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+{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(pio, section, foreign, relations, RTI Act, RTI Wiki)&metatag-description=(Section 8(1)(f) RTI Act: Information from Foreign Government — Section 8(1)(f) of the RTI Act, 2005 exempts information received in confidence from a…)}}
+====== Section 8(1)(f) RTI Act: Information from Foreign Governments — Rules and Guide (2026) ======
+<WRAP center round tip 95%>
+**Need help drafting this RTI?** Use our free **[[:tools:rti-assistant|RTI Assistant]]** — describe your problem, get a ready-to-file Section 6(1) application with your name and address pre-filled. Also handles First Appeal and Second Appeal to the CIC/SIC.
+</WRAP>
+**Section 8(1)(f) of the RTI Act, 2005 exempts information received in confidence from a foreign Government. The exemption protects international comity and diplomatic practice. It does not protect information that is merely //about// foreign relations — only records received from a foreign State in confidence.**
+{{ :social:auto:pio-section-8-1-f-foreign-relations.png?direct&1200 |Section 8(1)(f) framework — RTI Wiki}}
+{{page>_snippets:dpdp-banner|Page> snippets dpdp banner}}
+Part of the **[[:pio-faa-knowledge-base|PIO / FAA Knowledge Base]]**.
+===== Quick Answer: Section 8(1)(f) =====
+  * **Covers** — records received in confidence from a foreign Government.
+  * **Key words** — //received in confidence// and //foreign Government//.
+  * **Not covered** — MEA's internal analysis; concluded treaties already published; public diplomatic statements.
+  * **PIO must show** — the confidence condition at the time of receipt.
+  * **Override** — §8(2) public interest applies but rarely displaces international confidence.
+===== When Does §8(1)(f) Apply? =====
+^ Situation ^ Disclosable? ^ Reason ^
+| Note verbale from a foreign embassy marked "confidential" | **No** | §8(1)(f) direct. |
+| Published UN resolution | **Yes** | Not received in confidence. |
+| MEA's internal brief on a foreign visit | **Case-by-case** | §8(1)(f) only for parts received from foreign side; internal analysis under §8(1)(i). |
+| Signed and published bilateral treaty | **Yes** | Public once notified in Gazette. |
+| Private diplomatic communication from a foreign Head of State | **No** | Received in confidence — §8(1)(f). |
+| Aggregate count of visa refusals by country | **Yes** | Not received in confidence; administrative data. |
+===== Statutory text — Section 8(1)(f) =====
+>//Section 8(1) — Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, there shall be no obligation to give any citizen, —
+>
+>(f) information received in confidence from foreign Government;//
+===== Landmark case law =====
+  * **//Ministry of External Affairs v. CIC (Ambedkar letters)//** (Delhi HC 2013) — Historic diplomatic correspondence — confidence continues unless waived.
+  * **//CIC on India-US civil nuclear cooperation file//** (CIC 2011) — §8(1)(f) protects communications from US authorities; India's own notings do not automatically qualify.
+  * **//Aditya Kumar v. MEA//** (CIC 2019) — Concluded treaties published in Gazette are disclosable.
+Browse the **[[:cases|full case-law database — 310+ rulings]]** for more.
+===== PIO decision framework — §8(1)(f) =====
+  - **Locate the record** and determine whether §8(1)(f) even plausibly applies.
+  - **Record specific reasons** in writing linking the record to the statutory harm head.
+  - **Check §8(2) public-interest override** and record the balancing.
+  - **Sever under §10** where non-exempt portions can be released.
+  - **Issue §11 notice** if a third party's information is involved.
+  - **State the appeal route** — 30-day First Appeal under §19(1) to the FAA.
+===== Common mistakes =====
+  * **Blanket invocation** without reasoned harm analysis — fails First Appeal review.
+  * **Skipping §8(2)** — public interest must be examined even on denial.
+  * **Ignoring §10 severability** — PIO must sever and release the non-exempt part.
+  * **Generic labels** ("sensitive", "confidential") — not a substitute for a specific §8(1)(f) finding.
+  * **Out-of-date assertion** — the harm trigger may have ceased; PIO must assess //currently//.
+===== FAQs — People Also Ask =====
+**Q1. Is everything handled by MEA §8(1)(f)?**
+No. Only records //received in confidence from a foreign Government// qualify. MEA's own analysis may be §8(1)(i).
+**Q2. Does a published treaty attract §8(1)(f)?**
+No. Once published it is disclosable. Negotiating drafts may still be confidential.
+**Q3. What if the foreign Government waives confidence?**
+The exemption ends with the waiver. PIO can seek a clarification.
+**Q4. Can §8(2) override §8(1)(f)?**
+Yes in principle, but Indian courts are very cautious — respecting international comity.
+**Q5. How old does a record have to be to lose §8(1)(f)?**
+No fixed period. The test is whether the original confidence still attaches; 25 to 30 years is a common threshold.
+===== What Should You Do Next? =====
+  * **Sibling exemption frameworks:** [[:pio-section-8-1-a-sovereignty|§8(1)(a)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-b-contempt-of-court|§8(1)(b)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-c-parliament|§8(1)(c)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-d-commercial-confidence|§8(1)(d)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-e-fiduciary|§8(1)(e)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-f-foreign-relations|§8(1)(f)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-g-life-and-safety|§8(1)(g)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-h-investigation|§8(1)(h)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-i-cabinet-papers|§8(1)(i)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-j-framework|§8(1)(j)]]
+  * **Procedure:** [[:pio-section-11-third-party|§11 — Third Party procedure]] · [[:pio-rti-reply-guide|PIO reply templates]].
+  * **Appeal review:** [[:faa-speaking-order-guide|FAA speaking-order guide]].
+  * **Full Act text:** [[:act:section-8|Section 8 of the RTI Act]] · [[:act|Full Act with DPDP 2025 overlay]].
+  * **Landmark rulings:** [[:cases|310+ curated RTI cases]].
+===== Related reading =====
+  * [[:pio-faa-knowledge-base|PIO / FAA Knowledge Base (hub)]]
+  * [[:explanations:grounds-for-rejection|All 10 grounds for RTI rejection]]
+  * [[:faa-appellate-review-checklist|Appellate review checklist]]
+  * [[:glossary|RTI Glossary — 40 essential terms]]
+===== Sources =====
+  * Right to Information Act, 2005 — §8(1)(f), §8(2), §10, §11.
+  * Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — §44(3), notified effective 14 November 2025.
+  * Supreme Court and High Court judgments cited above.
+  * CIC and State Information Commission decisions as indexed in our [[:cases|case-law database]].
+----
+//Last reviewed: 24 April 2026.//
+{{tag>pio-faa section-8 section-8-1-f rti framework}}

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