Section 18 Complaint Form — Information Commission (2026)

• Complainant name + address
• Public authority complained against
• Specific failures alleged (cite section: §4, §5, etc.)
• Pattern of non-compliance with dates
• Documentary evidence
• Reliefs sought (compliance order + penalty)
• Date + signature

IC office (CIC for central, SIC for state PAs).

FREE under §18.

IC convenes inquiry. Can take 6-18 months.

• §18 complains about INSTITUTION; §19 appeals SPECIFIC RTI
• Both can run in parallel
• IC has §18(2) summon power for evidence
• Complaints often catalyze policy change

Forms get “lost”, “incomplete”, “wrong section” — RTI brings out the actual file noting and officer name, which usually resolves the issue within 15 days.

Auto-fill the PIO + your case: Open the RTI Drafter →

When you submit any RTI-related form, ensure these fields are filled correctly:

• Applicant name — exactly as on Aadhaar / PAN / Voter ID
• Postal address — for the PIO to send the reply by Speed Post
• Phone + email — optional but recommended for clarification
• Subject of request — one-line description (≤ 250 chars)
• Specific records sought — itemised list, NOT free-form questions
• Fee mode — IPO / court-fee / DD / online / BPL exemption
• Date + signature — applicant's full signature with date
• Severance + transfer clauses — quote §10(1), §10(2), §6(3) of RTI Act

• Wrong state form — many states mandate their own Form A. Check your state's RTI Rules.
• Fee not enclosed — non-acceptance memo. ALWAYS include the IPO / receipt.
• No applicant signature — return memo. Sign with date.
• Multiple subjects in one application — split into separate applications. PIOs can return composite applications.
• Vague language — re-frame as “certified copy of [specific document]”, not “everything about my case”.

1. Day 0 — file with proper IPO / fee + sign + date.
2. Day 30 — silence by PIO = deemed refusal under §7(2). File §19(1) First Appeal.
3. Day 60-90 — if FAA fails, escalate to State Information Commission under §19(3).

Use AI RTI Drafter (free, 60 seconds) to auto-generate the form with the correct fee + state form variant.

• Right to Information Act, 2005 — full text
• State RTI Rules — see all-state directory
• Anjali Bhardwaj v. UoI (2019) 9 SCC 199 — IC accountability

• All 20 RTI forms + downloads
• AI RTI Drafter
• First Appeal Builder
• State-wise fee chart
• Case-law database

• All 20 RTI forms + downloads
• RTI fees by state
• Helplines + grievance routes
• Full RTI Playbook

Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.