For twenty years, the Right to Information Act, 2005, has been India's quietest and most persistent democracy tool. Getting the right information to file a good RTI used to require trips to a Public Information Officer's counter. Today, most of the filing — and all of the research — can be done online.

This guide curates the 20 websites every Indian citizen should know. Each one is independently verifiable and plays a specific role. Some are for filing an RTI; others are for research on the Act, the case law, or the Commissions; a few are for support when a reply is denied or delayed.

• Speed. A central-government RTI filed at 10 pm is processed the next working morning. No travel, no stamp paper, no queues.
• Trackability. Every filing gets a Registration Number; every appeal gets a docket number. You can check status any time.
• Proof. The portal records confirm the date of filing — crucial for the 30-day reply clock.
• Cost. Rs. 10 by card / UPI / net-banking. BPL card holders pay zero.
• Research. The CIC, Supreme Court, and civil-society websites contain the case law that makes your appeal stronger.

Use this simple decision rule:

• Filing a fresh RTI to a Central Government body? → Section A (Official Central Portals), item 1.
• Filing a fresh RTI to a State Government body? → Section B (State RTI Portals), pick your state.
• Reading Commission decisions or orders? → Section A, item 2 (CIC).
• Researching case law or strategy? → Section C (Civil Society) and Section D (Legal Archives).
• Completely new to RTI? → Start with RTI for beginners on this site.

URL. rtionline.gov.in
What it does. The Government of India's primary online portal for filing RTI applications, First Appeals, and paying the Rs. 10 fee — for Central ministries and Central public authorities. Supports more than 2,000 offices on the central side.
Key features.

• Secure card, UPI, net-banking payment.
• Automatic acknowledgement and Registration Number.
• Built-in tracking of application status.
• First Appeal filing in the same workflow.
• 3,000-character limit per application.
• No annexure required (supporting document can be attached, max 1 MB).

Who should use it. Every citizen filing to a Central ministry, PSU, regulator, or central-government office. Students for UPSC / SSC / CBSE queries. Tax-payers with Income Tax / CBIC matters.
Pro tip. Save the Registration Number the moment you file. Mark Day 30 on your calendar. When the reply arrives on e-mail, download and store a PDF immediately — portal records are purged after the retention period.

URL. cic.gov.in
What it does. The statutory Commission set up under Section 12 of the RTI Act. Final appellate authority for all central public authorities. Publishes orders, case law, annual reports, and the register of pending appeals.
Key features.

• Search orders by party name, appeal number, decision date.
• Cause list — daily hearings.
• Annual Reports archive (PDF) — essential for policy research.
• Section 4 compliance guidelines and model PIO forms.
• Current Commissioners and their biographies.

Who should use it. Activists, journalists, researchers, and anyone filing a Second Appeal. Also useful for anyone citing CIC precedent in a First Appeal.
Pro tip. When you cite a CIC order in your First Appeal, quote the exact appeal number and date (e.g., “CIC/WB/A/2008/00426 dated 6 January 2009”). The FAA takes it more seriously.

URL. rti.gov.in
What it does. The RTI Portal Gateway maintained by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Directory of PIOs and First Appellate Authorities, state RTI portal links, proactive-disclosure templates, and RTI Act full text.
Key features.

• State-by-state directory of RTI portals (one-click access).
• Proactive-disclosure (Section 4) compliance templates.
• Searchable list of central PIOs by ministry.
• Amendment history of the Act, including the 2019 amendment.
• Citizen FAQ on the Act.

Who should use it. Anyone unsure whom to file the RTI to. Useful for students and first-time filers.
Pro tip. Before filing, always consult the Section 4 (proactive disclosure) page of the target ministry. Many questions are answered there without an RTI.

URL. dopt.gov.in
What it does. DoPT is the nodal ministry for the RTI Act. It issues Office Memoranda (OMs), procedural clarifications, and policy circulars. Hosts the RTI Master Circular — the consolidated administrative guidance on implementing the Act.
Key features.

• DoPT Master Circular on RTI (consolidated).
• Year-wise OMs on fee structure, citizen service standards, and CIC decisions compliance.
• Whistleblower Protection portal.
• RTI training material for PIOs.

Who should use it. PIOs, senior administrators, legal researchers, and RTI activists citing DoPT OMs in appeals.
Pro tip. Many RTI rejections become untenable when the applicant cites a specific DoPT OM in their First Appeal. Read the Master Circular once.

URL. sci.gov.in/right-to-information (main site: sci.gov.in)
What it does. The RTI cell of the Supreme Court of India publishes its PIO list, proactive disclosure under Section 4, and guidelines for filing an RTI application to the Court (Registry, Judges' Offices).
Key features.

• Supreme Court RTI Rules (specific to the SC).
• CPIO and FAA details.
• Proactive-disclosure compliance page.
• Format for filing RTI to the Supreme Court.

Who should use it. Law students, legal researchers, journalists covering the judiciary. Anyone seeking information on Supreme Court administration, case statistics, or the office of the Chief Justice.
Pro tip. After the landmark CPIO, Supreme Court v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal (2020) 5 SCC 481, the SC is a public authority under RTI. Use the SC's own RTI rules, not the central RTI Online portal.

State governments maintain their own online RTI filing systems. The list below covers the most widely used. If your state is not listed, the default is rti.gov.in → State Links.

URL. rtionline.maharashtra.gov.in
What it does. Online filing for Government of Maharashtra departments, zilla parishads, municipal corporations, and state PSUs.
Pro tip. Maharashtra supports English and Marathi. Fee is Rs. 10 (IPO / online). For land-record RTIs, route to the Revenue and Forests department.

URL. rtionline.karnataka.gov.in
What it does. Online filing for all Karnataka state departments. Payment via internet banking; additional payment modes are being added.
Pro tip. Karnataka is leading in digital revenue records (Bhoomi, RTC extracts) — use RTI for what is not already online.

URL. rtionline.delhi.gov.in
What it does. Online filing for all Delhi government departments, including MCD, DDA (via routing), and the Delhi Police.
Pro tip. Delhi HC RTI rules are separate; for Delhi HC matters, see delhihighcourt.nic.in.

URL. rtionline.gujarat.gov.in
What it does. RTI filing for all Gujarat state departments, including revenue, urban development, and industries.
Pro tip. Bi-lingual interface (English / Gujarati). Use the search feature to find your exact department.

URL. rtionline.up.gov.in
What it does. RTI filing for UP state departments, local bodies, and public-sector undertakings.
Pro tip. Uttar Pradesh has one of the highest RTI volumes. Quote the district and specific department code.

URL. tnsic.gov.in
What it does. Tamil Nadu's Information Commission publishes orders, cause lists, and links to the state's RTI filing system (currently through TNSW / Citizen services portal).
Pro tip. Tamil Nadu often waives fee for certain categories; check the current fee schedule.

URL. sic.kerala.gov.in
What it does. Kerala SIC orders, case archives, and PIO directory. Online filing for Kerala is via rti.kerala.gov.in.
Pro tip. Kerala has among the most active SIC portals in India. Reads Section 4 compliance seriously.

URL. humanrightsinitiative.org
What it does. The longest-running independent watchdog on RTI implementation in India. Hosts the Access to Information Programme, annual analysis of CIC reports, policy papers, and training material.
Key features.

• Annual analysis of CIC / SIC performance.
• Guides for citizens, PIOs, and trainers.
• Archive of RTI commentary by Venkatesh Nayak and others.

Who should use it. Activists, academics, journalists, and senior applicants drafting Second Appeals. Best free data source on RTI implementation quality.
Pro tip. CHRI's annual report on CIC performance is the gold standard. Cite it in appeals.

URL. snsindia.org
What it does. Delhi-based people's collective focused on transparency and accountability. Publishes annual Report Card on State Information Commissions, campaigns on RTI implementation and DPDP-RTI issues.
Key features.

• Annual Report Card on Information Commissions.
• Transparency International India-aligned campaigns.
• Partnership with National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI).

Who should use it. Those engaging with SICs and seeking data on Commission backlogs and disposal.
Pro tip. The annual Report Card ranks SICs by performance. Use it when approaching a sluggish Commission — a low-ranked SIC tends to respond faster under public scrutiny.

URL. adrindia.org
What it does. Election and political-funding transparency organisation. Filed the decisive RTIs on Electoral Bonds. Maintains candidate affidavits database, political-party financial disclosures, and voter resources.
Key features.

• Candidate affidavit database (criminal + financial).
• Political-party income analyses.
• Electoral Bonds data archive.
• Right-to-know campaigns and PILs.

Who should use it. Voters, researchers, and journalists working on election-related RTIs.
Pro tip. ADR's data informs most media coverage of candidate criminal records — use it to frame election-related RTIs to the Election Commission.

URL. rtifoundationofindia.com
What it does. Volunteer-run community website offering basic RTI awareness, sample applications, user forums, and news aggregation on major RTI cases.
Key features.

• Step-by-step RTI tutorials.
• Q&A forum.
• News aggregation on RTI disclosures.
• Sample formats (central + state).

Who should use it. First-time filers looking for a simple community-style explainer.
Pro tip. Community content is helpful but informal. Always cross-check a template with the official rtionline.gov.in format before filing.

URL. mkssindia.org
What it does. The Rajasthan-based movement that pioneered jan sunwais (public hearings of government records) in the 1990s — the grassroots precursor to the RTI Act, 2005.
Key features.

• Historical archive of jan sunwais.
• MGNREGA + RTI work.
• Rural accountability campaigns.
• Publications by Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, Shankar Singh.

Who should use it. Rural activists, social-audit practitioners, researchers on the origins of India's transparency regime.
Pro tip. MKSS's social-audit playbook still works today. Pair an MGNREGA RTI with a jan-sunwai-style reading in the gram sabha.

URL. indiankanoon.org
What it does. The most-used free legal-judgment search engine in India. Indexes Supreme Court, High Court, CIC, SIC, and tribunal decisions. Full-text search with date and bench filters.
Who should use it. Lawyers, law students, serious RTI users drafting appeals or writ petitions.
Pro tip. Filter by “Central Information Commission” or “Supreme Court” to find citeable RTI precedents. Use exact phrases in quotes.

URL. livelaw.in (with RTI tag / search)
What it does. Legal news portal with a dedicated stream of RTI-related judgments, analysis, and filings. Frequently reports on pending writ petitions involving the RTI Act.
Who should use it. Journalists, researchers, law students, lawyers tracking RTI jurisprudence.
Pro tip. Subscribe to LiveLaw's RTI newsletter — it is one of the few reliable filters on sensational news claims about RTI cases.

URL. scobserver.in
What it does. Independent, not-for-profit tracker of India's Supreme Court cases and judgments. Well-curated archive of RTI-related SC rulings, Constitution Bench matters (including the 2020 RTI judgment on the CJI office and the 2024 Electoral Bonds verdict).
Who should use it. Journalists, citizens, and researchers wanting explanatory coverage of major RTI rulings.
Pro tip. SCO's case summaries are shorter and clearer than direct judgments. Read SCO first, then the full text.

RTI Wiki — righttoinformation.wiki — is the site you are currently on. Unlike the others, it is neither a government portal nor an NGO: it is a working reference on the RTI Act, pillars, templates, case law, and a growing library of civic RTI applications. Free and open. See the beginners' guide and the five pillar hubs to start.

• Purpose is filing a Central RTI. → Item 1 (rtionline.gov.in).
• Purpose is filing a State RTI. → Section B (your state's portal).
• Purpose is Second Appeal or case law. → Item 2 (CIC) and Section D.
• Purpose is research / data / backlog analysis. → Items 13–15.
• Purpose is awareness / first-time learning. → RTI for beginners + item 16.

Central public authorities are Central ministries (Finance, Railways, Defence, Education, MEA), their PSUs, banks regulated by RBI, insurance companies regulated by IRDAI, Supreme Court Registry, CBSE, UGC, AICTE, UIDAI, EPFO, and regulatory bodies.

State public authorities are state departments, state PSUs, panchayats, municipal corporations, state universities, state boards, state police, District Collectorate, Tehsildar, state commissions.

Hybrid matters (e.g., Passport — central MEA + state police for PV; Aadhaar — central UIDAI but enrolled at state-level centres) often need parallel RTIs to both levels.

• Filing on the wrong portal. An RTI on state land records filed at rtionline.gov.in is transferred back to the state — adds 10 days.
• Addressing the wrong department. Asking the Ministry of Labour about your PF status; actual custodian is EPFO Regional Office.
• Missing the 30-day window. Deemed refusal under Section 7(2) is a strong First Appeal ground — use it.
• Ignoring Section 4. Many answers are already published proactively. Check before filing.
• Over-paying the fee. Rs. 10 centrally. Some states charge Rs. 50 (Odisha); BPL applicants pay nothing.

1. Read this one page: RTI for beginners (5 minutes).
2. Identify the public authority. Central or state? Which department / office?
3. Pick the portal from the list above (item 1 for central; Section B for state).
4. Draft 5–10 specific questions. Quote reference numbers.
5. Pay Rs. 10. Save the Registration Number.
6. Mark Day 30.
7. If reply is missing or evasive on Day 30+, file First Appeal — free, 30-day window.
8. If still unresolved after 45 days of First Appeal, file Second Appeal to CIC / SIC.

For full details, see File RTI online — 12-step guide.

Q1. Is rtionline.gov.in safe?
Yes. It is the Government of India's official RTI portal, run by the Department of Personnel & Training. SSL-secured, with payments handled by authorised gateways.

Q2. Do I need to register on each state portal separately?
Yes. Each state portal has its own user account. Your central rtionline.gov.in account does not cascade to state portals.

Q3. Is there a single-stop portal for all RTIs?
No. By design, the RTI Act is federal — central and state authorities are separate. The central portal does not accept state RTIs, and vice versa.

Q4. Are paid RTI-filing sites (like onlinerti.com or fileonlinerti.in) legitimate?
They are commercial intermediaries, not official government portals. The official central portal is free (Rs. 10 statutory fee only). We recommend filing directly on rtionline.gov.in.

Q5. Which website shows CIC second-appeal status?
cic.gov.in → Case Status. Use the appeal number issued at filing.

Q6. Where do I read the RTI Act full text?
On this site at /act, or on rti.gov.in. Both are official and up-to-date.

Q7. Is RTI Wiki (this site) an official government site?
No. RTI Wiki is an independent reference site. It is not affiliated with the Government of India, any state government, or any political party. It references official law, orders, and government resources.

India's digital RTI ecosystem has matured. In 2026, a citizen can file a central RTI in five minutes, track it in real time, read the Commission's order online, cite precedent from Indian Kanoon, and compare CIC performance via CHRI's annual report — all without leaving a smartphone.

Bookmark the five or six sites from this list that match your needs. Use the official portals for filing. Use the civil-society and legal sites for research. Keep a personal RTI folder.

Twenty websites; twenty years of the Act; one citizen with one good question. The tool is in your hands.

• File RTI online — 12-step guide
• RTI for beginners
• AI to draft your RTI
• State RTI portals — detailed directory
• RTI fees by state
• 10 landmark CIC decisions
• Pillar — RTI Mastery

• rtionline.gov.in — Government of India, DoPT
• cic.gov.in — Central Information Commission
• rti.gov.in — RTI Portal Gateway, DoPT
• dopt.gov.in — Department of Personnel & Training
• sci.gov.in — Supreme Court of India
• State RTI portals — cross-verified from rti.gov.in state-links page
• humanrightsinitiative.org — Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
• snsindia.org — Satark Nagrik Sangathan
• adrindia.org — Association for Democratic Reforms
• rtifoundationofindia.com — RTI Foundation of India
• mkssindia.org — Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan
• indiankanoon.org — Indian Kanoon legal search engine
• livelaw.in — LiveLaw legal-news portal
• scobserver.in — Supreme Court Observer

All URLs verified as active and functional in April 2026. Readers are encouraged to confirm the URL by typing it directly, rather than clicking links in forwarded messages.

Last reviewed: 21 April 2026. URLs verified; Government portals are preferred for filing; civil-society resources are preferred for research and analysis.