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File RTI in Delhi — 2026 guide
Delhi has a unique RTI landscape — Central Government RTIs use rtionline.gov.in (Rs 10), Delhi Government RTIs can be filed via the NIC-built Delhi RTI portal (rtionline.delhi.gov.in, Rs 10), MCD/NDMC/DDA have separate procedures (Rs 10-50), and Delhi Police is §24-exempt (accessible only via the corruption / human-rights proviso). The Central Information Commission is itself at Delhi (Bhikaji Cama Place), and the Delhi State Information Commission handles NCT of Delhi government matters. Average response 25-35 days.
Delhi's three-layer landscape
| Layer | Examples | Portal / where | Fee |
| Central Government | Income Tax, Railways, MEA, Home Ministry, PMO | rtionline.gov.in | Rs 10 |
| Delhi Government (NCT) | Education, Health, PWD, Revenue, Transport | rtionline.delhi.gov.in or in person | Rs 10 |
| Local bodies / special | MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi), NDMC (New Delhi), Delhi Cantonment, DDA (Delhi Development Authority) | Direct at the office — each has its own RTI Cell | Rs 10-50 |
| Police | Delhi Police | §24 exempt — only corruption / human-rights allegations survive via proviso | — |
Key Delhi-specific portals
- Delhi RTI Online — https://rtionline.delhi.gov.in (unified for Delhi Government departments)
- DDA RTI — delhi-specific, via DDA website (offline preferred)
- MCD RTI — decentralised at each zone office
- Delhi SIC — https://dic.delhi.gov.in (Bhagwan Das Road, ITO)
Delhi State Information Commission
- Location: Bhagwan Das Road, near ITO, New Delhi
- Website: https://dic.delhi.gov.in
- Second Appeal: within 90 days of FAA decision
- Avg disposal: 6-10 months (relatively quicker than many SICs)
Central Information Commission (CIC)
The CIC itself is in Delhi, at August Kranti Bhavan, Bhikaji Cama Place. It hears Second Appeals against Central-Government FAA decisions — including those from Central departments located anywhere in India.
- Website: https://cic.gov.in
- File a Second Appeal online: https://cicappeal.nic.in
Fees
- Delhi Government / rtionline.delhi.gov.in: Rs 10 (online UPI/card/netbanking), Rs 10 court-fee stamp on paper
- MCD / NDMC / DDA: Rs 10-50 depending on body and type
- Central RTIs: Rs 10 on rtionline.gov.in
- Copy fees: Rs 2/A4 page (Central Rules); check local-body specifics
- Inspection: first hour free; Rs 5 per 15 min thereafter
- BPL exemption: full fee waiver
Delhi Police is §24 exempt
Delhi Police is notified in the Second Schedule of the RTI Act under §24 — broadly exempt from RTI.
Exceptions that still work:
- Allegations of corruption or human-rights violations — survive via §24 proviso, accessible with CIC approval
- Your own FIR or complaint's status — Delhi HC has held that a complainant has a right to know the status of their own case
- Charge-sheet once filed — becomes a court document, accessible through CPC certified-copies procedure (not RTI)
Templates
Template 1 — DDA housing-scheme allotment
Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005: 1. Copy of the allotment file for [scheme name], draw held on [date], DDA, including my application form and acknowledgement. 2. Copies of all notings and approvals in the file. 3. Current status of possession / demand-cum-allotment letter / sale deed. 4. Copies of any representations filed.
Template 2 — MCD building-plan sanction
Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005: 1. Complete copy of the building-plan sanction file for Plot No. [plot no.], Block [block], [colony / locality], MCD zone [zone]. 2. Copies of technical scrutiny notings and departmental objections. 3. The final sanction / rejection order with reasons. 4. NOCs obtained from Fire / Environment / ASI (if applicable).
Template 3 — Delhi Government service records (your own)
Kindly provide the following information under the RTI Act, 2005: 1. Copy of my APAR / ACR for the assessment periods [years]. 2. Copy of my transfer-posting orders from [date] to [date]. 3. Copy of any vigilance / disciplinary notings in my service file. 4. Current pay-fixation order (if revised).
Common Delhi RTI rejection reasons — and the counter
- “Information under §24 — Delhi Police” — check if allegations are of corruption or human rights. If yes, file via CIC with §24 proviso invocation.
- “§8(1)(j) personal information” — post-DPDP 2025, the framework is stricter. But information about public-authority action (DDA allotment, MCD sanction, transfer orders by name) is NOT personal.
- “Records with concerned Ministry/Department” — §6(3) transfer within 5 days.
- “Part of pending court matter” — §8(1)(b) applies only to information whose disclosure is expressly forbidden by a court order or would constitute contempt — not all matters in litigation.
Notable Delhi-specific rulings
- Bhagat Singh v. CIC — §8(1)(h) investigation standard
- Full Bench: CJI's office a public authority — 2009 (SC affirmed 2019)
- Arvind Kejriwal v. CPIO — compilation burden not a §8 ground
When an RTI fails
- First Appeal to the FAA (one rank above PIO) within 30 days.
- Second Appeal to the Delhi SIC (NCT Delhi matters) OR CIC (Central matters) within 90 days.
- Writ petition to the Delhi High Court under Article 226 (HC at Sher Shah Road).
FAQs
Q1: What's the Delhi Government RTI portal? https://rtionline.delhi.gov.in — unified for Delhi Government departments.
Q2: Can I file RTI online for DDA? DDA has its own portal (dda.gov.in); offline filing preferred for older-scheme records.
Q3: Is the CIC in Delhi the same as the Delhi SIC? No. CIC is the Central Information Commission (federal, all-India Central-Government appeals). Delhi SIC handles appeals against Delhi Government (NCT) PIOs.
Q4: Delhi Police is hard to RTI — why? §24 notification; RTI survives only for corruption / human-rights allegations via the proviso.
Q5: Is RTI fee in Delhi Rs 10 or Rs 50? Rs 10 for Delhi Government. Rs 10 for Central. Rs 10-50 for local bodies (MCD, NDMC) — check the specific body's rules.
Q6: What's the typical response time? 25-35 days for Delhi Government; 30-40 for Central; 40+ for MCD/DDA.
Notable RTI rulings from Delhi (from the case-law corpus)
- DPDP 2025 effect on §8(1)(j) — Delhi HC guidance (landmark) — Post-DPDP 2025: §8(1)(j) exempts personal info absolutely; override by §8(2), not the old proviso.
- Arvind Kejriwal v. CPIO (landmark) — Compilation burden is not a §8 ground; PIO must provide information held in records.
- Secretary General, Supreme Court of India v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal (landmark) — CJI's office is a public authority; judges' assets accessible subject to §8(1)(j) balancing.
- Bhagat Singh v. CIC (landmark) — §8(1)(h) is not a blanket bar for police files; requires demonstrable prejudice to actual ongoing investigation.
- Electoral roll revisions — Delhi HC 2025 — Electoral-roll governance is transparent; voter privacy is protected.
- PhD Theses Public under RTI — Delhi HC (2024) — PhD theses are public records under RTI; fiduciary argument fails.
- Faceless assessment records — Delhi HC 2024 — System-level tax-assessment transparency is compatible with officer anonymity.
- DGCA pilot licence investigations — Delhi HC 2024 — Aviation safety investigations are §8(1)(h) during pendency, but §11 process is non-negotiable.
Browse the full case-law database — 362 curated rulings and filter by court / section / keyword.
Related
External
- Delhi RTI Online: https://rtionline.delhi.gov.in
- Delhi SIC: https://dic.delhi.gov.in
- CIC: https://cic.gov.in
- CIC Second Appeal online: https://cicappeal.nic.in
Last reviewed: 22 April 2026.

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