Every Indian citizen can file an RTI online at rtionline.gov.in for Central Government Ministries and Departments. The fee is Rs 10 paid by UPI, card or net banking. The Public Information Officer must reply within 30 days, or 48 hours if the request concerns life and liberty. Registration is not required for first-time filing.

Last updated: 20 April 2026 · Verified against the Right to Information Act, 2005 and the DPDP Rules, 2025.

A complete 2026 guide to RTI online filing in India. Covers the Central Government portal, ready-to-use application templates in English and Hindi, fees, timelines, common mistakes, status tracking, and what to do if the reply is unsatisfactory.

You paid your taxes. You deserve an answer. A missing pension file, a stalled building sanction, an unanswered scholarship claim, all of these can be traced through a single legal right. The Right to Information Act, 2005 gives every citizen of India this right. The Central Government's online portal at rtionline.gov.in makes filing possible in under ten minutes from a phone or a laptop, with a Rs 10 fee paid online.

With the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 in force from 14 November 2025, the shape of Section 8(1)(j) has changed. The filing process itself has not. This guide walks through every step as it stands in 2026. For the full amendment note, see DPDP Rules, 2025: the amendment to Section 8(1)(j).

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:

• Any individual citizen of India, of any age.
• You do not have to give a reason for the request. Section 6(2) bars the Officer from asking why.

Who cannot file:

• A company, firm, trust, or NGO, in its own name.
• A non-citizen.

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.

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:

• Full name
• Tick “Yes” for citizen of India
• Address, pin code, phone
• Email address (the reply also arrives here)
• BPL status (tick only if applicable; fee is waived under Section 7(5))

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.

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]

1. Asking for opinions. Why: The Act covers records that already exist, not explanations. Correct: “Please provide a certified copy of the file noting on my application number X.”
2. Asking vague questions. Why: The Officer cannot trace a non-specific subject. Correct: Name the document, the exact date range, and the office.
3. Combining multiple subjects in one application. Why: One application covers one subject. Mixed requests invite partial replies and transfer delays under Section 6(3). Correct: File one application per subject.
4. Filing with the wrong Ministry. Why: Section 6(3) transfer costs at least five days. Correct: Use the Ministry's own contact page or Section 4(1)(b) disclosures to confirm jurisdiction first.
5. Naming a third party without a public-interest ground. Why: After 14 November 2025, Section 8(1)(j) refusals on personal information are narrower and stricter. Correct: State the public-interest ground up front and invoke Section 8(2) where relevant. See PIO reply after DPDP Rules, 2025.
6. Exceeding the 3,000-character limit. Why: The portal truncates anything longer. Correct: Split across separate applications, or upload the detailed request as a PDF attachment (within 1 MB).
7. Missing the first-appeal window. Why: Section 19(1) allows only 30 days from reply or deemed refusal. Correct: Diary the date of reply, and use the first-appeal template on day 25 rather than day 29.
8. Asking for information older than twenty years without citing Section 8(3). Why: Some Officers invoke an expiry argument. Correct: Cite Section 8(3), which specifically allows information older than twenty years subject only to Sections 8(1)(a), ©, and (i).
9. Using argumentative or abusive language. Why: Such applications are flagged and slowed. Correct: Keep the tone neutral and numbered. The Act is yours; the file-noting is the tool.
10. Uploading personal identity proof. Why: Section 6(2) bars the Officer from asking for reasons. Volunteering ID can invite an irrelevant identity check. Correct: Upload only records relevant to the subject.

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:

• Received — Public Information Officer has the application.
• Under Process — decision pending.
• Transferred — sent to another public authority under Section 6(3).
• Reply Sent — reply despatched.

Email alerts run at each stage.

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.

1. Check Section 4 first. Every public authority publishes seventeen categories of information on its website under Section 4(1)(b). The answer may already be online.
2. Be specific. Name the file, date, and office.
3. Ask for certified copies. Admissible in other proceedings.
4. One subject per application. Keeps the reply focused and reduces transfer delay.
5. Follow up politely by email on day 25. Often moves a stalled file.
6. Cite Section 8(2) where relevant. Even when an exemption under Section 8(1) is invoked, the Public Information Officer can disclose where public interest outweighs the harm.

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.

• Drafting 20 RTI ideas? Top 20 RTI questions citizens can ask.
• Worried about rejection? Why RTIs get rejected — and the fixes.
• If no reply in 30 days: First Appeal (§19(1)) timelines.
• File from your state: Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, UP and more.
• For personal problems: Passport / pension / FIR / mutation / scholarship templates.

• The Right to Information Act, 2005 — current text.
• The RTI Act, 2005 — summary, sections, and notes.
• RTI Rules (Central and State).
• Guide for applicants.
• Template: first RTI application.
• Sample RTI applications — ready drafts for more than thirty common subjects.
• Template: first appeal.
• Template: second appeal.
• Why RTI applications get rejected.
• RTI for personal problems — real-life cases with ready-to-file templates.
• rtionline.gov.in, portal-specific walk-through.
• State RTI vs Central RTI.
• Third-party information under Section 11.
• Grounds for rejection under Section 8.
• DPDP Rules, 2025 — the amendment to Section 8(1)(j).
• PIO reply after DPDP Rules, 2025.
• How to file Second Appeal before the Information Commission.
• CIC case-law library.
• Frequently asked questions on RTI.

1. The Right to Information Act, 2005 (Act No. 22 of 2005).
2. The Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005, Central Government.
3. The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, notified 14 November 2025.
4. Official RTI Online Portal, Government of India: rtionline.gov.in, operated by the Department of Personnel and Training through the National Informatics Centre.
5. Central Information Commission: cic.gov.in.
6. State of U.P. v. Raj Narain, (1975) 4 SCC 428.
7. Central Board of Secondary Education v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, (2011) 8 SCC 497.
8. Ketan Kantilal Modi v. Central Board of Excise and Customs, Central Information Commission (see case page on this site).

20 April 2026

Pick your state for the exact portal URL, fee structure, and SIC address:

• Maharashtra
• Uttar Pradesh
• Tamil Nadu
• West Bengal
• Karnataka
• Gujarat
• Kerala
• Delhi (NCT)
• Madhya Pradesh
• Rajasthan

• Andhra Pradesh
• Telangana
• Bihar
• Odisha
• Punjab
• Haryana
• Assam
• Jharkhand
• Chhattisgarh
• Uttarakhand
• Himachal Pradesh
• Goa
• Jammu & Kashmir (UT)
• Manipur
• Meghalaya
• Nagaland
• Sikkim
• Tripura

• Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Chandigarh
• Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
• Lakshadweep
• Puducherry
• Ladakh