Prefer the faster way? The RTI Assistant AI produces a complete ready-to-file Section 6(1) application in under 2 minutes — with your name, address and fee line pre-filled. The manual guide below is kept for readers who want to do it themselves.
The Right to Information Act, 2005 is a Central law. It gives every citizen of India the right to ask for information from a public authority.
Who can file:
Who cannot file:
A director or employee of a company can file in his or her own personal name. The right flows from Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, recognised in State of U.P. v. Raj Narain, (1975) 4 SCC 428. See also the summary of sections and notes.
| Subject | What you can ask for | Sample template |
|---|---|---|
| Passport delay | Date of police verification, current file stage, officer holding the file, expected despatch date | Passport RTI sample |
| EPF / PF withdrawal | Status of claim, reasons for delay, officer processing the file, tentative date of credit | PF withdrawal RTI sample |
| Pension status | PPO issue date, communication to bank, date of credit, officer responsible | Pension RTI sample |
| FIR copy | Copy of FIR, station-diary entry number, action taken, investigating officer | FIR RTI sample |
| Land mutation | Date of receipt at Tehsil, current stage, objections received, officer responsible | Coming soon |
| Scholarship delay | Date of sanction, DBT push date, bank details on record, reason for non-credit | Scholarship RTI sample |
| Income tax refund | Date of intimation, reason for hold, officer reviewing, expected release date | Income tax RTI sample |
| Exam answer sheet | Certified copy of answer sheet, marking scheme, moderation policy | Answer-sheet RTI sample |
| Tender or contract | Copy of tender, bid register, award letter, approved vendor list | Coming soon |
| MPLAD / MLALAD funds | Utilisation in your constituency, sanction orders, work-completion certificates | Coming soon |
For the full library, see all sample RTI applications. For a broader guide, see RTI for personal problems, real cases with templates.
The official Central Government portal is rtionline.gov.in. It covers most Central Ministries and Departments. For State Government matters, see State RTI vs Central RTI.
Open the portal in any browser. No login or account is needed.
The button sits on the home page. Read the terms on the next screen. Click Submit to proceed.
Pick the one that holds the record. If you are unsure, pick the parent Ministry. If the record sits with another public authority, the Public Information Officer must transfer your application under Section 6(3) within five days. See Section 6(3) transfer, explained.
Fill in:
Type the request in the application box. You have up to 3,000 characters. Write in numbered points. Ask for documents and factual status, not opinions. Start from the first-RTI template for a proven structure.
Upload as a PDF under 1 MB. Do not attach your ID proof. The Public Information Officer cannot ask for it under Section 6(2).
Use net banking, debit or credit card, or UPI (where the portal's gateway enables it). Payment is through a secure Government gateway.
The portal displays a registration number (format: DOPTR/E/2026/XXXXX). Save it. You will also receive an email confirmation.
Go to View Status on the portal. Enter your registration number. The portal shows the current stage. You also receive email alerts.
The Public Information Officer must reply within 30 days (48 hours for life or liberty). The reply arrives by email and post. If there is no reply within the statutory period, it is a deemed refusal under Section 7(2) and a first appeal is available immediately.
| Feature | Central Online (rtionline.gov.in) | State Online (where available) | Physical by post |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | Central Ministries, Departments, UTs, substantially-financed Union bodies | State Departments, PSUs, Panchayats | Any public authority (Centre or State) |
| Fee | Rs 10 | Rs 10 to Rs 50 (varies by State) | Rs 10 (or as per State rule) |
| Payment mode | UPI, net banking, debit/credit card | State gateway or offline | Indian Postal Order, demand draft, court-fee stamp (varies) |
| Turnaround | 30 days (48 hours for life/liberty) | 30 days | 30 days |
| Evidence trail | Automatic portal log, timestamped emails | Portal log where available | Speed post AD slip |
| Best for | A Central subject | A State subject if the State has a portal | A State subject with no portal; when you want a signed paper trail |
For the routing rules between Centre and State, see State RTI vs Central RTI. For the portal walk-through, see rtionline.gov.in guide.
Copy the template below into the application box. Fill in the square brackets. A cleaner version with drafting notes lives at Template: first RTI application.
To, The Central Public Information Officer [Name of the Ministry / Department] [Address] Subject: Request for information under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Sir, I am a citizen of India. I apply under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 for the following information. 1. [First item, ask for a specific document or factual status] 2. [Second item] 3. [Third item] I have paid the prescribed fee of Rs 10 through the online gateway. Please send the reply to my email and postal address below. Yours faithfully, [Name] [Address] [Pin code] [Date]
सेवा में, केंद्रीय लोक सूचना अधिकारी [मंत्रालय / विभाग का नाम] [पता] विषय: सूचना का अधिकार अधिनियम, 2005 की धारा 6(1) के तहत सूचना प्राप्त करने हेतु आवेदन। महोदय, मैं भारत का नागरिक हूँ। मैं सूचना का अधिकार अधिनियम, 2005 की धारा 6(1) के तहत निम्नलिखित सूचना प्राप्त करना चाहता/चाहती हूँ। 1. [पहली सूचना] 2. [दूसरी सूचना] 3. [तीसरी सूचना] मैंने 10 रुपये का निर्धारित शुल्क ऑनलाइन जमा कर दिया है। कृपया उत्तर मेरे नीचे दिए गए ईमेल और डाक पते पर भेजें। भवदीय, [नाम] [पता] [पिन कोड] [दिनांक]
| Item | Amount or rule | Statutory basis |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee (Central Government, online) | Rs 10 | RTI Fee Rules 2005 |
| Additional charges for copies | Rs 2 per A4 page (above the first page) | Fee Rules, 2005 |
| BPL applicants | Exempt | Section 7(5) |
| Reply timeline | 30 days from date of receipt | Section 7(1) |
| Life or liberty matter | 48 hours | Section 7(1) proviso |
| Third-party procedure | 40 days | Section 11 |
| First appeal period | 30 days from reply or due date | Section 19(1) |
| Second appeal period | 90 days from First Appellate Authority order or due date | Section 19(3) |
| Deemed refusal | After 30 days of silence | Section 7(2) |
Each row gives the mistake, why it fails, and the correct version. Most rejections and delays trace to one of these.
For ten more typical errors across the full Section 8 framework, see Why RTI applications get rejected, and how to avoid it.
On rtionline.gov.in, click View Status. Enter your registration number and email. Statuses include:
Email alerts run at each stage.
Representative order, Central Information Commission. In Shri Ketan Kantilal Modi v. Central Board of Excise and Customs (Decision pages on this site), the Commission directed the Central Public Information Officer to supply information that had been withheld through a series of procedural refusals. Where the Commission finds the refusal was without reasonable cause or with mala fide intent, Section 20(1) of the RTI Act allows a penalty of Rs 250 per day of delay, up to Rs 25,000, on the Officer personally.
Facts. The applicant sought file notings relating to a departmental proceeding. The Public Information Officer returned the application with a Section 8 exemption that was not sustainable on the face of the record.
Ruling. The Commission directed disclosure and, in orders of this kind, imposes a penalty under Section 20 where the withholding was culpable.
Practical lesson. The penalty is on the Officer, not the public authority. For the applicant, the ask is simple: file a first appeal on time, a second appeal within 90 days, and expressly pray for Section 20 action where delay is without reasonable cause.
See the case page at Ketan Kantilal Modi v. CBEC, and the full library at CIC case-law library.
File within 30 days of the Public Information Officer's reply or deemed refusal. On the portal, use the Submit First Appeal option. The First Appellate Authority is the officer senior to the Public Information Officer. No fee is payable for a first appeal at the Central Government level. The First Appellate Authority must decide within 30 days, extendable to 45 days with reasons recorded. See first appeal, in detail.
If the First Appellate Authority's order is unsatisfactory, or there is no order within the period, file a second appeal within 90 days to the Central Information Commission at cic.gov.in. The Commission's order is binding under Section 19(7). See second appeal template.
RTI online filing in India is one of the most effective ways for a citizen to engage with the government. A Rs 10 fee and a clear application, filed on rtionline.gov.in, can return a government record within thirty days. The Right to Information Act, 2005 was enacted for this purpose. Use it for records, not opinions. Follow the appeal path if the reply is unsatisfactory. Expect a statutory response on time.
For the full legal text, see the RTI Act, 2005 and the summary. For concept notes and drafting tips, see Guide for applicants and our library of sample RTI applications for common subjects.
No. The Central portal covers only Central Government Ministries and Departments. Some States (for example, Maharashtra at rtionline.maharashtra.gov.in) run their own portals. Where a State has no portal, file a physical application with the Public Information Officer of the concerned State public authority. See State RTI vs Central RTI.
Pick the one most closely connected to your subject. If the Public Information Officer does not hold the record, Section 6(3) requires a transfer to the right public authority within five days. The thirty-day reply period restarts from the date of receipt by the transferee. See Section 6(3), explained.
Thirty days from the date of receipt. 48 hours for life or liberty. 40 days where a third-party procedure under Section 11 is engaged. If the Public Information Officer does not reply within the period, it is a deemed refusal under Section 7(2) and a first appeal is available.
No. You must provide your name and address so the reply can be sent to you. However, Section 6(2) bars the Public Information Officer from asking why you want the information.
At the Central Government level, no fee is payable for a first appeal on rtionline.gov.in. State rules vary. See RTI Rules.
Track your Central RTI online. Paste the registration number the portal gave you (format DOPTR/E/YYYY/XXXXX) and go straight to the status page on rtionline.gov.in. The status is served by the Government portal; we only bridge you across.
20 April 2026
Pick your state for the exact portal URL, fee structure, and SIC address: