RTI Application for Own Service Record: Sample and Appeal Wording (2026)

• You need certified service-book entries for pension, promotion or appeal
• You want communicated ACR copies and your representation file
• You are facing departmental proceedings and need the chargesheet and enquiry record
• You are a retiree pursuing pension benefits

• If you are seeking another employee's full service record (Section 8(1)(j); Girish Ramchandra Deshpande v. CIC, 2013)
• If you want anonymous comparison data (use Section 4 disclosure or aggregated data requests)
• If you have not yet exhausted the internal departmental file-access procedure (RTI is parallel, not exclusive)

To,
The Public Information Officer
[Department / Office of the Government Servant]
[Full Address, Pin Code]

Sub: Request for information under Section 6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005,
     regarding my service record.

Sir / Madam,

I am a serving / retired employee of your department. My service
particulars are as below.

  Full name: ____________
  Designation: ____________
  Employee number / SR number: ____________
  Date of joining: ____________
  Date of retirement (if applicable): ____________

Please supply me the following information from my own service
record.

[1] Certified copy of the entries in my Service Book showing
    appointment, postings, promotions, suspensions, leave record
    and any adverse remarks.

[2] Certified copy of all confidential or annual performance
    appraisal reports communicated to me in original or in
    representation files.

[3] Certified copy of the seniority list applicable to my cadre as
    on ____________.

[4] Certified copy of any chargesheet, enquiry report or
    departmental order against me, supplied at the time of
    proceedings.

[5] Certified copy of the assessment of qualifying service for
    pension or pensionary benefits prepared in my case (where
    applicable).

[6] Names, designations and office addresses of officers in custody
    of my service record.

[7] Names of officers whose assistance is sought by the PIO under
    Section 5(4) of the RTI Act.

Application fee of Rs 10 is enclosed in the form of Indian Postal
Order. Please send the information to the address below.

Yours faithfully,
[Signature]
[Name, employee number, address]
[Phone, email]
[Date]

[Date]
To,
The First Appellate Authority
[Public Authority Name]
[Address]

Sub: First appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, against
     the order of the PIO dated [____] / against deemed refusal
     under Section 7(2), in respect of my RTI dated [____].

Sir / Madam,

1. I had filed an RTI application dated [____] seeking the
   information described in the enclosure (Annexure A).
2. The PIO has [refused / not replied / partly replied] vide letter
   dated [____]. The reply does not satisfy the requirements of
   Sections 7(8) and 8 of the RTI Act, 2005, for the reasons set
   out below.
3. Grounds of appeal:
   (a) The reply does not record reasons for refusal, contrary to
       Section 7(8) and Section 19(5).
   (b) The PIO has not applied Section 8(2) public-interest
       balancing.
   (c) Severable parts under Section 10 have not been supplied.
   (d) [add specific factual grounds].
4. Prayer: I pray that the FAA may be pleased to direct the PIO to
   supply the information sought, free of cost under Section 7(6),
   and to record findings on PIO conduct.

Yours faithfully,
[Name and signature]
[Address, phone, email]

An employee's own service book is disclosable. The Information Commission and the Supreme Court have repeatedly held that the privacy bar does not apply to one's own records.

Communicated portions of ACRs are disclosable to the employee. Uncommunicated parts older than rule-prescribed cycles may be sought; the PIO will apply the relevant DOPT instructions.

The seniority list itself is generally a public document under Section 4. Specific entries about another employee's confidential record will be examined under Section 8(1)(j) and Girish Deshpande.

• Guide for RTI applicants
• All sample RTI applications
• AI RTI Drafter
• PIO RTI Reply Guide
• FAA guide
• PIO reply after DPDP Rules 2025
• Section 8(1)(j) framework
• Landmark CIC decisions on service records

1. The Right to Information Act, 2005 (Sections 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 19)
2. The Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2012
3. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, Section 44(3)
4. Department of Personnel and Training, RTI Master Circular
5. Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules and CCS (Service Book) Rules
6. Girish Ramchandra Deshpande v. CIC, (2013) 1 SCC 212 (third-party service records)
7. Central Information Commission orders on own-record disclosure at https://cic.gov.in

Last reviewed: 9 May 2026. Sources verified: statutory references and portal links cross-checked on 9 May 2026.