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—rules:kerala [2026/06/03 17:01] (current) – created - external edit 127.0.0.1
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 +{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(Kerala RTI rules,Kerala RTI fee,Kerala Information Commission,Right to Information Kerala,RTI Thiruvananthapuram)
 +metatag-description=(Kerala RTI Rules 2006 (regulation of fee + cost) - fee, format, State Information Commission contact for RTI in Kerala. Updated 2026 with rate card and key cases.)}}
 +
 +====== Kerala RTI rules — 2026 citizen guide ======
 +
 +**Kerala applies three sets of state-specific RTI rules made under §27 of the central RTI Act, 2005**: the **Kerala Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2006** for fees, the **Kerala State Information Commission (Procedure for Appeal) Rules, 2006** for second appeals, and the **Kerala High Court Right to Information Rules, 2006** for RTI to the High Court itself. Application fee is ₹10 (BPL: zero). Reply deadline 30 days under §7(1) of the central Act.
 +
 +===== Quick fee schedule =====
 +
 +^  Stage  ^  Fee  ^  Mode  ^
 +|  Application (§6)  |  ₹10  |  IPO / court-fee / DD / online  |
 +|  Per A4 photocopy  |  ₹2  |  paid on collection  |
 +|  Larger size copy  |  actual cost  |  paid on collection  |
 +|  CD / pen-drive  |  ₹50 per CD  |  paid on collection  |
 +|  Inspection of records  |  free for first hour, ₹5 per 15 min after  |  pay at office  |
 +|  BPL applicant  |  Zero  |  attach BPL certificate  |
 +|  First Appeal  |  Zero  |  -  |
 +|  Second Appeal to Kerala SIC  |  Zero  |  -  |
 +
 +===== Statutory framework =====
 +
 +  * **Central**: Right to Information Act, 2005.
 +  * **Kerala fee rules**: **Kerala RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2006** — notified by GAD.
 +  * **Kerala appeal rules**: **Kerala State Information Commission (Procedure for Appeal) Rules, 2006** — second-appeal procedure.
 +  * **Kerala HC rules**: **Kerala High Court Right to Information Rules, 2006** — for RTI to the HC itself.
 +  * **Online**: Kerala has integrated RTI into the **e-District portal** at https://edistrict.kerala.gov.in for state-government departments.
 +
 +===== Where to file =====
 +
 +  * **District-level**: PIO at the **Office of the District Collector** or the relevant department's district office.
 +  * **State-level**: PIO at the **department secretariat, Government Secretariat, Thiruvananthapuram 695001**.
 +  * **First Appeal**: Appellate Authority at the same office (one rung above PIO).
 +  * **Second Appeal**: **Kerala State Information Commission**, Punnen Road, Statue, Thiruvananthapuram 695001. [[https://keralasic.gov.in|keralasic.gov.in]].
 +  * **For Kerala HC matters**: PIO of the **Kerala High Court Registry, Ernakulam**.
 +
 +===== Sample RTI letter for Kerala =====
 +
 +Use our [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/ai-rti-draft-app.html|AI RTI Drafter]] — auto-fills the Kerala fee paragraph and supports Malayalam/English bilingual format.
 +
 +For state-specific scenarios:
 +  * [[:guide:applicant:application:sample:start|Index of all sample RTI letters]]
 +
 +===== Common mistakes filing in Kerala =====
 +
 +  * **Wrong commission** — for state department matters file with Kerala SIC; for central department matters file with the Central Information Commission, New Delhi (e.g., Coastal Guard, NIT Calicut, IIT Palakkad central units).
 +  * **Malayalam-only PIO refusal** — by §6(1) read with the Kerala rules, applications can be in Malayalam, Hindi or English. PIO refusal on language grounds is unlawful.
 +  * **Sending to wrong panchayat** — Kerala has 941 Gram Panchayats + 152 Block Panchayats + 14 District Panchayats — each is a public authority with its own PIO.
 +  * **No fee proof** — non-acceptance.
 +
 +===== Kerala SIC — state of pendency =====
 +
 +Kerala SIC has historically been one of the **best-disposing SICs** in India — average second-appeal disposal in **5-9 months**. Vacancy rate has stayed low (1-2 ICs) since 2020. The Kerala SIC also pioneered live-streaming of hearings on YouTube since 2022.
 +
 +===== Citations and sources =====
 +
 +  * **Right to Information Act, 2005** — [[:act|full text]]
 +  * **Kerala RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2006**
 +  * **Kerala State Information Commission (Procedure for Appeal) Rules, 2006**
 +  * **Kerala High Court RTI Rules, 2006**
 +  * [[https://keralasic.gov.in|Kerala SIC official portal]]
 +  * [[https://edistrict.kerala.gov.in|Kerala e-District portal]]
 +
 +===== Related on RTI Wiki =====
 +
 +  * [[:rules|All-state RTI rules]]
 +  * [[:act|RTI Act, 2005]]
 +  * [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/ai-rti-draft-app.html|AI RTI Drafter]]
 +  * [[:rti-fees-by-state|State-wise fee chart]]
 +  * [[:cases|Case-law database]]
 +
 +//Last reviewed: 4 May 2026.//
 +
 +{{tag>kerala kerala-rti-rules-2006 kerala-sic state-rti rti-fees thiruvananthapuram ernakulam 2026}}