How to file an RTI application: A step-by-step guide

If that’s the question on your mind, you are at the right place. In this article, we will see how to file an RTI application with ease.

A lot of Indians have heard about RTI but are not very clear on what is RTI and what exactly is the meaning of RTI.

It is not a very complex topic but due to lack of awareness, we get overwhelmed by the mention of it.

RTI’s meaning is quite clear when you try to understand how to use it. In simple words, RTI means that any citizen of India can ask for any information which is supposed to be public knowledge. 

Right to Information Act has been implemented by the Government of India to provide a right to its citizens to ask the relevant questions to the Government and various public utility service providers, in a practical manner.

This was done to replace the earlier Freedom of information Act of 2002. The primary objective was also to help citizens get faster service from government agencies, as they can now ask why is a certain application or a process being delayed; and mainly to fulfill the aim of a corruption-free India.

What is the RTI act?

Under the RTI Act, any citizen can seek information from any public or government authority (however, it should not pertain to national security and defense or some personal information) and the authority is liable to respond within a period of 30 days to the application.

Now, information disclosure in India is restricted by the Official Secrets Act of 1923 and various other special laws, but many of these have been relaxed in light of the RTI act. 

The RTI act also requires all public authorities to have their records computerized for the widespread relay, such that requests for information by the citizens are processed faster because of information categorization.

What Information can one seek under the RTI Act?

The RTI act allows any Indian citizen to seek answers from any Government authority. This could be even for things like a delayed IT refund, passport or a driving license, or details of an infrastructure or repairs project going on or completed.

Even knowing the status of an FIR or the funds allocated to various government schemes, MP, MLA, PM relief fund, etc. Students can even seek copies of answer sheets from their Universities with this act.

The power of RTI and its applications are limitless. The idea is to ask the Right Questions!

How to file an RTI Application?

1. For submitting an RTI application, visit the online RTI Portal and click on submit request option.

2. On clicking on submit request option ‘Guidelines for use of RTI ONLINE PORTAL’ screen will be displayed. This screen contains various guidelines for using RTI online portal. The citizen has to click on the checkbox ‘I have read and understood the above guidelines and then click on submit button.

3. Then Online RTI Request Form screen will be displayed. Ministry or Department for which the applicant wants to file an RTI can be selected
from Select Ministry/Department/Apex body dropdown.

4. Applicant will receive SMS alerts in case he/she provides a mobile number. The fields marked * are mandatory while the others are optional.

5. If a citizen belongs to the BPL category, he has to select the option ‘Yes’ in the ‘Is the applicant below poverty line?’ field and has to upload a BPL card certificate in the supporting document field. (No RTI fee is required to be paid by any citizen who is below the poverty line as per RTI Rules, 2012)

6. On submission of the application, a unique registration number would be issued, which may be referred by the applicant for any references in the future.

7. If a citizen belongs to the Non-BPL category, he has to select the option ‘No’ in the ‘Is the applicant below poverty line?’ field and has to make a payment of Rs 10 as prescribed in the RTI Rules, 2012.

8. ‘Text for RTI request application’ should be up to 3000 characters. If the text is more than 3000 characters, then the application can be uploaded in the supporting document field.

9. After filling in all the details in the form, click on the ‘make payment’ option.

10. On clicking the option, the Online Request Payment form will be displayed. The payment mode can be selected in this form, which can be; internet banking, ATM-cum-debit card, or credit card.

11. After clicking on the ‘Pay’ button, the applicant will be directed to the SBI payment gateway for payment. After completing the payment process, the applicant will be redirected back to RTI Online Portal.

12. The applicant will get an email and SMS alert on the submission of the application.

Note: Only alphabets A-Z a-z number 0-9 and special characters , . – _ ( ) / @ : & \ % are allowed in text for RTI request application.

The application filed through this web portal would reach electronically to the nodal officer of the concerned Ministry/Department, who would transmit the RTI application electronically to the concerned CPIO.

What do to if your RTI request is rejected?

There is a fundamental difference between RTI Request and RTI Appeal.

RTI Request is applying for the first time. The request is made by the citizen to one person (i.e. PIO) to provide information. This means that it involves only the citizen and PIO.

RTI Appeal is an appeal before a senior officer against the decision of the PIO. This means that here, a third person (i.e. Appellate Authority) comes between the citizen and the PIO.

An appeal is only filed when the citizen is not satisfied with the reply of PIO or PIO rejects the citizen’s request for information.

This means RTI request is application process while RTI appeal is appellate procedure against the decision on RTI application.

Steps for filing RTI Application First Appeal

1. For submitting the First appeal application, click on the ‘submit first appeal’ option. Upon clicking, the ‘guidelines for use of RTI online portal’ screen will be displayed. This screen contains various guidelines for using RTI online portal.

2. Citizen has to click on the checkbox ‘I have read and understood the above guidelines and then click on submit button.

3. Online RTI first appeal form screen will be displayed. The applicant has to enter the registration number, email ID, and security code in the form.

4. Upon clicking the submit button, the online RTI first appeal form will be displayed. The applicant can then select a reason for filing an appeal application from the ‘ground for appeal’ dropdown field.

5. Text for RTI first appeal application should be up to 3000 characters. If the text is more than 3000 characters, then the application can be uploaded in the supporting document field. (As per RTI Act, no fee has to be paid for the first appeal).

6. On submission of the application, a unique registration number would be issued, which may be referred by the applicant for any references in the future.

The application filed through this web portal would reach electronically to the nodal officer of the concerned Ministry/Department, who would transmit the RTI application electronically to the concerned appellate authority.

For more guides and other articles, check out the ITAT Order’s blog.

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