A Practical Guide to Filing an RTI Application in India

The Right to Information Act, 2005 gives every citizen the right to ask any public authority for information it holds, and obliges it to answer within a fixed time. It is one of the most powerful tools an ordinary citizen has. Here is how to use it well.

What you can ask for

You can ask for records, documents, file notings, emails, circulars, orders, contracts, reports, samples and data held by a public authority: ministries and departments, municipalities, public sector companies, universities and bodies substantially funded by government.

Some information is exempt under section 8 of the Act, for example information that would harm national security or a criminal investigation, or personal information with no link to any public activity. Even then, information that cannot be denied to Parliament or a state legislature cannot be denied to you.

How to file

1. Find the right authority. Address your application to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the office that holds the information.
2. Write it plainly. Ask specific questions or name specific documents. You do not have to give a reason for asking.
3. Pay the fee. For central government bodies the fee is Rs 10. States set their own. Applicants below the poverty line do not pay a fee but must attach proof.
4. Submit it. For central ministries and many central bodies, file online at the RTI Online portal. For others, send it by post or hand it in, and keep proof of submission.

Time limits

• The PIO must reply within 30 days.
• If the information concerns the life or liberty of a person, the reply is due within 48 hours.
• If the application was transferred to another authority, allow five extra days.
• If no reply comes in time, it is treated as a refusal, and you may appeal.

Appeals

• First appeal: within 30 days of the reply (or of the deadline passing), to the First Appellate Authority, a senior officer in the same authority. It is free for central bodies.
• Second appeal: within 90 days of the first appeal decision, to the Central Information Commission or the relevant State Information Commission. Commissions can order disclosure and impose penalties on officers who refuse without good cause.

Tips that work

• Ask for copies of documents rather than for opinions or explanations; a PIO must provide what is on record, not create new analysis.
• Break a big request into a few clear questions.
• Ask for "certified copies", and for inspection of files if the records are bulky.
• Keep copies of everything you send and receive.

Used this way, RTI can show you why a road was never built, who was paid for it, and what the file says. Share what you learn with your representatives and in our forum.