How to File RTI Online: Fees, Replies and Appeals

What can you ask for under the RTI Act?

The Right to Information Act, 2005 helps Indian citizens access information held by or under the control of public authorities, subject to exemptions and other statutory limits. You can request existing records such as orders, file notings, reports, inspection records, expenditure statements and certified copies. The law is not a general requirement that an officer create a fresh explanation, resolve a grievance or give personal legal advice. Frame the application around records that can reasonably be identified and located.

For example, instead of asking why your application was ignored, request the recorded action taken, dates of file movement and copies of relevant decisions or noting sheets. This approach can reveal what happened without asking the Public Information Officer to speculate. You ordinarily do not need to provide reasons for seeking information, and personal details should be limited to what is necessary for contact and statutory processing. Keep sensitive identity material out of the request unless genuinely required for an exemption or procedure.

Which portal should you use for Central and state offices?

The Central RTI Online portal serves the Central public authorities available in its authority selection system. It is not a universal filing route for every state department, municipal office or local body. For a state authority, check the relevant state’s official RTI arrangements, which may include a separate portal or a permitted physical application. Filing against the wrong government simply because its portal is easier can delay access and may not produce the transfer or remedy you expect.

Identify which authority actually holds the records. A central ministry may not possess an individual municipal file, and a regulator may not hold all records of a private business. RTI can sometimes access information about a private body that a public authority can obtain under another law, but it does not make every private organisation directly answerable. If you are unsure, examine the authority’s proactive disclosures and contact information before filing. A targeted request is usually more effective than sending identical applications to unrelated offices.

Need help with this? Read our guide to RTI Online Application & RTI Appeal.

How do you write a clear RTI application?

Give a concise subject, identify the record or transaction and specify a manageable date range. Number each request and ask for the form you need, such as an electronic copy, certified copy or inspection. Include file numbers, application references or property details that help locate the record, but avoid unnecessary personal data. For a lengthy file, inspection followed by selected copies may be more practical than asking for every document across several years without narrowing the subject.

Avoid combining unrelated grievances, accusations and broad policy questions in one application. A PIO must deal with information under the Act, not adjudicate your dispute with another person. Requests for opinions should be framed as requests for an existing recorded opinion, if that is what you need. If some material may be exempt, ask for the non-exempt portion through severance where legally possible. A clear request improves processing, although it cannot override a valid exemption or require creation of records that do not exist.

How do you submit the online RTI form?

Open the official RTI Online website, read the current guidelines and select the public authority carefully. Complete the required applicant and contact details, enter your request and attach supporting text where the portal permits it. Follow the live instructions about text limits, file types and account or guest submission options. Portal design can change, so use this as a procedural outline rather than expecting every button to keep the same label. Review the final request before moving to payment.

After submission and any required payment, save the registration number, acknowledgement and a copy of the application exactly as filed. Confirm that payment succeeded and the request was actually registered, particularly if the payment screen timed out. Use the tracking facility and monitor the email or mobile details you supplied. If an attachment contains the main questions, ensure that it opened correctly and was not omitted. Keep a separate folder for later replies, additional fee notices and appeal documents.

What are RTI fees and BPL exemptions?

Under the Central RTI Rules, the application fee is ₹10. Applicants below the poverty line are exempt from the prescribed fees when they provide the required proof. Central copying charges commonly include ₹2 per A4 or A3 page, while other formats, inspection and electronic media follow the applicable rules. State fee schedules and accepted payment methods can differ. Check the rules governing the authority instead of assuming that every application throughout India has identical charges and payment options.

If further charges are lawfully required, the PIO should communicate the calculation and relevant details under the Act. The period between dispatch of the additional-fee intimation and payment is excluded when calculating the statutory response period. Where an authority fails to comply with the prescribed time limits, information is generally to be provided free of charge under section 7(6), subject to the statutory context. Preserve every fee notice and payment date because these can become important in an appeal about delay.

How long does the PIO have to reply?

The ordinary response period is thirty days from receipt of the application. Information concerning the life or liberty of a person is to be provided within forty-eight hours, but you should explain the genuine connection rather than merely writing urgent. Applications submitted through an Assistant Public Information Officer can involve an additional five days. Where the Act’s third-party consultation procedure applies, the decision period can extend to forty days. Different facts therefore require careful deadline calculation rather than one universal date.

If another public authority holds the requested information, a transfer under section 6(3) is ordinarily to be made as soon as practicable and within five days, with the applicant informed. A refusal should state the reasons, appeal period and appellate authority details. No decision within the applicable period is treated as a deemed refusal for the Act’s purposes. Keep the receipt date, transfer notice and any additional-fee communication together before deciding when to appeal or alleging a statutory breach.

How do you file a first appeal?

A first appeal ordinarily goes to the designated officer senior in rank to the PIO within the same public authority. It is generally filed within thirty days from expiry of the response period or receipt of the decision, with delayed admission possible on sufficient cause. On the Central portal, use the available first-appeal facility for the eligible online application. There is no Central first-appeal fee, although state procedures and fee rules should be checked separately where a state authority is involved.

Attach or identify the original request, registration details, reply and disputed points. Explain precisely what remains unanswered, why the cited exemption is disputed or how the response missed the request. Ask for a clear direction to supply the information or reconsider the refusal. The first appellate authority should ordinarily decide within thirty days, extendable to forty-five days for reasons recorded in writing. Keep the appeal acknowledgement and order; repeating angry allegations without identifying the information dispute rarely makes an appeal stronger.

How do second appeals and complaints differ?

A second appeal under section 19(3) ordinarily lies within ninety days from when the first appellate decision should have been made or was actually received, subject to condonation for sufficient cause. For Central authorities, the relevant body is generally the Central Information Commission; state authorities ordinarily fall under their State Information Commission. Follow the commission’s current filing checklist, including the application, appeal, replies, proof of service and grounds. A complete paper trail helps the commission understand the dispute without reconstructing missing steps.

A complaint under section 18 is a distinct route for situations specified in that provision, such as difficulty submitting an application or the absence of a designated PIO. It is not simply another name for a second appeal. If your primary objective is an order granting access to information after refusal, the statutory appeal route is important. The commission may consider penalties where the legal conditions are met, but a penalty is not automatic and is different from obtaining the records you requested.

What exemptions and practical mistakes should you understand?

The Act contains exemptions covering matters such as national security, protected commercial information, fiduciary material, investigations and personal information, subject to the applicable statutory wording and public-interest provisions. Some organisations have special treatment under section 24, with specified exceptions. Do not assume that every official record must be disclosed merely because public money is involved. Equally, an exemption should not be treated as a blanket excuse without examining the information and provision relied on, including possible disclosure of a separable non-exempt portion.

Common mistakes include using the Central portal for a state office, seeking explanations that are not recorded, requesting enormous unrelated files and missing appeal deadlines while waiting for informal assurances. RTI also does not itself direct payment of a benefit or reverse a property decision. Use the records obtained to pursue the appropriate grievance, appeal or legal remedy separately. Verify the currently operative law and rules, particularly for privacy-related requests, and keep all communications concise, factual and focused on access to identifiable information.