Table of Contents
How to File RTI in Delhi — Online & Postal Guide (2026)
Need help drafting this RTI? Use our free RTI Assistant — describe your problem, get a ready-to-file Section 6(1) application with your name and address pre-filled. Also handles First Appeal and Second Appeal to the CIC/SIC.
In one line. File your RTI either online at https://rtionline.delhi.gov.in (state); https://rtionline.gov.in (central) or by Speed Post to the Public Information Officer of the concerned department. Fee Rs. 10 (Rs. 2 per page (A4); Rs. 50 per CD for copies). Statutory reply in 30 days. If refused or silent, file a First Appeal under §19(1) within 30 days, then a Second Appeal to Central Information Commission (CIC) for central bodies; Delhi Information Commission for state (GNCTD) bodies.
Part of How to file RTI online in India — this page covers the Delhi (NCT) state procedure.
Where to file — the two routes
Online (faster)
- Portal:
https://rtionline.delhi.gov.in (state); https://rtionline.gov.in (central) - Works for most Delhi (NCT) state departments, public undertakings, and major urban local bodies.
- Fee is paid online through SBI e-Pay.
- You get a unique Registration Number that you use for all follow-ups.
By post (when the portal does not cover the public authority)
- Address the application to the Public Information Officer, [Name of Public Authority], [Full address].
- Send by Speed Post with Acknowledgement Due. Retain the receipt — it is your filing evidence.
- Enclose the fee in one of the accepted modes: online via the GNCTD RTI portal (state) or rtionline.gov.in (central); IPO / DD for postal; court-fee stamp.
Fees — the exact breakdown
- Application fee: Rs. 10 (BPL applicants: free, on production of a BPL card copy).
- Additional cost for copies: Rs. 2 per page (A4); Rs. 50 per CD.
- Inspection of records: free for the first hour; Rs. 5 for each subsequent 15 minutes (standard state rule).
- Fee modes: online via the GNCTD RTI portal (state) or rtionline.gov.in (central); IPO / DD for postal; court-fee stamp.
Governing rules: Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2012 (central); GNCTD RTI Rules, 2005 (state).
Sample RTI application — Delhi (NCT) format
To, The Public Information Officer, [Name of Public Authority], [Full Address, Delhi (NCT)] [PIN Code] Subject: Request for information under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Sir / Madam, I, [Full Name], resident of [Complete Address with PIN], a citizen of India, request the following information / records under the RTI Act: 1. [Specific record, file number, or data you want — name the document] 2. [Date / period — anchor the timeframe] 3. [Identifier — your application number, account number, or similar] 4. Name and contact of the First Appellate Authority for this office. I enclose Rs. 10 by way of [IPO No. / DD No. / online payment ref.] in favour of [Accounts Officer, concerned department]. Please send the information to the address below by Registered Post. Yours faithfully, [Signature] Name: __________________ Address: __________________ PIN: __________________ Mobile: __________________ Date: __________________
Need a topic-specific template? Pick from the sample RTI library — FIR, admission, exam marks, ration card, pension, refund, and more.
What happens next — the 30-day clock
- Day 0 — PIO receives your RTI.
- Day 0–5 — Transfer under §6(3) if the matter sits with another public authority; the 30-day clock restarts from the date of transfer.
- Day 10–25 — Most routine requests are answered.
- Day 30 — Statutory reply deadline. Silence = deemed refusal under §7(2).
- Day 31 → Day 60 — First Appeal under §19(1) to the Department FAA — one rank above PIO; for central RTIs, the FAA in the same ministry / department..
- Day 75 → Day 165 — Second Appeal under §19(3) to Central Information Commission (for central) or Delhi Information Commission (for state)..
For deadlines in detail, see First Appeal timelines and FAA appellate-review checklist.
Delhi (NCT)-specific things to know
- Delhi is unique — central ministries, the GNCTD, NDMC, MCD, and Delhi Police all have separate PIOs.
- Route central-government RTIs through rtionline.gov.in; GNCTD-specific RTIs through the Delhi portal.
- For MCD and NDMC, file directly to the civic body's PIO.
- For Delhi Police, file to the PIO at the Commissioner of Police's office; also reachable via the state portal.
- Hindi and English are both widely accepted.
State Information Commission — contact
- Name: Central Information Commission (CIC) for central bodies; Delhi Information Commission for state (GNCTD) bodies
- Address: CIC — Club Building, Old JNU Campus, New Delhi - 110067; DIC — C-Block, Vikas Bhawan II, Civil Lines, Delhi - 110054
- Website:
cic.gov.in (central); dic.delhi.gov.in (state)
For §19(3) Second Appeals, file directly to the Commission's Registry — postal or online where the Commission's portal allows.
Common mistakes when filing from Delhi (NCT)
- Filing at the wrong PIO — route via the concerned department, not the generic state grievance portal.
- Asking “why” questions. Ask for records, not answers — see the records-not-answers drafting guide.
- Missing the fee payment — even online filings fail if the payment is not completed.
- Skipping the application reference / identifier that lets the PIO locate your file.
- Drafting in English when the authority uses a regional language — use either, but be consistent.
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 reading
Sources
- Right to Information Act, 2005 (as amended 2019, 2023)
- Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2012 (central); GNCTD RTI Rules, 2005 (state)
- Central Information Commission (CIC) for central bodies; Delhi Information Commission for state (GNCTD) bodies — annual reports
- Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — §44(3), amending RTI §8(1)(j)
Last reviewed: 21 April 2026.


Discussion