Grievance & Safety
File an RTI online that gets a real answer
How to file a Right to Information request on the central portal for ten rupees, phrase questions that cannot be deflected, and use the first appeal when information is withheld.
The Right to Information Act gives you a legal right to ask a public authority for information, and a legal deadline for them to answer. The system fails most often not because officials refuse, but because applicants ask for opinions instead of information.
An RTI must seek information held on record. 'Why was my application rejected?' invites a brush-off. 'Provide a copy of the noting sheet and the order recording the decision on application number X dated Y' cannot be answered with an opinion — the record either exists or it does not.
Before you start
- The name of the public authority holding the information. Central government bodies are on the online portal; state bodies have their own systems.
- Ten rupees and an online payment method.
- Any reference number relating to your matter.
- A BPL certificate if you are claiming fee exemption.
Step by step
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Use the official portal
Central government RTIs are filed at rtionline.gov.in. This is free to use and the fee is ₹10. Numerous private sites charge several hundred rupees to file the same request.
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Select the correct public authority
The dropdown lists central ministries, departments and public sector bodies. Choosing wrongly means your application gets transferred under Section 6(3), which is legal but adds weeks.
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Write the request as numbered, factual questions
Keep it to a handful of specific items. Ask for copies of documents, dates of decisions, names of designations, quantities and figures. Do not ask 'why', do not ask for justification, and do not ask hypothetical questions — none of these are information under the Act.
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Pay the fee
₹10 online. Applicants below the poverty line are exempt on producing the certificate.
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Note the registration number and the clock
The public information officer must respond within 30 days. Where the information concerns the life or liberty of a person, the deadline is 48 hours.
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File a first appeal if you get nothing or get a deflection
If there is no reply within 30 days, or the reply is inadequate, file a first appeal on the same portal within 30 days of the reply or of the expiry of the deadline. The appeal goes to a First Appellate Authority senior to the officer who replied.
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Second appeal to the Information Commission
If the first appeal fails, a second appeal lies to the Central Information Commission. This is slower but it is where genuinely obstructed requests are eventually decided.
Fees, timelines and key facts
| Fee | ₹10; free for below-poverty-line applicants |
|---|---|
| Portal | rtionline.gov.in, for central public authorities |
| Reply deadline | 30 days; 48 hours where life or liberty is involved |
| First appeal | Within 30 days of the reply or of the deadline expiring |
| Second appeal | To the Central Information Commission |
| Extra charges | Per-page copying charges may apply for bulky records |
| Exemptions | Section 8 covers national security, foreign relations, commercial confidence, personal information with no public interest, and others |
If something goes wrong
The reply says the information is 'not available'
Ask in the first appeal for the specific record from which that conclusion was drawn. Authorities must state whether a record exists, not merely that they cannot find it.
Your request was transferred to another authority
Legal under the Act, and the 30-day clock effectively restarts. Choosing the right authority initially avoids this.
The reply cites Section 8 to refuse everything
Section 8 exemptions apply to specific categories, not to whole applications. In the first appeal, ask which clause applies to which question, and request severance of the exempt portions under Section 10.
You asked 'why' and got a non-answer
Refile, converted into a documentary request: the noting file, the order, the rule relied on.
Questions people ask
What can I actually ask for under RTI?
Information held on record by a public authority — documents, file notings, orders, data, correspondence, inspection reports. You cannot demand explanations, opinions or answers to hypothetical questions.
Can I file an RTI about a state government department?
Not on the central portal. Most states run their own RTI portals, and some still require a physical application with a court fee stamp.
Is my identity disclosed to the department?
Your name and address are on the application, since only citizens can file. Your reasons for asking cannot be demanded — the Act specifically bars requiring them.
How much do the private RTI filing services charge?
Several hundred rupees for something that costs ₹10 on the official portal. There is no advantage to using them.
Official pages for this task
These are the only sites that can actually do this for you. Everything else is a middleman.