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—vs:state-portal-vs-central-portal [2026/08/26 22:19] (current) – created - external edit 127.0.0.1
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 +{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(state rti portal vs central, rtionline.gov.in vs state, central vs state rti, which rti portal)
 +metatag-description=(Which RTI portal to file on: rtionline.gov.in only for Central ministries; states have their own portals — some down, postal always works. Decide before you file.)}}
 +
 +====== State RTI portal vs central RTI portal — which to use ======
 +
 +{{ :social:auto:vs-state-portal-vs-central-portal.png?direct&1200 |State RTI portal vs central RTI portal — which to use — RTI Wiki}}
 +
 +<WRAP info>**Quick Reply:** Use **rtionline.gov.in** ONLY for Central ministries, departments, PSUs and Central universities (Railways, Income Tax, MEA, Defence, Posts…). For **state** information — police, land, revenue, municipality, state schools and hospitals — use the **state portal** or plain **post to the PIO**. The portal follows the public authority, not your address.</WRAP>
 +
 +===== Quick decision tree =====
 +  - Held by a **Central ministry, Central PSU, or Central autonomous body**? → [[https://rtionline.gov.in|rtionline.gov.in]]
 +  - Held by your **state government, state police, municipality, or state PSU**? → the **state portal** (see [[:state-rti-portals-directory|the directory]]) or Speed Post to the PIO
 +  - Held by a **constitutional body** (ECI, CAG, UPSC)? → that body's own CPIO / RTI cell
 +  - Held by a **court or the judiciary**? → the court's Registrar (Administrative side) — the RTI Act applies to the judiciary's administrative records
 +  - **Private company** (bank, insurer, telecom)? → not under RTI directly; seek the regulator, or the information "accessible by a public authority under any other law" (§2(f)) through that authority
 +
 +===== Why this matters =====
 +Filing on the wrong portal burns 30 days. The wrong PIO's only lawful move is a **§6(3) transfer within 5 days** — but many offices simply sit on misrouted applications or close them. **Confirm jurisdiction first**; the decision tree above takes a minute.
 +
 +===== Portal reality, August 2026 =====
 +| Status | States | Notes |
 +| **Working well** | Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka (UPI), Odisha | Karnataka takes UPI on-portal — the smoothest |
 +| **Working, with caveats** | Punjab (routing patchy), and most large states | Keep the registration number; wrong routing is the PIO's transfer duty, not a closure ground |
 +| **Down / postal-only** | Tamil Nadu (portal down, July 2026 status — postal works), Kerala (portal currently unavailable) | Speed Post with preserved POD is the clean filing proof |
 +
 +The full 36-entry list with live status: [[:state-rti-portals-directory|State RTI Portals Directory]]; fees and appeal fees per state: [[:rti-fees-by-state|the state fee hub]]. **Postal filing works in every state, always** — ₹10 by IPO, addressed to the PIO by name and designation.
 +
 +===== Filing mechanics that trip people =====
 +  * **Fee:** ₹10 in most states (Gujarat ₹20); BPL applicants file free everywhere on a certificate copy.
 +  * **Language:** file in the state's language or English/Hindi as the area allows (§6(1)); the central portal is English/Hindi.
 +  * **One subject per application** — a mixed grab-bag invites the "vague" rejection.
 +  * **Transfer rule:** if you aimed wrong, the receiving PIO must transfer within **5 days** (§6(3)) — quote it when a closure lands instead.
 +
 +===== FAQs =====
 +==== I live in Delhi but need a Tamil Nadu land record — which portal? ====
 +The authority holding it decides: Tamil Nadu state (postal, while its portal is down). Your residence never decides jurisdiction.
 +==== Central scheme run by a state office — central or state? ====
 +Whoever holds the record. A state district office implementing a Central scheme holds its files — state route. Ministry-level scheme files sit with the Centre.
 +==== The state portal is down — do I wait? ====
 +Never. Post it — the Act is portal-independent; the 30-day clock runs from delivery to the PIO.
 +==== Wrong portal closed my application — dead end? ====
 +No: first appeal citing §6(3) and the closure's illegality; the transfer duty survives misfiling.
 +
 +===== Related =====
 +  * [[:state-rti-portals-directory|All 36 state portals — live status]]
 +  * [[:rti-fees-by-state|RTI fees in every state]]
 +  * [[:file-rti-online-india|How to File RTI Online in India]]
 +  * [[:explanations:prescribed|Prescribed — who may make RTI rules]]
 +  * [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/tools/rti-research.html|Search RTI Wiki to confirm which authority holds your info]]
 +  * [[/book|The RTI Playbook book]]
 +
 +//Last reviewed: 27 August 2026. Portal-status table re-based on the 26-August-2026 hub verification (Tamil Nadu moved from "working well" to postal-only; Kerala flagged unavailable); broken description rebuilt; transfer-rule and mechanics sections added.//
 +
 +----
 +**More comparisons:** browse every RTI-vs-alternative side-by-side in [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/vs/start|RTI vs Alternatives: the full comparison hub]] <!-- rti-wiki-comparisons-hub-2026-vs-start -->
 +
 +{{tag>vs/state portal vs central portal comparison rti-tools}}