RTI First Appeal Format (FAA Letter with Grounds Checklist)

A First Appeal under §19(1) of the RTI Act, 2005 is your statutory remedy when the Public Information Officer has refused, delayed, or only partly answered your RTI. The appeal goes to the First Appellate Authority (FAA) inside the same public authority. The format is a one-page letter with a stated ground of appeal. You have 30 days from the PIO's reply or the deemed-refusal date to file. No fee is payable for a First Appeal under the Central RTI Rules. The FAA must decide within 30 days, extendable by 15 days with written reasons under §19(6).

File a First Appeal in any of these six situations:

1. No reply within 30 days. §19(1) calls this a deemed refusal. The clock started on the date the PIO received the application.
2. Wrong refusal under §8 or §9. The PIO has cited an exemption you believe does not apply to your information.
3. Partial reply. The PIO has answered some questions and ignored others, or has redacted material without justification.
4. Wrong fee charged. The PIO has demanded a fee higher than the rule prescribes, or a fee in a mode the rule does not allow.
5. Wrong jurisdiction excuse. The PIO has returned the application as “not held by this office” without transferring it under §6(3).
6. Records destroyed claim. The PIO has stated the record is “destroyed” without producing the destruction order or the retention schedule under §4(1)(a).

Copy the block below. Replace text in [ ] with your details.

To,
The First Appellate Authority,
[Name of the Department / Office]
[Full postal address]

Subject: First Appeal under §19(1) of the Right to Information Act,
2005, against the order or non-reply of the PIO on RTI dated
[DD-MM-YYYY], Registration No. [RTI number].

Sir / Madam,

I, [Your full name], a citizen of India, residing at [Your address],
file this First Appeal under §19(1) of the Right to Information Act,
2005 against the order or non-reply of [Name of the PIO, with
designation], on my RTI application dated [DD-MM-YYYY], Registration
No. [number].

GROUNDS OF APPEAL:

  1. [Specific ground, with reference to the PIO's reply paragraph.]
  2. [Second ground, citing the section of the Act if relevant.]
  3. [Third ground, with the information sought re-stated for clarity.]

RELIEFS SOUGHT:

  i.   Set aside the impugned order of the PIO.
  ii.  Direct the PIO to supply the information requested in my
       application dated [DD-MM-YYYY], free of additional fee.
  iii. Award costs for the delay, if any.
  iv.  Initiate proceedings under §20 of the Act against the PIO
       for the unreasonable refusal or delay.

A copy of the original RTI application and the PIO's reply (if any)
is enclosed.

Yours sincerely,

[Signature]
[Printed name]
[Phone] · [Email]
Date: [DD-MM-YYYY]
Place: [City]

Enclosures:
  1. Copy of the RTI application dated [DD-MM-YYYY].
  2. Copy of the PIO's reply or proof of non-reply.
  3. Proof of identity (Aadhaar / Voter ID / PAN).

Pick two to four of these grounds. Frame each one in the PIO's actual words from the reply, then state why the ground is wrong.

1. §7(1) breach. The PIO has not replied within 30 days.
2. §7(8) breach. The reply did not state the period within which an appeal would lie or the particulars of the appellate authority.
3. §7(9) misuse. The PIO refused the request as “disproportionate diversion of resources” without showing how.
4. §8(1)(a) to (j) wrong invocation. The cited exemption does not fit the information sought.
5. §8(2) override missed. The public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm. The PIO is required to apply this test under §8(2).
6. §9 misuse. The PIO cited copyright protection but the work is in the public domain or is government-published.
7. §10 severability missed. The PIO refused the whole document instead of disclosing the part not exempt.
8. §11 third-party process missed. The PIO has refused third-party records without the §11 notice procedure.
9. §4 suo-motu disclosure missed. The information is required to be proactively published under §4(1)(b) and the PIO refused to supply a copy of it.
10. §5(4) consultation missed. The PIO did not consult the Assistant PIO or any other person whose assistance was needed.
11. §6(3) transfer breach. The application was returned instead of being transferred to the right public authority within 5 days.
12. Fee in wrong mode or excess. The PIO demanded payment in a mode the State Rules do not allow, or asked for more than the prescribed Rs. 2 per page for photocopies.

The hearing is usually offered in writing. Ask for an oral hearing in your appeal if the case is complex. The FAA must record reasons for refusing an oral hearing.

• If the FAA upholds the PIO, file a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission under §19(3) within 90 days of the FAA's order.
• If the FAA does not decide within 45 days, the FAA itself is in default. File the Second Appeal citing this default.
• If the FAA partly allows your appeal, decide whether the partial relief is enough. If not, file a Second Appeal on the rejected portion.

§19 does not prescribe a single format. The one-page letter with grounds and reliefs above is the working standard every FAA accepts. Some State Rules prescribe a form (the Bihar Rules at Bihar First Appeal Form are one example).

For Central Government bodies, no. Some states charge a token fee under their own RTI Rules. Check the rules for the state where you are filing. BPL applicants pay nothing under §7(5).

30 days from the date of receipt under §19(6), extendable by 15 days for reasons recorded in writing. Total cap: 45 days.

§19(5) gives the appellant a reasonable opportunity to be heard. Most FAAs decide on the papers. Ask for an oral hearing if the case is complex or you want to argue grounds.

The FAA is a senior officer in the same public authority who reviews the PIO's order. Under §19(6) the FAA has the same powers as the PIO to direct disclosure, set the fee, or refer the matter back.

Every public authority is required under §4(1)(b) to publish the name and address of its FAA on its website. If you cannot find it, address the appeal to “The First Appellate Authority, [Department]” and the office will route it.

No. The Second Appeal is a separate step. You file it with the Central Information Commission (for Central bodies) or the State Information Commission within 90 days of the FAA's order or the deemed refusal at 45 days.

• RTI Application Format 2026, write your original RTI first
• File an RTI online via rtionline.gov.in
• First Appellate Authority, full guide
• Guidelines for the FAA
• First Appeal template (generic)
• §19 of the RTI Act
• The RTI Playbook. The complete guide to filing RTI in 2026.

• The Right to Information Act, 2005. §6, §7, §8, §9, §11, §19, §20.
• Central Information Commission. cic.gov.in.
• Department of Personnel and Training. dopt.gov.in.
• RTI Rules (Central), 2012, as amended.

Last reviewed: 27 May 2026, RTI Wiki editorial team.