To formally ask a government department or public authority for information they hold -- an enforceable legal right, with strict statutory response deadlines.
1. Identify the correct public authority and portal.
rtionline.gov.in is ONLY for Central Government Ministries/Departments/PSUs. For a state matter (e.g. state police, PWD, municipal corporation), use that state's own portal (e.g. rtionline.karnataka.gov.in, rtionline.maharashtra.gov.in, rtionline.delhi.gov.in) or file offline -- a request filed at the wrong portal is returned, without a refund.
2. Draft a clear, specific request.
State exactly what information/documents/copies you want (roughly 500 words on the online form) -- vague requests are commonly rejected as not specific enough.
3. Pay the Rs.10 application fee.
Paid online via the portal, or by postal order/demand draft/court fee stamp offline. Below Poverty Line (BPL) applicants are exempt on producing a BPL certificate.
4. Submit and note your registration number.
The portal issues a unique registration number immediately -- keep it to track status and to file an appeal later.
5. The Public Information Officer (PIO) must respond within 30 days.
Or within 48 hours if the request concerns a threat to someone's life or liberty; 35 days if the request is transferred to another authority. A missed deadline is itself treated as a refusal and is appealable, and no fee can be charged for the delay period.
6. File a First Appeal within 30 days if refused, ignored, or unsatisfied.
Filed with the First Appellate Authority, a senior officer in the same department, one rank above the PIO -- free, and should be decided within 30 days (extendable to 45 with reasons).
7. File a Second Appeal to the Information Commission within 90 days.
If still unsatisfied, file with the Central Information Commission (cic.gov.in) or your State Information Commission. The Commission can also fine the PIO up to Rs.250/day (max Rs.25,000) for unreasonable delay or bad-faith denial.
8. Receive the information, or a reasoned denial.
A denial must cite a specific exemption under s.8 or s.9 of the Act (e.g. national security, personal information with no public interest).
RTI Online (Central Government only): https://rtionline.gov.in
Handled by: Department of Personnel & Training (Central); each state's own nodal department and Information Commission (State)
Who can use this: Any citizen of India. No reason needs to be given for seeking the information.
This does not cover: Requests to State Government departments, Panchayats, state PSUs, or Delhi NCT bodies -- each has its own separate portal; does not compel an authority to create new information or answer 'why' questions unconnected to an existing record; certain categories (cabinet papers before a decision, national-security matters) are exempt.
Time limit: No deadline to file the original request; a First Appeal must be filed within 30 days, a Second Appeal within 90 days (Sections 19(1) and 19(3), Right to Information Act, 2005)
Cost: Rs.10 application fee (free for BPL applicants); both appeals are free; roughly Rs.2/page if physical copies are requested.
You'll need:- The exact information/document/copy sought, described specifically
- Name and address of the public authority holding it
- Your postal or email address for the reply
- BPL certificate details, if claiming the fee exemption
Documents that help:- BPL certificate, if fee exemption claimed
- Any earlier correspondence with the department on the same subject
- Proof of Indian citizenship, if requested
What happens after: The Information Commission's second-appeal order is binding on the public authority, and the Commission can independently penalise the PIO and recommend disciplinary action. The order can be further challenged before the High Court by writ petition.
Examples:- Karnataka
- Maharashtra
- Delhi
- and every other state runs its own separate portal -- rtionline.gov.in is Central-Government-only
These are the remedies Indian law provides for this kind of situation -- not a recommendation, and not every remedy will apply to your own facts.
First and Second Appeal
First Appellate Authority (same department); Central/State Information Commission
Sections 19(1) and 19(3) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 let an applicant appeal a refusal, non-response, or unsatisfactory reply -- first to a senior officer in the same public authority, then, if still unsatisfied, to the Information Commission, which can direct that the information be provided.
Compensation for loss or detriment suffered
Central/State Information Commission
Section 19(8)(b) lets the Information Commission, while deciding an appeal, require the public authority to compensate the complainant for any loss or other detriment suffered as a result of how the request was handled -- a remedy distinct from, and in addition to, actually obtaining the information.
Penalty on the Public Information Officer
Central/State Information Commission
Section 20(1) lets the Information Commission impose a penalty of Rs.250 per day (capped at Rs.25,000) on a PIO who, without reasonable cause, refused a request, delayed it beyond the deadline, denied it in bad faith, or gave incomplete/incorrect/misleading information.
Recommendation of disciplinary action
Central/State Information Commission
Section 20(2) lets the Information Commission recommend disciplinary action against a PIO who, without reasonable cause and persistently, failed to furnish information within the time specified -- under the service rules applicable to that officer.
Can I file an RTI anonymously?
Not truly anonymously -- the Act requires your name and a postal address for the reply, and a nameless application is rejected. You can, however, have a trusted person file it in their own name and address on your behalf so your own name never appears on record.
What if the department says the information doesn't exist?
The PIO must clearly state on record that the information isn't held, rather than staying silent -- silence beyond the deadline is itself a 'deemed refusal' you can challenge in a First Appeal. If you believe the record genuinely exists, say so in your appeal.
Can I ask 'why' a decision was made, or only for existing documents/records?
RTI gives you a right to already-recorded information, not the right to make an authority create a fresh explanation. But if a file already contains a recorded reason or opinion, that recorded material must be given to you, even though your question was phrased as 'why.'
What if the PIO asks me to pay an unreasonably high fee for photocopies?
The RTI Rules cap photocopying at Rs.2 per page for A4/A3 documents. If a PIO demands more, challenge it through a free First Appeal or a direct complaint to the Information Commission. BPL applicants are exempt from fees entirely.
Can RTI be used to get someone else's personal information, like a neighbor's property records?
Generally, no. Section 8(1)(j) exempts personal information with no relationship to public activity, disclosure of which would be an unwarranted invasion of privacy. It can be overridden only with a genuine larger public interest -- an ordinary personal dispute is very unlikely to meet that bar.
Governing law: Right to Information Act, 2005
Source: Right to Information Act, 2005, ss.6, 7, 19; rtionline.gov.in (Central Government only -- occasionally returns an intermittent error on an automated check, but is generally reachable by an ordinary visitor).
Aadhrix does not decide which route applies to you. This describes the official process as published — consider an advocate for advice specific to your situation.
Dealing with this yourself?
Track it in your own Aadhrix -- keep the documents, dates, and follow-ups together in one place, free.
Track this in your own Aadhrix