How to File an RTI Application, Step by Step

Your passport application has been “under process” for months. A road in your area was sanctioned two years ago but never built. A ration card request seems to have vanished. In each case, there’s a simple legal tool that lets you ask the government directly what’s going on: an RTI application.

The Right to Information Act, 2005 gives every Indian citizen the right to request information from government offices and other public authorities. It’s one of the most widely used laws in the country, and you don’t need a lawyer to use it.

Who this guide is for

Any Indian citizen who wants information from a central or state government department, a public sector body, or another organisation that is substantially funded by the government.

What you need

• A clear idea of the information you want
• The name of the office that holds it
• The fee, usually ₹10 (payable online, by postal order, or as the office’s rules allow)
• For people below the poverty line: a copy of the BPL certificate, which exempts you from the fee

What you can ask for

You can ask for information that a public authority holds: records, documents, file notings, emails, orders, reports, samples and data. You can also ask to inspect files.

You don’t have to say why you want it. But you can’t ask the office to give opinions, explain its decisions in new words, or create information that doesn’t exist. And some information is exempt, for example information that would harm national security or invade someone’s privacy without a larger public interest.

How to file, step by step

1. Identify the right public authority. The application goes to the office that holds the information, such as the Regional Passport Office or the municipal corporation.
2. Write short, specific questions. For example: “Please provide the current status of passport application no. ___, and the names and designations of the officials it is pending with.” Specific questions get specific answers.
3. Address it to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of that office. Every public authority must have one.
4. Pay the fee. For central government offices, the fee is ₹10. State governments set their own rules, which are usually similar.
5. File it. For most central government ministries and departments, you can apply online at rtionline.gov.in. Many states have their own online portals. You can also post your application, or hand it in at the office, and ask for a receipt.
6. Keep a copy of your application and the payment receipt, with the date.

You don’t have to say why you want the information.

The deadlines

If the office asks you for extra fees for copies, that time doesn’t count towards the 30 days.

What can go wrong

• No reply within 30 days. This counts as a refusal. File a first appeal with the First Appellate Authority, mentioning your application date and reference number.
• Your application is transferred. If the office doesn’t hold the information, it must transfer the application to the right one within five days and tell you.
• Vague or incomplete answers. Use the first appeal to explain what’s missing.
• Information refused. The PIO must give the reason and the section of the Act used. You can challenge this on appeal.

Where to get official help

• RTI Online portal for central government offices
• Central Information Commission for second appeals about central bodies
• Your State Information Commission for state government bodies