A plain-language walkthrough of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Each entry sets out the statutory text of a section, an explanation in practitioner terms, and one illustrative decision.

The Decoded series is in preparation. Entries are being published one section at a time. A section is listed below only after the entry has been published.

The series follows the sequence below. The order mirrors the flow of an RTI matter, from definitions to penalty.

1. Section 2. Definitions. The defined terms that set the scope of the Act.
2. Section 4. Suo motu disclosure. The positive obligation on every public authority to publish information without an application.
3. Section 6. Request procedure. The form, fee, and timelines of a first application.
4. Section 7. Disposal. The timelines and grounds on which a Public Information Officer may dispose of a request.
5. Section 8. Exemptions. The ten grounds on which information may be withheld, including Section 8(1)(j) as amended by the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 on notification of the 2025 Rules.
6. Section 9. Infringement of copyright. The standalone ground of rejection in private copyright.
7. Section 10. Severability. The duty to sever and release the non-exempt part of a record.
8. Section 11. Third party. The procedure where the information sought concerns a third party.
9. Section 19. Appeals. The first appeal under Section 19(1) and the second appeal under Section 19(3).
10. Section 20. Penalties. The mandatory penalty of two hundred and fifty rupees per day up to twenty-five thousand rupees, and the grounds on which a Commission may impose it.

Each Decoded entry is set out in the order below.

• Statutory text. The section as it stands today, with the amendment history set out in the margin.
• Plain-language reading. One paragraph for a general reader. One paragraph for a practitioner.
• Illustrative case. A single leading decision, with the ratio set out in a blockquote suitable for use in an appeal.
• When to cite. Two or three common applications of the section.
• Cross-links. Related sections, explainers, and templates.

• The RTI Act, 2005 (as amended). The full text of the Act.
• Case law library. Decisions that interpret each section.
• Templates. Drafting formats that apply each section.

1. The Right to Information Act, 2005 (No. 22 of 2005).
2. The Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2019 (No. 24 of 2019).
3. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (No. 22 of 2023), Section 44(3).

19 April 2026