The fastest way to file an RTI is to start from a sample that matches your problem and customise the names, dates, and reference numbers. This page gives you 30+ ready-to-use templates — passport, EPF, pension, FIR, scholarship, ration card, tender, MP fund, toll, school records — each one rewritten for 2026 with the new DPDP Act 2023 §44(3) overlay on Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.

• Pick a sample that matches your subject (categorised below).
• Customise the file number, dates, names of public authority + officer.
• Convert to plain RTI format (template here) or use our 🪄 AI RTI Drafter which auto-fills.
• Pay ₹10 fee (central) or state-specific (₹40 in Rajasthan, ₹50 in HP, etc.).
• PIO must reply in 30 days under §7(1).
• No reply by Day 31 → file First Appeal under §19(1).

• Ask for documents, not opinions. RTI gives access to existing records, not to reasons or assessments a public authority has not recorded. Phrase each request as a demand for a certified copy or a factual status.
• Be specific. Include file number, application reference, or date range so the PIO identifies the record in one step.
• One question per numbered paragraph. Easier to dispose, harder to misroute.
• Don't ask for “why”. Ask “what is the recorded reason / decision / order”.
• Multi-officer matters — file separate RTIs to each PIO; don't bundle.
• DPDP Rules 2025 (14 Nov 2025) impact: requests for information about a named individual (other than yourself) engage §8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, as amended by §44(3) DPDP Act 2023. Frame such requests around a public-interest ground if one exists. See practitioner note on the amendment.

• Passport — sample RTI
• Passport delay (most-asked)
• Vehicle ownership / RC details
• Land ownership records
• IRCTC complaint / refund delay

• EPF transfer between accounts
• EPF withdrawal status
• PF withdrawal — full RTI
• Pension delay (8-month rule)
• Income Tax notice / refund

• Marksheet duplicate / correction
• Answer-sheet inspection
• Competitive exam marks
• Scholarship status
• Scholarship delay

• LPG connection / refill delay
• Ration card delay (NFSA 30-day rule)
• Vehicle RC book delay
• Road / drain not done
• Illegal construction in your locality
• Occupancy certificate (OC) delay
• Land mutation delay

• FIR not registered (Lalita Kumari rule)
• General complaint follow-up
• Missing file / record at office

• Gram Panchayat fund / works
• MLA Local Area Development Fund
• MP Local Area Development (MPLADS)
• CPGRAMS grievance status

• Tender award / process
• Toll plaza collection records
• MP-referred-issue follow-up
• Foreign tour details of public officials

• Service record / APAR
• RTI Act commencement / notification dates

• Hindi RTI format (हिन्दी)
• Marathi RTI format (मराठी)

1. Pick the closest sample to your problem from the categories above.
2. Open it and copy the body text.
3. Customise these fields (always present in every sample):
   • Public Information Officer (PIO) name + office address
   • File number / application reference / date range
   • Your details + signature + date
4. Add the §6(1) fee — ₹10 by IPO/cash/UPI to the PIO's office. Free if BPL.
5. Submit by:
   • In person to PIO office (get acknowledgement)
   • Speed post / RPAD (keep tracking number)
   • rtionline.gov.in for central public authorities (₹10 online)
   • State portals for state authorities (Maharashtra rti.maharashtra.gov.in, Karnataka rtigateway.karnataka.gov.in, etc.)

→ 🪄 Open AI RTI Drafter — type your problem in plain language, get a complete §6(1) RTI application drafted in 60 seconds. Pre-fills your name, fee statement, the right PIO authority + 5–7 questions. Free, no login. Works in 11 Indian languages.

→ 🎤 AwaazRTI — speak in Hindi/Tamil/Bengali/Telugu/Marathi/Gujarati/Kannada/Punjabi/Odia/Malayalam/English.

→ ⚖ First Appeal Builder — for Day 31 if PIO doesn't reply.

→ 📅 Open Timeline Calculator to track your dates.

• Forgetting to change the PIO name + address — RTI rejected administratively.
• Vague references — “all files relating to my matter” — PIO returns “request not specific” under §6(2).
• Bundling multiple offices — file separately to each PIO.
• Asking for “why” or “explanation” — RTI gives existing records only. Ask “the recorded reason / decision / order”.
• No fee remittance — ₹10 IPO/cash/UPI must accompany. BPL exemption under §7(5) needs BPL certificate copy.
• Wrong officer cited as FAA — the FAA is superior to PIO of the same office. Get this right or appeal goes to wrong place.
• Asking about a named individual without public-interest ground — invokes §8(1)(j) (DPDP-amended). Frame around public interest if one exists.
• Filing on wrong portal — central authorities use rtionline.gov.in; states use their own portals.

Either works. Samples save time and reduce drafting errors. AI RTI Drafter (free) combines both — uses sample logic + your specific facts.

Yes — RTI Act 2005 doesn't mandate any specific format. Any application that includes (a) name, (b) address, © ₹10 fee, (d) clear request for information addressed to PIO is valid under §6(1). Samples follow this format.

Most central authorities accept email RTI only via rtionline.gov.in. State authorities generally don't accept email — use post or state portal. Email-only RTI is risky outside the central portal.

Pick the closest sample + adapt. Or use the generic first-RTI template. Or use the AI RTI Drafter which works for any problem.

Yes — Hindi or any scheduled language under the Constitution. PIO must respond in same language or English. See Hindi sample and Marathi sample.

Demand the specific clause of §8(1) that's invoked. PIO must give a speaking order — Bhagat Singh v. CIC. If invocation is wrong, appeal under §19. Use PIO Reply Checker to analyse the exemption.

Indian Postal Order (IPO) in favour of “Accounts Officer / Drawing & Disbursing Officer / [Authority]” — ask the office which name to use. Cash in person at the office. UPI / netbanking via rtionline.gov.in (central) or state portal.

Insist on acknowledgement receipt with date stamp + signature if filing in person. Speed post / RPAD gives tracking number. Online portals issue Application Reference Number automatically.

Yes — reduce to what you need. Long applications are no faster than short ones. Most RTI matters need 3–5 specific questions, not 15.

Yes — typed, hand-written, or printed are all valid. Signature must be original (digital sign accepted on rtionline.gov.in).

• Guide for applicants — the full procedure governing every RTI
• Template: first RTI application — generic format
• File RTI online — 12-step guide
• Why RTIs get rejected — 5 reasons
• PIO reply after DPDP Rules, 2025
• RTI Rules — Central + State fee structures
• AI RTI Drafter · AwaazRTI voice · First Appeal Builder
• PIO Reply Checker · Timeline Calculator
• Fee Calculator (state-wise)
• Government schemes hub
• All 100+ citizen scenarios

• The Right to Information Act, 2005 (No. 22 of 2005) — full text
• The Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005 — Central Government
• The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (No. 22 of 2023) — Section 44(3)
• DPDP Rules, 2025 (notified 14 November 2025) — overlay on §8(1)(j) RTI Act
• rtionline.gov.in — Central Government online RTI portal
• State RTI portals (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, etc.) — see state portals directory
• Helpline: 1800-180-1855 (Department of Personnel & Training)

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Last reviewed: 3 May 2026 — RTI Wiki editorial team. All citations verified against Acts + central / state portals as on 3 May 2026.