File RTI Online — 12 steps + free tools

File an RTI online in 60 seconds — use AwaazRTI to speak in Hindi, AI Drafter to refine, Outcome Predictor to score, then submit on rtionline.gov.in. Free, no login.

🚀 Route A: Use the tools (60 seconds)

1. Open 🎤 AwaazRTI — speak your problem in Hindi/Hinglish/English
2. Or 🪄 AI Drafter — type your problem in 2-3 sentences
3. Get a structured RTI back: addressee, queries, sections, fee line — copy or download
4. Optional: run 🔮 Outcome Predictor to score before filing
5. Submit at rtionline.gov.in (Central) or your State portal

📘 Route B: Follow the 12-step manual — read on for the legal walkthrough.

The body that holds the records is the right authority. If your scholarship is stuck, that's the issuing department (e.g., Department of Higher Education) — not the bank that disburses. Ask who creates the document I want?.

If unsure, send to the closest match — Section 6(3) requires the PIO to transfer within 5 days.

For event-related public records, the same test applies. For example, after a cancelled cricket match, fans may ask police, municipal or stadium authorities for records. See How fans can use RTI after cancelled IPL match.

Plain paper or A4. Address: The Public Information Officer (PIO), [Office name + address]. Subject: Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

RTI gets you documents, not opinions. Don't ask “why was my application rejected?”. Ask “file noting on application no. ABC dated 12 March 2025”. Khanapuram Gandaiah (SC, 2010) made this rule clear.

Use language like: certified copy, file noting, inspection report, muster roll, register entries, minutes, order, notification.

Specificity protects against “vague query” rejection. Quote: FIR number, application number, EID, UAN, tender number, financial year, exact date.

Common refusals and counters:

• §8(1)(j) personal info — frame the request around the policy/scheme, not an individual's data; cite §8(2) public interest if needed.
• §8(1)(h) investigation — wait for charge-sheet under §173(2) CrPC; or ask only for completed-stage records (Bhagat Singh v. CIC, Delhi HC 2007).
• §8(1)(d) commercial confidence — applies pre-award only; ask post-award for tender documents.
• §24 intelligence orgs — invoke the corruption / human-rights proviso.

Run your draft through the 🔮 Outcome Predictor to flag risks.

Central: Rs. 10 IPO (Indian Postal Order) or DD favouring “Accounts Officer”. Most States: Rs. 10 IPO / Court-Fee stamps. BPL applicants: zero fee (attach BPL ration-card copy).

Add: “Certified photocopies preferred. Soft copy by email if available.”. This invokes Section 7(9) — alternative-form supply.

Include name, address with PIN, phone, email, date, signature. ID copy is not mandatory but speeds up dispatch.

Online — for Central: rtionline.gov.in. Pay Rs. 10 online, get e-receipt. State portals: see the state directory.

By post — registered post (RPAD) with acknowledgment. Keep the receipt.

By hand — get a stamped acknowledgment with date and PIO seal.

Use 📅 Timeline Calculator to track the §7(1) deadline. Life-and-liberty matters: 48 hours under §7(1) proviso.

When the reply arrives, paste it into 📬 PIO Reply Checker — it flags speaking-order defects, missing severability, naked refusal, missing FAA contact.

If the reply is unsatisfactory or absent (deemed refusal), file First Appeal within 30 days to the FAA at the same office. Use ⚖️ First Appeal Generator for a structured §19(1) draft.

If FAA fails too: Second Appeal to the CIC (central) or SIC (state) within 90 days under §19(3).

To:
The Public Information Officer (PIO),
[Office name and full postal address].

Subject: Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

Sir / Madam,

Under §6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, kindly provide:

1. [Specific record 1 — name the document, period, file number].
2. [Specific record 2 — same level of detail].
3. [Specific record 3].

Period: [exact dates / financial year].
Form of information sought: Certified photocopies (and soft copy by email
if available, under §7(9)).

I am a citizen of India. Rs. 10 (Indian Postal Order No. ____) enclosed.
Reply within 30 days under §7(1) — for life-and-liberty matters, 48 hours
under the proviso to §7(1).

Yours faithfully,
[Name]
[Address with PIN]
[Phone] / [Email]
[Date]

Each State has its own portal, fee structure and procedure. See the state directory for direct links. Common state portals:

• Maharashtra — aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in
• Delhi — rtionline.gov.in (Central, used by Delhi too)
• Karnataka — rtionline.karnataka.gov.in
• Tamil Nadu — manual / partial-online (varies by department)
• UP — jansunwai.up.nic.in
• Bihar — rtibihar.gov.in
• All 36 States/UTs — fees + procedures

Skip the manual. The 🛠 Tools menu provides 7 step-by-step tools that walk you from voice → draft → predict → file → track → analyse → appeal.

• 🔍 RTI Research — ask any question, cited from RTI Wiki
• 🎤 AwaazRTI — speak in Hindi
• 🪄 AI Drafter — type & generate
• 🔮 Outcome Predictor — score 0-100
• 📅 Timeline Calculator
• 📬 PIO Reply Checker
• ⚖️ First Appeal Generator

• Ready-to-file templates
• RTI for beginners
• Why RTI gets rejected
• 25 RTI questions answered
• RTI Act, 2005 — full text

Last reviewed: 24 April 2026.