RTI application: format, the fee, where to send it

What an RTI application is

An RTI application is a written request to a government office for information it holds, made under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005. It goes to the office's Public Information Officer (PIO), the officer named to answer such requests. The PIO must reply within 30 days, or within 48 hours where the information concerns a person's life or liberty (Section 7(1)).

The law asks for very little: a request in writing or by electronic means, in English, Hindi or the official language of the area, with the fee, saying what information you want (Section 6(1)). You do not have to give a reason (Section 6(2)). What makes an application work is how clearly it asks.

If you are not sure RTI is the right route, start with getting information from a government office.

The sample application

To The Public Information Officer Office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, [Name of sub-division] [Address of the office]

Subject: Application for information under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005

Sir / Madam,

I request the following information under the Right to Information Act, 2005:

1. The present status of my application for a caste certificate, application number [number], dated [date].
2. Certified copies of the file notings and correspondence on that application from [date] to the date of this application.
3. The name and designation of each officer with whom the application has been pending, and the dates it reached and left each of them.
4. A copy of any rule, circular or order that sets the time within which such applications must be decided.

Period covered: [date] to the date of this application.

Form of information: Photocopies, sent to the address below. If the records are too many to copy, I wish to inspect them and choose the pages I need.

Fee: I have paid the application fee of ₹10 by [mode of payment, reference number and date]. (Or: I am below the poverty line. A copy of my BPL card is attached.)

I am a citizen of India.

Name: [Your full name] Address for the reply: [Full postal address with PIN] Phone / email (optional): [ ]

Date: [date] Place: [place]

Signature

What each part does

To. Name the office, not a person. If you do not know the PIO, "The Public Information Officer" with the office's name and address is enough. Every public authority must publish the names and particulars of its PIOs (Section 4(1)(b)), so its website is the first place to look. You can also hand the application to an Assistant Public Information Officer, who forwards it; then the reply time is 30 days plus five (Section 5(2)).

Subject. Say it is an RTI application under Section 6(1). That puts it in the right pile.

The questions. This is the heart of it. Ask for records — copies of file notings, orders, letters, registers, rules — rather than asking "why" or "when will". Number each item. Give the reference numbers and dates you already have, so the office can find the file. Keep to what you need: a short application gets a complete answer more often than a long one.

Period covered. Tie each request to dates. "All records" with no period invites delay or a refusal.

Form of information. Information is ordinarily given in the form you ask for (Section 7(9)), so say whether you want photocopies, certified copies, inspection of the files, or a copy on a CD or by email. Certified copies matter if you may use them in a court or another office.

Fee. Say how you paid, or attach proof of BPL status. People below the poverty line pay no fee (Section 7(5)).

Citizenship and contact. The right belongs to citizens (Section 3), so a one-line statement helps. Give a full postal address; that is where the reply comes.

The fee

For central government offices the application fee is ₹10, under the central government's RTI rules. Each state sets its own fee for its own offices and its own ways of paying, so check the state's RTI rules or the office's website before you send it. If the PIO decides to give copies, they may ask for a further fee for the cost of copying; the time between their letter and your payment is not counted in the 30 days (Section 7(3)). If the PIO misses the time limit, the information must be given free of charge (Section 7(6)).

Where and how to send it

• Online. Central government offices take applications on the government's RTI Online portal, with the fee paid online. Many states have their own portals. Save the registration number it gives you.
• By post. Send it by speed post or registered post to the PIO. Keep the postal receipt and print the tracking record showing the delivery date. The 30 days run from the day the office receives it.
• By hand. Take two copies. Hand in one and get the other stamped or signed with the date as received.

If you send it to the wrong office, it must be transferred to the right one within five days, and you must be told (Section 6(3)).

What eMunshi's RTI application includes

You answer a few questions in about four minutes. The application is addressed to the PIO of the right office, with your questions framed as requests for records. You see the full draft free before paying ₹299, all-inclusive. That covers the PDF with a Hindi copy, a filing guide with the fee steps, and two revisions.

If the reply does not come

If no reply comes in 30 days, or the reply refuses or does not answer, file a first appeal within 30 days to the officer senior to the PIO in the same office (Section 19(1)). A second appeal goes to the Information Commission within 90 days after that (Section 19(3)). eMunshi's RTI first appeal is ₹299; for a second appeal, an independent advocate from our panel can take it on — see RTI second appeal.

Mistakes to avoid

• No address for the reply, or an incomplete one.
• Asking opinions ("Is this decision fair?") instead of asking for records.
• Mixing offices. One application, one office.
• No proof of the date you sent it, so you cannot tell when to appeal.
• Paying the central fee to a state office without checking the state's rules.