Section 3 — Right to Information

• The right vests in 'citizens' — read with the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• 'Subject to the provisions of this Act' means bounded by Sections 8, 9 and 24.
• Not available to: foreign nationals, OCI/PIO-card holders, corporations as juristic persons, unregistered associations (with exceptions for representative filing).

No amendments. The one constitutional challenge — Commissioner's remuneration review in Namit Sharma — did not touch Section 3.

• S.P. Gupta v. President of India, AIR 1982 SC 149 — right to know is part of Article 19(1)(a).
• State of U.P. v. Raj Narain, (1975) 4 SCC 428 — foundational right-to-know jurisprudence.
• Raj Sharma v. CIC, Delhi HC (2016) — foreign citizens cannot file directly; but can through a citizen proxy.
• CIC orders — Aadhaar, passport, or voter-ID proof of citizenship may be asked only if genuinely in doubt.

Sign your RTI yourself if you are a citizen. If a non-citizen, an Indian citizen (relative, advocate) must sign. For public-interest litigation under Section 6(2), no reason needed, so citizenship rather than purpose is the only threshold.

For drafting RTIs or appeals engaging this section, use the First RTI template or the First Appeal template. See How to fill an RTI application for structural help.

• Back to the full RTI Act
• Section 6 — Request for information
• Section 7 — Disposal
• Section 8 — Exemptions
• Section 19 — Appeals
• All explanations
• Landmark RTI decisions

1. Right to Information Act, 2005, Section 3.
2. RTI (Amendment) Act, 2019 (where applicable).
3. DPDP Rules, 2025, notified 14 November 2025 (where applicable).
4. Department of Personnel and Training, Guide on the RTI Act, 2005.

Last reviewed on: 21 April 2026