS beneficiary lists — Kerala HC]]** — MGNREGS muster rolls = §4(1)(b)(xii); name+aggregate-days disclosable, Aadhaar/bank details protected.
+  * **[[:cases:kerala-hc-rti-pension-records-2018|Pension records — Kerala HC]]** — A pensioner's own records (pension calc, arrears, retirement benefits) are disclosable to him under RTI.
+  * **[[:cases:kerala-hc-cooperative-banks-rti-2017|Cooperative banks under RTI — Kerala HC]]** — Post-Thalappalam, cooperative banks are public authorities only if substantial State financing is proven.
+  * **[[:cases:kerala-hc-political-parties-2015|Political party accounts — Kerala HC 2015]]** — State units of political parties held NOT public authorities under §2(h) — contrast with CIC ruling.
+Browse the **[[:cases|full case-law database — 362 curated rulings]]** and filter by court / section / keyword.
+===== Related =====
+  * [[:file-rti-online-india|Pan-India RTI filing]]
+  * [[:file-rti-maharashtra|Maharashtra]] · [[:file-rti-karnataka|Karnataka]] · [[:file-rti-tamil-nadu|Tamil Nadu]] · [[:file-rti-delhi|Delhi]]
+  * [[:rti-fees-by-state|RTI fees by State]]
+  * [[:state-rti-portal-rankings|State RTI Portal Rankings 2026]]
+===== External =====
+  * Kerala SIC: https://keralasic.gov.in
+  * Kerala Government: https://kerala.gov.in
+  * e-District: https://edistrict.kerala.gov.in
+~~NOCACHE~~
+//Last reviewed: 22 April 2026.//
+{{tag>state-guide kerala rti thiruvananthapuram ksic}}

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