RTI Inspection of Records: Procedure, Fee, Format and Appeal Remedy

Section 2(j) of the RTI Act, 2005 defines the right to information to include:

“the right to (i) inspection of work, documents, records; (ii) taking notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records; (iii) taking certified samples of material; (iv) obtaining information in the form of diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode.”

Three things flow from this for every citizen:

• Inspection is a first-class right, not a concession. A PIO cannot offer photocopies instead of inspection if you have asked to inspect.
• Taking notes during inspection is free, under Section 2(j)(ii). Your notebook is your tool.
• Certified copies during inspection cost Rs 2 per A4 / A3 page under Rule 4(a) of the Central RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005, unless the state rule prescribes a different rate.

The Central rule's “Rs 5 per hour or fraction” language means that if you spend 1 hour 10 minutes inspecting, you pay Rs 5 for the second hour (the first is free). It does not mean Rs 5 every fifteen minutes; that figure is not in the Central rules.

1. Step 1: File an RTI application under Section 6 using the words “I wish to inspect the records” or “I request permission to inspect the records in person”. Do not also ask for photocopies of the entire file - you will mark pages during inspection. Attach the Rs 10 IPO (Indian Postal Order). See the format in the next section.
2. Step 2: The PIO must schedule the inspection within the 30-day limit under Section 7(1). A reasonable PIO will offer three alternative date / time slots by Day 25.
3. Step 3: Before the inspection, the PIO must (a) number every page of the file, (b) prepare an index of file notings and annexures, and © intimate the file numbers and page-counts to you. This is routine office procedure; refusal to do any of these is appealable.
4. Step 4: At the inspection you may read every page, take notes in your own notebook, mark pages for certified copies, and note file-noting references. The PIO (or a deputed officer) supervises but must not read your notes.
5. Step 5: After inspection, pay Rs 2 per marked page for certified copies. The copies are dispatched within two working days in most offices; insist on a written acknowledgement of the fee paid.

To,
The Central / State Public Information Officer,
[Department / Ministry name],
[Full address with PIN code].

Subject: Inspection of records under Section 6 read with Section 2(j)(i)
of the Right to Information Act, 2005.

Sir / Madam,

Under the Right to Information Act, 2005, I request:

1. Permission to INSPECT, in person, the records, files, file notings,
 and annexures relating to [subject], in particular file number [X]
 for the period [date range].

2. Certified copies, at Rs 2 per A4 / A3 page under Rule 4(a) of the
 RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005, of the pages I identify
 and mark during the inspection.

3. Before the inspection date is fixed, kindly intimate:
 (a) the file numbers and page counts of the records to be made
   available;
 (b) three alternative date and time slots within the 30-day limit
   under Section 7(1);
 (c) the name, designation, and contact number of the officer who
   will supervise the inspection.

I am a citizen of India. I enclose an Indian Postal Order of Rs 10
payable to the Accounts Officer, [department], towards the application
fee under Rule 3.

Yours faithfully,
[Full name and Indian residential address]
[Email and phone]
Date:   Place:

If the 30-day limit is approaching and the PIO has not scheduled the inspection, send a polite reminder before filing a first appeal:

To, The CPIO / SPIO, [department].
Subject: Reminder - inspection request dated [date], please schedule
within Section 7(1) limit.

Sir / Madam,

Reference my application dated [date], registered as RTI no. [X].
Twenty-five days have elapsed and no inspection date has been fixed.
Kindly intimate three alternative slots within the next five working
days, failing which I will be constrained to treat the matter as a
deemed refusal under Section 7(2) and file a First Appeal under
Section 19(1).

Yours faithfully,
[Name]

• Original photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID, or passport) plus a photocopy.
• Copy of your RTI application and the PIO's scheduling letter.
• Notebook + at least two working pens. Phone photography is usually not allowed; note-taking is your main tool.
• A list of file references / dates you want to focus on, so you don't lose time browsing.
• Sticky-tabs or page-flags to mark pages during inspection (if the PIO permits - most do).
• Cash for certified-copy fees at Rs 2 per page (small denominations preferred).
• A typed authorisation letter if a representative is attending in your place; both your IDs in original.
• A polite, patient temperament. Inspection is a marathon, not a sprint.

If the PIO refuses inspection, ignores your application, or insists on photocopies-only, escalate in this order:

1. First Appeal under Section 19(1) - within 30 days of the PIO's order (or Day 31 if there was no reply). Address the First Appellate Authority (FAA) of the same public authority. State the ground: “The PIO has denied inspection contrary to Section 2(j)(i) and Rule 4(b).” See the First Appeal guide.
2. Second Appeal under Section 19(3) - within 90 days of the FAA's order or Day 31 of FAA silence. File at the Central Information Commission for Central bodies, or the relevant State Information Commission for state bodies. See Second Appeal under Section 19(3).
3. Section 18 complaint - for refusal-to-accept, illegal fee demand, or no-PIO-appointed cases. See Section 18 complaint vs Section 19 appeal.

The Supreme Court in CBSE and Anr. v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, (2011) 8 SCC 497 held that Section 7(9) permits only a change of form, not refusal. So a PIO cannot refuse inspection by claiming “voluminous” records.

After inspection you have two ways to get certified copies of the marked pages:

• Pay on the same day at Rs 2 per A4 / A3 page; collect copies within two working days; or
• Receive a fee-demand letter from the PIO (under Rule 4) intimating the total; pay by IPO / DD; receive copies by post.

If the PIO sends a fee-demand letter, the 30-day clock under Section 7(1) freezes between the date of intimation and the date you remit. So a delay in fee remittance does not put you at fault for any further appeal.

1. Not writing “I wish to inspect” in the application. If you ask only for copies, you forfeit the inspection right for that application.
2. Asking for photocopies of the entire file at the outset. That converts a free / Rs 5-per-hour exercise into a per-page fee bill.
3. Skipping the page-count confirmation before arriving. File pages can multiply between your letter and your visit; demand the index in writing.
4. Forgetting photo ID and authorisation letter (if a representative attends).
5. Leaving without marking pages. Once you leave, the file goes back; certified copies need page references.
6. Not noting the supervising officer's name + designation. If the inspection is sabotaged, you need that name in the first appeal.

No. The Supreme Court in CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay (2011) held that Section 7(9) allows only a change of form of disclosure, not refusal. “Voluminous” is the classic reason to offer inspection, not to refuse it. Quote that case in your first appeal.

The first-hour-free + Rs 5-per-subsequent-hour rule is from the Central RTI Fee Rules, 2005 and binds Central Government bodies. State Government bodies follow their state's RTI Rules, which vary. Before paying any inspection fee at a state body, check the state RTI master guide for that state.

Record the fact in writing on the spot and ask for the file tracer / FIR / enquiry report about the missing file. The CIC has held in Surinder Kumar Sharma v. Delhi Police (CIC, 2015) that a “missing file” is not an exemption - the public authority must reconstruct or produce secondary records. File a fresh RTI for the file-missing-status records.

Yes. The Department of Personnel and Training's OM No. F.10/2/2008-IR dated 21 October 2008 confirms that file notings are part of the record and inspectable, subject only to the Section 8 / 9 / 11 exemptions and Section 10 severance.

Most public authorities do not permit photography of files during inspection. Take notes and mark pages for certified copies at Rs 2 per page. A few transparency-leaning departments allow phone photos - confirm in writing before the inspection.

No. The first hour is free regardless of how long you actually stay. Only the time beyond sixty minutes attracts the Rs 5-per-subsequent-hour fee under the Central rule.

Yes. Send a notarised authorisation naming the representative and his / her ID details, with a photocopy of your own ID. The CIC has held repeatedly that authorised representatives are entitled to inspect.

1. Right to Information Act, 2005 - Sections 2(j), 6, 7, 19. DoPT.
2. RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005 - Rules 3 and 4. rti.gov.in.
3. Supreme Court of India - CBSE and Anr. v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, (2011) 8 SCC 497.
4. Central Information Commission - Surinder Kumar Sharma v. Delhi Police (CIC, 2015); Vasudev Pillai v. CPIO, CBEC (CIC, 2015); Shail Sahni v. CPIO Sanjeev Kumar (CIC, 2013).
5. Department of Personnel and Training - OM No. F.10/2/2008-IR dated 21 October 2008 (file notings are records).
6. DoPT, Guide on the RTI Act, 2005 (August 2013, updated).

Need a one-click inspection-request application that names the file numbers, the period, and the citizenship declaration in the right form? The AI RTI Drafter does it in two minutes - free, no signup.

• Guide hub - Right to Information for citizens
• Who can file RTI: citizen, NRI, OCI, company, NGO
• How to fill an RTI application form
• Section 24: where RTI does not apply
• When information must be supplied free of cost
• First Appeal under Section 19(1)
• Second Appeal under Section 19(3)
• State RTI master guide - fee variations

Last reviewed: 9 May 2026 - RTI Wiki editorial team.

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