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Pillar 5 — RTI Mastery (Legal + Process)
In one line. This is the long-form reading list for the citizen, the activist, the journalist, the researcher who wants to move from occasional filer to serious practitioner — the Act, the Rules, the exemptions, the drafting, the appeals, the case law.
What you'll find.
- The Act — full text with section-wise notes.
- The process — filing, replying, appealing.
- The exemptions — Section 8, Section 9, Section 24.
- The Commissions — CIC, SICs, their orders.
- The etiquette — responsible use, drafting discipline.
Did you know? The RTI Act is a compact law — only 31 sections. The first 6 set up rights; the next 15 set up procedures; the last 10 set up the Commissions. Mastering 31 sections takes a weekend; applying them takes a lifetime.
Start here
Read the Act
- §2 — Definitions — “information”, “public authority”, “record”.
- §4 — Obligations of public authorities — proactive disclosure.
- §7 — Disposal of request — the 30-day rule.
All 31 sections are linked on the Act page.
Rules
Process and drafting
Appeals
Exemptions and limits
PIO-side
Case law
Etiquette
Editorial and developments
A learning path — six weekends
- W1 — Read the Act. Full text.
- W2 — File one practice RTI on a known personal file (your own PF, passport). Observe the reply.
- W3 — Study Section 8 and exemptions. Grounds of rejection.
- W4 — Read 10 CIC orders. CIC orders.
- W5 — Draft two First Appeals — one on an evasive reply, one on non-reply.
- W6 — Pick a community issue. File a community RTI. See it through to completion.
After six weekends, you will be a competent RTI practitioner.
How this pillar fits
Last reviewed on
21 April 2026. Last reviewed: 24 April 2026.