• Section 6(1) — the right to make a request; in writing or electronic form; in English, Hindi, or the official State language.
• Section 6(2) — no reason required, no personal details except contact.
• Section 6(3) — PIO must transfer within 5 days if the matter lies elsewhere.
• Section 7(1) — 30-day reply (48 hours if life or liberty).
• Section 7(5) — BPL applicants pay no fee.
• RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005 — Rs 10 application fee; Rs 2 per A4 copy; first hour of inspection free.

RTI gives you access to records. It does not give you answers, opinions, or action. So frame your ask as a document request, not a question.

Most RTIs are rejected because they go to the wrong public authority. Think through:

• Is the subject a Central matter (Passport, Income Tax, Railways, EPF, Defence) or a State matter (Land, Police, Health, Education)?
• Within that, which specific agency holds the record — e.g. for road works, it could be NHAI, CPWD, State PWD, Municipal Corporation, or Panchayat.
• If unsure, check the department's website under the “RTI” link; all public authorities must publish their PIO list under Section 4.

See Central vs State RTI for a 4-question test.

Every public authority must designate a CPIO. Larger departments have multiple PIOs by subject. Options to find the right one:

• Department website → “RTI” link → PIO list (with name, designation, phone, email).
• Section 4(1)(b)(x) also requires publication of PIO contacts.
• If unclear, address to “The Central/State Public Information Officer, [Department]“ with the full office address; Section 6(3) then compels internal transfer.

A good subject line does three things: (a) tells the PIO what the RTI is about in ten words, (b) gives a reference point for all future correspondence, © helps the nodal PIO route it internally.

• Bad: “Information under RTI Act 2005”
• Good: “Request under RTI Act, 2005 — Certified copies of road-repair contracts for [ward], FY 2024-25”

Split into 3-5 numbered paragraphs. Each should ask for one specific document, list, or fact. Not a chain of questions.

Good sample:

1. A copy of the file noting, inspection report, and utilisation
   certificate for road repair works in [ward], sanctioned under
   tender no. [X] during the financial year 2024-25.

2. A copy of the agreement with the contracting firm, the total
   amount paid, and the dates of each payment.

3. A copy of the final completion certificate and any penalty
   imposed for delay.

4. The names and designations of the officers who inspected
   the work.

Always include these two paragraphs. They pre-empt common refusal moves:

If any portion of the above is exempt under Section 8 or
Section 9 of the Act, kindly sever under Section 10 and
disclose the non-exempt remainder with reasons for each
exemption.

If any part of this matter is held by another public
authority, kindly transfer under Section 6(3) of the Act
within five working days and intimate me of the transfer.

• Central Government: Rs 10. Preferred: Indian Postal Order (IPO) payable to “The Accounts Officer, [department]”. Alternatives: Demand Draft, Banker's Cheque, or UPI/card via rtionline.gov.in.
• State Governments: Rs 10 in most states; Rs 20 in Gujarat; Rs 50 in Haryana, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu. See RTI Fees by State.
• BPL applicants: Nil fee under Section 7(5). Attach a copy of the BPL card.

• Speed Post: reliable, gives you a tracking number and proof of delivery. Rs 30-40 per envelope.
• rtionline.gov.in for Central matters: instant, UPI fee, email acknowledgement.
• State portals: see the State RTI Portal Rankings — Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi work well; many others are unreliable.
• Best practice: for any RTI that matters, file online AND send a parallel Speed Post with “Parallel to online application no. [X]” at the top. Rs 40 total for belt-and-braces insurance.

To,
The Central / State Public Information Officer,
[Department / Ministry / Office],
[Full postal address].

Sir/Madam,

Subject: Request under the Right to Information Act, 2005 —
         [one-line subject]

Under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005,
I request the following information:

1. [One specific document, list, or fact].
2. [Second request, separate subject].
3. [Third request].

If any portion of the above is exempt under Section 8 or
Section 9, kindly sever under Section 10 and disclose the
non-exempt remainder with reasons for each exemption.

If any part of this matter lies with another public
authority, kindly transfer under Section 6(3) within five
working days and intimate me.

I enclose an Indian Postal Order of Rs 10 (No. ________)
payable to the Accounts Officer, [Department], towards the
application fee under Rule 3 of the RTI (Regulation of Fee
and Cost) Rules, 2005.

Kindly send the reply to the address below.

Yours faithfully,

[Full name]
[Postal address]
[Phone and email]
Date:

1. Asking “why” questions — Section 7(8) allows the PIO to refuse questions that seek opinion or reasoning not on record.
2. Using “relevant” or “all” without bounds — “all relevant records” is vague; the PIO can refuse under Section 7(9) as disproportionate.
3. Combining RTI with a grievance — keep them separate. See RTI vs Complaint.
4. No date range — add a start-end date; it narrows the request and reduces refusal risk.
5. Forgetting the IPO — missing fee is a common rejection ground under Rule 3.
6. Wrong address — send to the designated PIO's office, not to the Minister or CM.
7. No Speed Post proof — keep the receipt; you will need it for the first appeal.

You can draft on behalf of a relative or friend, but the applicant (the signer) must be an Indian citizen under Section 3. You can also file as a citizen on a public-interest matter that does not concern you personally.

No. The PIO cannot demand proof of citizenship as a routine matter. If suspicion is raised, the Commission in State of U.P. v. RTI Bhawan held that Aadhaar, passport, or voter ID can be asked for — but this is rare.

Yes. The Act and Rules prescribe no font or printing requirement. Clean handwriting on plain A4 is fully acceptable.

Yes for departments that accept it (most Central ministries do; check the department's RTI page). For State matters, email acceptance is patchy; Speed Post remains the safest route. For online portals, see rtionline.gov.in walk-through.

Under Rule 6 of the RTI Fees Rules, the PIO must intimate you of the fee shortfall; they cannot return the application without notice. Re-tender with the correct fee and claim the time lost as a first-appeal ground.

Under 2 pages is ideal. Some State rules prescribe a 150-word limit per application (Karnataka, Maharashtra) — in those cases, split multiple subjects into separate applications.

Add this paragraph at the end of every meaningful RTI:

If the information sought above is voluminous, I request
permission to inspect the records under Section 2(j)(i) of
the Act, and to take certified copies of pages I identify
during the inspection at Rs 2 per A4 page under Rule 4(a).

This defeats the most common refusal: “information is voluminous, come for inspection”. You pre-agree to inspection, denying the PIO the ability to use volume as a stalling tactic. See the inspection procedure for the PIO-playbook counters.

Start with our copy-paste First RTI template and adapt it using the structure above. For AI-assisted drafting, see Using AI to Draft Your RTI. For the online Central route, see File RTI Online in India: 12 Steps. For state-specific fees and portals, see RTI Fees by State.

• The RTI Act, 2005 (as amended)
• First RTI Template (copy-paste)
• First Appeal Template
• Inspection under RTI
• File RTI Online in India: 12 Steps
• RTI Fees by State
• RTI vs Complaint
• Using AI to Draft Your RTI
• Why RTI gets rejected (and fixes)
• Deemed CPIO — Section 5(5)
• File notings under RTI
• Speaking-order requirement
• 20 RTI questions you can ask

1. Right to Information Act, 2005. Sections 3, 6, 7, 10.
2. RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005, Rules 3, 4, 6.
3. Department of Personnel and Training, Guide on the RTI Act, 2005 (2013, updated).
4. CBSE and Anr. v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, (2011) 8 SCC 497.
5. Thalappalam Ser. Coop. Bank Ltd. v. State of Kerala, (2013) 16 SCC 82.
6. State-level RTI Rules (see RTI Rules directory).

Last reviewed on: 20 April 2026