Table of Contents
How to File RTI in Gujarat — 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://gic.gujarat.gov.in or by Speed Post to the Public Information Officer of the concerned department. Fee Rs. 20 (state rate) (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 Gujarat State Information Commission (GSIC).
Part of How to file RTI online in India — this page covers the Gujarat state procedure.
Where to file — the two routes
Online (faster)
- Portal:
https://gic.gujarat.gov.in - Works for most Gujarat 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: IPO / DD in favour of 'Accounts Officer, [Department]' (postal); court-fee stamp; limited online via departmental portals.
Fees — the exact breakdown
- Application fee: Rs. 20 (state rate) (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: IPO / DD in favour of 'Accounts Officer, [Department]' (postal); court-fee stamp; limited online via departmental portals.
Governing rules: Gujarat Right to Information Rules, 2005 (as amended).
Sample RTI application — Gujarat format
To, The Public Information Officer, [Name of Public Authority], [Full Address, Gujarat] [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. 20 (state rate) 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)..
- Day 75 → Day 165 — Second Appeal under §19(3) to GSIC at Gandhinagar..
For deadlines in detail, see First Appeal timelines and FAA appellate-review checklist.
Gujarat-specific things to know
- Gujarat has a Rs. 20 application fee, slightly above the central rate.
- Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Surat Municipal Corporation, and Vadodara have separate PIOs; file directly to the ULB CPIO.
- Gujarati is the preferred language; English and Hindi are accepted.
- For Gujarat-specific industrial development corporations (GIDC), the portal routing is via the Industries & Mines Department.
State Information Commission — contact
- Name: Gujarat State Information Commission (GSIC)
- Address: Block No. 14, 2nd Floor, Old Secretariat, Sector-10, Gandhinagar - 382010
- Website:
gic.gujarat.gov.in
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 Gujarat
- 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 Gujarat (from the case-law corpus)
- Irrigation / canal records — Gujarat HC — Canal water release + dam level + farm entitlement: §4(1)(b)(xii) proactive disclosure for farmers.
- Gujarat HC pleadings — third-party RTI not maintainable — Court pleadings are in fiduciary custody; third-party RTI requests for pleadings not maintainable.
- Co-operative society records under RTI — Gujarat HC 2019 — Substantial-finance test from Thalappalam applies to Gujarat co-operatives.
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)
- Gujarat Right to Information Rules, 2005 (as amended)
- Gujarat State Information Commission (GSIC) — annual reports
- Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — §44(3), amending RTI §8(1)(j)
Last reviewed: 21 April 2026.


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