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—rti-for-passport-rejection [2026/08/02 01:28] (current) – created - external edit 127.0.0.1
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 +{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(passport rejected,passport denied india,passport refusal rti,rti passport rejection reason,passport adverse pv,rti rpo,passport appeal india,passport file refusal,passport act 1967,passport rejection 2026)&metatag-description=(Passport rejected and the RPO won't tell you why? File an RTI under the Passport Act and RTI Act to uncover the precise refusal ground, the Passport Officer's.)}}
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 +<WRAP center round tip 95%>
 +**Need help drafting this RTI?** Use our free **[[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/rti-assistant-app.html|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>
 +
 +====== Passport Rejected? Use RTI to Know the Exact Reason & Officer ======
 +{{ :social:auto:rti-for-passport-rejection.png?direct&1200 |RTI for Passport rejection — RTI Wiki}}
 +
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 +<WRAP center round info 95%>
 +**Quick Reply:** Passport rejected and the RPO won't tell you why? File an RTI under the Passport Act and RTI Act to uncover the precise refusal ground, the Passport Officer's.
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +<WRAP info>
 +**In one line.** A passport rejection is not final. Under Section 6 of the Passport Act, 1967, the RPO must record reasons in writing — and an RTI is the one instrument that forces those reasons into the applicant's hands within 30 days, with the officer's name attached.
 +
 +**What that means in practice.**
 +  * You learn exactly which clause of Section 6 was used — Section 6(2)(a)? (b)? (c)? — not just "rejected".
 +  * You get the signed decision of the Passport Officer.
 +  * You get the facts you need for the statutory appeal under Section 11 of the Act.
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +<div didyouknow>
 +**Did you know?** Under Section 11 of the Passport Act, 1967, an aggrieved applicant has **30 days** to file an appeal against a refusal — and that window runs from the date of communication of the order. If the RPO has only sent a vague "rejected" SMS, the 30-day clock has not begun. An RTI extracting the full order starts the clock on your terms.
 +</div>
 +
 +===== Reasons a passport can be refused =====
 +
 +The Passport Act, 1967, enumerates six narrow grounds in Section 6(2). An RPO cannot refuse on any other basis:
 +
 +  - Applicant is **not a citizen of India**.
 +  - Applicant is **likely to engage in activities prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity** of India.
 +  - Applicant's departure would be **detrimental to India's security**.
 +  - Applicant's presence abroad may **prejudice friendly relations** with another country.
 +  - Applicant has been **convicted by an Indian court** for an offence involving moral turpitude and sentenced to at least 2 years in the last 5 years.
 +  - Criminal proceedings **pending** in an Indian court against the applicant.
 +
 +Besides these, refusal can be for procedural reasons — incomplete documents, identity mismatch, AFRS duplicate, tatkal ineligibility. These are not Section 6(2) refusals; they are "deficiency" returns.
 +
 +===== RTI questions that uncover the truth =====
 +
 +Your RTI must separate **substantive refusal** (Section 6(2)) from **procedural deficiency**, and extract the documentary evidence behind each.
 +
 +==== Sample RTI application — passport rejection ====
 +
 +<code>
 +To,
 +The Central Public Information Officer,
 +Regional Passport Office, [Name],
 +[Address]
 +
 +Subject: Information under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, regarding rejection of my passport application.
 +
 +Sir/Madam,
 +
 +I, [Full Name], citizen of India, resident of [Full Address with PIN], make this request for information in respect of my passport application:
 +
 +File Number: [ARN / File No.]
 +Date of Application: [DD-MM-YYYY]
 +PSK: [Passport Seva Kendra]
 +Decision Communicated: [Date of rejection]
 +Mode of communication: [SMS / Email / Portal / Letter]
 +
 +Please provide:
 +
 +1. A certified copy of the order passed by the Passport Officer rejecting my application, complete with signatures and date.
 +
 +2. The specific provision of Section 6(2) of the Passport Act, 1967, or any other substantive ground, under which my application has been refused.
 +
 +3. Documentary evidence on the file supporting the ground of refusal — including police verification report, AFRS match report, court case extracts, or deficiency memo, as applicable.
 +
 +4. The name, designation, and office address of the Passport Officer who signed the order.
 +
 +5. Certified copy of any representation or show-cause notice that ought to have been issued to me under the Passport (Entry Into India) Rules before refusal, and the response on the file.
 +
 +6. The record of the hearing, if any, before the Passport Officer prior to the refusal.
 +
 +7. The exact date on which the refusal order was dispatched to me, and the mode of dispatch.
 +
 +8. The name and contact details of the Appellate Authority under Section 11 of the Passport Act, 1967, and the prescribed form of appeal.
 +
 +9. Number of similar cases in which the same ground was cited by this RPO in the last six months.
 +
 +10. Any internal MEA circular or administrative instruction that was relied on by the Passport Officer in my case.
 +
 +I enclose Indian Postal Order No. __________ dated __________ for Rs. 10 in favour of "PAO, MEA".
 +
 +I declare that I am an Indian citizen.
 +
 +Yours faithfully,
 +
 +[Full Name]
 +[Signature]
 +[Date] [Place]
 +</code>
 +
 +===== What the RTI reply usually reveals =====
 +
 +Rejection is almost always traceable to one of four underlying causes — and the RTI reply will show which:
 +
 +  * **Adverse police verification.** Often a false report by a beat officer who never visited your address. Fixable by a re-verification request.
 +  * **AFRS / name match.** Your biometrics or name has been flagged against a watch list or a previous passport held by a different person with similar details.
 +  * **Pending criminal case.** Often a matrimonial or cheque-bounce case the applicant forgot to disclose.
 +  * **Documentary deficiency.** Treated as rejection on the portal but is actually a return — re-application with corrected docs is allowed without a fresh fee.
 +
 +===== Appeal route under the Passport Act =====
 +
 +Once the RTI reply is in hand:
 +
 +  - **First Appeal under the RTI Act** — to the RPO's First Appellate Authority within 30 days if the reply is evasive. Free.
 +  - **Statutory Appeal under Section 11 of the Passport Act** — to the Appellate Authority (usually the Joint Secretary, CPV Division, MEA, New Delhi). Within 30 days of the date of communication of the refusal order.
 +  - **Writ Petition** in the High Court under Article 226 — if appeal fails and fundamental right under Article 21 (right to travel abroad) is at stake. //Maneka Gandhi v. UoI, (1978) 1 SCC 248// remains the governing precedent.
 +
 +===== Legal clarity — what the RPO cannot do =====
 +
 +  * It cannot refuse without recording reasons in writing (Section 6(3), Passport Act).
 +  * It cannot refuse citing "administrative reasons" — that phrase has been held to be no ground, **K.S. Raghav v. UoI**, 2021 (DHC).
 +  * It cannot delay processing to force withdrawal; Delhi HC in 2023 ordered action against an RPO for 18-month "pending" cases.
 +
 +===== Common mistakes =====
 +
 +  * Filing a fresh passport application instead of appealing. Fresh applications may inherit the earlier rejection record.
 +  * Missing the 30-day Section 11 appeal window because the RPO sent only an SMS.
 +  * Mixing RTI First Appeal with Section 11 statutory appeal — they are two different routes.
 +  * Not obtaining the Passport Officer's signed order. Courts cannot hear writs on SMS summaries.
 +
 +===== FAQs =====
 +
 +**Q1. RPO sent me an SMS saying "rejected". Is that a valid order?**\\ No. An order is valid only when signed by the Passport Officer and communicated in writing. File the RTI to extract it.
 +
 +**Q2. Can I reapply while my rejection is under appeal?**\\ No. The Passport Rules prohibit simultaneous applications. Clear the appeal first.
 +
 +**Q3. Is there a fee for the Section 11 appeal?**\\ No. The statutory appeal under the Passport Act is free. But the writ in High Court involves court fees.
 +
 +**Q4. RPO cited "pending court case" but I have no case. What now?**\\ RTI will reveal the court, case number, and source of information. Very often it is a namesake. A certificate from the local police / court registry refutes it. The Joint Secretary (CPV) grants passport in such cases.
 +
 +**Q5. How long does the Section 11 appeal take?**\\ Typically 60–120 days. An RTI to MEA on the appeal status accelerates it.
 +
 +===== Your next step =====
 +
 +  - Save the SMS / email / portal screenshot of the rejection.
 +  - File the sample RTI above within 7 days of rejection.
 +  - On receipt of the signed order, decide: (a) fix deficiency and reapply, or (b) file Section 11 appeal, or (c) writ petition.
 +
 +===== Related reading =====
 +
 +  * [[/rti-for-passport-delay|Passport delayed? File RTI to know status]]
 +  * [[/rti-for-personal-problems|RTI for personal problems — 5 cases]]
 +  * [[/why-rti-gets-rejected|Why RTI gets rejected]]
 +  * [[/file-rti-online-india|File RTI online in India]]
 +  * [[/ai-to-draft-your-rti|AI to draft your RTI]]
 +
 +----
 +
 +//Last reviewed: 24 April 2026. References verified against the Passport Act, 1967, and the Passport Rules, 1980, as updated.//
 +
 +{{tag>rti passport rejected use know exact reason officer}}
  
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