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The working reference for India's Right to Information Act, 2005.

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—rtionline-gov-in [2026/04/20 01:46] (current) – created - external edit 127.0.0.1
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 +====== rtionline.gov.in — the Central Government's RTI portal ======
 +
 +{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(rtionline.gov.in, RTI online portal India, Central Government RTI portal, %%DoPT%% RTI portal, file RTI online India, track RTI status, rti right to information india)
 +metatag-description=(A screen-by-screen guide to rtionline.gov.in, the Central Government's official RTI portal. Registration, application, payment, status tracking, and first-appeal filing.)}}
 +
 +<WRAP center round didyouknow 95%>
 +**Did you know?** The Central portal issues a registration number in the format **DOPTR/E/2026/XXXXX**. Save it — it is the only key the portal accepts for status checks, appeals, and complaints.
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +{{page>snippets:dpdp-banner}}
 +
 +//A plain-language, screen-by-screen walk-through of **rtionline.gov.in**, the Central Government's Right to Information portal maintained by the Department of Personnel and Training (%%DoPT%%) through the National Informatics Centre. Use this page when you want to understand the portal itself. For the broader filing process, fees, drafting, and Hindi templates, see [[file-rti-online-india|How to File RTI Online in India — 2026 Step-by-Step]].//
 +
 +<WRAP center round info 95%>
 +**In one line.** **rtionline.gov.in** is the Central Government's official RTI portal for filing applications to Ministries and Departments of the Union Government. Rs 10 fee, 30-day reply, online appeals, free registration.
 +
 +**What that means in practice.**
 +  * Works only for **Central Government** public authorities — not State Governments or local bodies.
 +  * Fee is paid online via **UPI, card, or netbanking**.
 +  * You get a **registration number** that tracks the application through the PIO, the First Appellate Authority, and if needed the Central Information Commission.
 +  * Each State has its own portal (or requires offline filing); see [[state-vs-central-rti|State RTI vs Central RTI]].
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +<WRAP center round tip 95%>
 +**New to RTI?** Start with the three most-used guides on this site:
 +  * [[:file-rti-online-india|How to File RTI Online in India — 2026 Step-by-Step Guide]].
 +  * [[:why-rti-gets-rejected|Why RTI Applications Get Rejected — and How to Avoid It]].
 +  * [[:faq|FAQ — twenty-five most-asked RTI questions]].
 +</WRAP>
 +===== What the portal covers =====
 +
 +The portal is the front door to the **Central Government** under the Right to Information Act, 2005. That includes:
 +
 +  * Ministries (Home, Finance, External Affairs, Education, Defence, etc.).
 +  * Central Government departments and attached/subordinate offices.
 +  * Central Public Sector Enterprises that are public authorities under Section 2(h).
 +  * The President's Secretariat, Vice-President's Secretariat, Prime Minister's Office.
 +  * Central Information Commission (for its own records).
 +
 +It does **not** cover:
 +
 +  * State Governments, including State Secretariats, district collectors, State PSUs. File directly with the State public authority or use the State's RTI portal where one exists.
 +  * Local bodies (municipal corporations, panchayats, local authorities). File at the local office.
 +  * The Supreme Court and High Courts. Each court has its own registry-level procedure under rules framed by the Chief Justice.
 +  * The Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies. Each House has its own PIO notification.
 +
 +===== Before you start =====
 +
 +  - Identify the **correct Ministry or Department**. If unsure, pick the most proximate one; the Officer transfers under Section 6(3) within five days.
 +  - Draft the application as **plain paragraph text**, not in bullet format. The portal's text box accepts up to **3,000 characters**.
 +  - Keep the fee of **Rs 10** ready by UPI, debit/credit card, or netbanking. **BPL applicants** can claim exemption by uploading a valid certificate.
 +  - Have a working **email address** — the Officer sends the reply there by default.
 +
 +===== Step-by-step through the portal =====
 +
 +==== 1. Open the portal ====
 +
 +Go to **https://rtionline.gov.in**. No account or sign-up is required to file a first application. Registration is optional and unlocks the dashboard view of your past applications.
 +
 +==== 2. Click "Submit Request" ====
 +
 +The front page shows three options: **Submit Request**, **View Status**, and **Submit First Appeal**. Click **Submit Request**. Accept the guidelines on the next page. Tick the declaration that you are a citizen of India.
 +
 +==== 3. Pick the Ministry or Department ====
 +
 +The portal shows a two-level dropdown. **Ministry / Department** first, then the specific **Public Authority** within it. If you do not see the authority, choose "Department of Personnel & Training" as the umbrella — %%DoPT%% will transfer to the correct body.
 +
 +==== 4. Enter personal details ====
 +
 +Fields: full name, gender, contact number, email, address, state and PIN code, educational status (optional), phone, and citizenship. Tick **citizen of India**. Mark **BPL** if applicable and upload the certificate.
 +
 +==== 5. Write the application ====
 +
 +The text box takes up to **3,000 characters**. Draft as short, numbered paragraphs (the portal renders line breaks). Ask for **documents** (file notings, orders, memos), not opinions. Name the file number, date, period, and specific office. For sample language see [[templates:first-rti|Template: first RTI application]] and [[why-rti-gets-rejected|Why RTI Applications Get Rejected]].
 +
 +==== 6. Upload supporting documents (optional) ====
 +
 +One **PDF** file up to **1 MB**. Use this only if the request refers to a document you need to cite — for example, an earlier order, a notice, or a decision letter. **Do not** upload identity proof. The Act does not require it under Section 6(2).
 +
 +==== 7. Pay the Rs 10 fee ====
 +
 +Choose the payment mode: **UPI**, **debit/credit card**, **netbanking**. BPL applicants skip this screen after certificate upload. Payment opens a BharatKosh gateway in a new tab. Return to the portal after the gateway redirect.
 +
 +==== 8. Save the registration number ====
 +
 +The portal issues a **registration number** in the format **DOPTR/E/2026/XXXXX** or similar. The number is also emailed. **Save it** — it is the only reference the portal accepts for status tracking, appeals, and complaints.
 +
 +==== 9. Track the status ====
 +
 +Click **View Status** on the front page. Enter the registration number and the email. The portal shows the current stage — forwarded, with CPIO, replied, under appeal, under second appeal. Reply PDFs are downloadable from this screen when the Officer uploads them.
 +
 +==== 10. Receive the reply ====
 +
 +Within **thirty days** the Officer either replies to the email, uploads the reply PDF to the portal, or posts a hard copy. **Forty-eight hours** for life-or-liberty matters. **Forty days** where a third party is notified under Section 11. Silence beyond these deadlines is a **deemed refusal** under Section 7(2).
 +
 +==== 11. If unsatisfied — file a first appeal ====
 +
 +Click **Submit First Appeal** on the front page. Enter the registration number. The portal pulls in the original application and your details. You write the grounds of appeal and can upload one supporting PDF. **No fee.** The First Appellate Authority must decide within **thirty days**, extendable to forty-five with reasons.
 +
 +==== 12. Second appeal to the CIC ====
 +
 +If the First Appellate Authority's order is unsatisfactory, or no order comes in time, file a **second appeal within ninety days** to the **Central Information Commission** at **cic.gov.in**. That is a separate portal. Use [[templates:second-appeal|Template: second appeal]].
 +
 +===== Practical tips =====
 +
 +  * **Use the portal, not email to the PIO directly.** The portal creates a machine-readable trail that an Appellate Authority and the Commission can pull up instantly.
 +  * **Print the confirmation page after submission.** Keep a PDF copy with the registration number in case the portal is down during an appeal.
 +  * **Check your spam folder** around Day 25. Some departments' replies get flagged.
 +  * **Stay within 3,000 characters.** Portal truncates silently past the limit. If the request is longer, split into two applications.
 +  * **Don't upload identity proof.** Section 6(2) prohibits the Officer from asking for it. Uploading it weakens a future appeal.
 +
 +===== Common errors and fixes =====
 +
 +  * **Payment failed but amount debited.** Wait 48 hours; the gateway auto-reverses. If not, email //dopt-rti[at]nic[dot]in// with the transaction reference.
 +  * **Wrong Ministry picked.** Don't worry. The Officer forwards under Section 6(3) within five days. The forwarded date becomes the new clock-start.
 +  * **"Registration number not found" on View Status.** Give it thirty minutes after submission; the portal takes a short while to index new applications.
 +  * **No reply at Day 30.** Start drafting the first appeal. The thirty-day clock runs from the date the application was //received//, not submitted — allow two days' buffer for internal forwarding if the application was transferred.
 +
 +===== Security and privacy =====
 +
 +The portal is served over HTTPS. The Government does not share applicants' contact details with third parties. Your application text, however, is visible to the concerned PIO, the First Appellate Authority, and — on appeal — the Central Information Commission. Do not include third-party personal information in the application body.
 +
 +
 +===== Track an RTI status =====
 +
 +<WRAP center round info 95%>
 +**Track your Central RTI online.** Paste the registration number the portal gave you (format **DOPTR/E/YYYY/XXXXX**) and go straight to the status page on rtionline.gov.in. The status is served by the Government portal; we only bridge you across.
 +
 +  * **[[https://righttoinformation.wiki/status-tracker.php|Open the tracker]]** — opens the Government portal's status page.
 +  * **[[https://rtionline.gov.in/viewstatus/index.php|Official portal status page]]** — direct link.
 +  * Status tracking for **State** RTIs is handled by the respective State's portal or local office — see [[state-vs-central-rti|State RTI vs Central RTI]].
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +===== Related =====
 +
 +  * [[file-rti-online-india|How to File RTI Online in India — 2026 Step-by-Step Guide]]. The end-to-end guide with sample templates.
 +  * [[why-rti-gets-rejected|Why RTI Applications Get Rejected]]. What to avoid when drafting.
 +  * [[state-vs-central-rti|State RTI vs Central RTI]]. Which portal to use when.
 +  * [[faq|FAQ]]. The twenty-five most asked questions.
 +  * [[templates:first-rti|Template: first RTI application]].
 +  * [[templates:first-appeal|Template: first appeal]].
 +  * [[templates:second-appeal|Template: second appeal]].
 +
 +===== Sources =====
 +
 +  - The Right to Information Act, 2005 (No. 22 of 2005), Sections 6, 7, 8, 11, 19.
 +  - The Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005.
 +  - Official RTI Online Portal, Government of India: **rtionline.gov.in**, operated by the Department of Personnel and Training through the National Informatics Centre.
 +  - Central Information Commission: **cic.gov.in**.
 +
 +===== Last reviewed on =====
 +
 +19 April 2026
 +
 +{{tag>rtionline rti-portal central-government dopt rti applicant 2026}}
  
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rtionline-gov-in.txt · Last modified: by 127.0.0.1