How to File an RTI Online in India: Central Government Guide

Quick take: If you want information from a Central Government public authority, you can file an RTI application online through rtionline.gov.in.

The basic process is:

Register → choose the public authority → write a precise information request → pay the prescribed fee → submit → save the registration number → track the response

If the response is missing, incomplete or unsatisfactory, the same ecosystem can be used for the first appeal.

Important: The Central RTI Online portal is for Central Government public authorities. It should not be used for State Government public authorities. State RTI matters generally follow the relevant state's online portal or offline process.
What does the Central RTI portal cover?

The portal is designed for RTI requests directed to Central public authorities that are available in its system.

Examples can include information held by eligible:

  • Central ministries
  • Central departments
  • Central government organisations
  • Other public authorities covered by the portal

But the key question is:

Who actually holds the information?

If the information belongs to a State Government department, don't automatically file it through the Central portal.

Central RTI vs State RTI

This distinction can save you time.

You want information fromUseCentral Government public authorityrtionline.gov.inState Government public authorityRelevant State RTI routeCentral public authority's recordsCentral RTI processState department's recordsState PIO/State RTI process

For example, if you're seeking information from a Central Ministry, the Central RTI portal may be appropriate.

If you're asking a State Government department about a state road project, use the applicable State RTI process.

Before writing your RTI

The biggest drafting mistake is treating RTI like a complaint box.

RTI is primarily about access to information held by a public authority.

Weak request

"Why is the ministry corrupt? Explain what happened."

That's an argument or allegation, not a precise information request.

Stronger request

"Provide a copy of Office Memorandum X dated Y and the list of beneficiaries under Scheme Z in District D for FY 2025–26."

Now the public authority knows what records you're asking for.

Ask for records, not opinions

A useful RTI usually asks for things such as:

  • Copies of documents
  • Orders
  • Circulars
  • Office memoranda
  • Reports
  • Registers
  • Lists
  • Records of expenditure
  • File-related information, where disclosable
  • Status of an application/file
  • Records showing action taken

Instead of:

"Why didn't the department build the road?"

try:

"Provide copies of the administrative sanction, work order, completion certificate and expenditure records relating to [project] for [period]."

You're asking for the paper trail.

Step-by-step: filing an RTI online

Go to:

rtionline.gov.in

Step 1 — Register/login

Create an account or sign in using the portal's current process.

Step 2 — Start an RTI application

Select the appropriate public authority.

Step 3 — Draft your request

Keep the questions:

  • Specific
  • Numbered
  • Factual
  • Limited to information/records

Step 4 — Provide the required applicant details

Enter the information requested by the portal.

Step 5 — Pay the prescribed fee

Pay through the payment options currently provided by the portal.

Step 6 — Submit

After submission, save the:

RTI registration number

Also download/save the application.

Step 7 — Track

Use the portal's tracking facility to monitor the application.

Your RTI should have a clear paper trail

Create a folder:

RTI — [Subject] — [Date]

Keep:

  • RTI application
  • Payment receipt
  • Registration number
  • Supporting documents, if any
  • CPIO response
  • First appeal
  • First-appeal order
  • CIC proceedings, if applicable

This becomes extremely useful if the matter goes beyond the original application.

The RTI fee and response clock

The applicable RTI fee and procedural rules should be checked against the current Central RTI Online instructions.

For a normal RTI request, the statutory framework generally provides a 30-day period for the information response, subject to exceptions under the Act.

Don't treat the portal's acknowledgement as the answer.

The important date is the date from which the statutory response period applies to your application under the applicable rules.

What if the response doesn't arrive?

Don't simply keep sending the same RTI.

If the response is overdue, incomplete or otherwise unsatisfactory, the next step can be a:

First Appeal

The first appeal is an important statutory remedy under the RTI framework.

When should you file a first appeal?

Consider the first-appeal route when:

  • No response arrives within the applicable period
  • Information is incomplete
  • Information requested has been improperly denied
  • You disagree with the CPIO's response
  • You receive an answer that doesn't address the information requested

Keep the original RTI and the response together.

How to write the first appeal

Don't write:

"The CPIO is deliberately hiding everything."

Instead write:

"The response dated X does not provide the information requested at points 2 and 4 of my application. I therefore request that the First Appellate Authority direct the concerned CPIO to provide the information requested."

Again:

Facts → missing information → remedy requested.

What happens after the first appeal?

For Central public authorities, the next statutory route can involve the:

Central Information Commission (CIC)

A second appeal or complaint may be appropriate depending on the circumstances and the route available under the RTI Act.

Use the current CIC instructions rather than assuming every second-appeal process is identical.

Official CIC information is available at:

Central Information Commission

Keep your complete record:

RTI → CPIO response → First Appeal → First Appeal order → CIC proceeding

What if the department says Section 8?

The RTI Act contains exemptions from disclosure.

These can cover certain categories involving matters such as:

  • Personal information/privacy
  • Commercial confidence
  • National security
  • Investigative interests
  • Other protected information specified by law

So a Section 8 refusal isn't automatically proof that the public authority acted improperly.

But don't automatically assume the refusal is beyond challenge either.

Read the exact clause.

For example:

Section 8(1)(j)

is different from:

Section 8(1)(d)

and different from:

Section 8(1)(h).

The specific exemption matters.

If you disagree, the appeal mechanism exists for precisely this kind of dispute.

Ask for partial disclosure where appropriate

Sometimes a document contains both:

  • Information that can be disclosed
  • Information covered by an exemption

The existence of exempt material doesn't necessarily mean that every part of the document must disappear.

Where appropriate, ask for the non-exempt portion after lawful severance/redaction.

This can be more effective than demanding:

"Give me the entire file."
Don't make your RTI unnecessarily huge

A 47-question RTI covering ten departments can become difficult to process and harder to understand.

Instead of:

"Give me everything about the scheme since 2010."

Break the information need into logical requests.

For example:

RTI 1

Administrative approval and budget.

RTI 2

Implementation records.

RTI 3

Expenditure and utilisation.

RTI 4

Completion/inspection records.

That can create a much cleaner information trail.

Sample RTI structure

Subject: Request for information regarding [project/scheme]

To the Public Information Officer,

Please provide the following information under the Right to Information Act, 2005:

  1. Certified copy of the administrative approval for [project].
  2. Certified copy of the relevant work order/sanction order.
  3. Name/designation of the authority responsible for monitoring the project.
  4. Amount sanctioned and amount released, with relevant records.
  5. Copies of inspection/completion reports available on record.
  6. Current recorded status of the project as on [date].

Applicant details:

Name: ______

Address: ______

Contact details: ______

Application fee: As prescribed.

The secret to a useful RTI

Think:

"Show me the record."

Not:

"Tell me your opinion."

Compare:

Weak

"Why was the contract given to Company X?"

Better

"Provide the tender notice, technical evaluation, comparative statement, award decision and work order relating to the contract."

The second question creates a documentary trail from which you can understand what happened and under which process.

RTI vs grievance: don't mix them

This is another important distinction.

RTI

You want information.

"Provide the status of my application and copies of the relevant records."

Grievance

You want action.

"Please repair the streetlight outside my building."

An RTI can help you discover what happened to a complaint, but it doesn't necessarily replace the department's grievance mechanism.

RTI vs CPGRAMS

Similarly:

RTI

→ information/records

CPGRAMS

→ appropriate public grievance/redressal

If you're asking:

"How much money was sanctioned?"

RTI may be appropriate.

If you're asking:

"Please repair the service."

a grievance route may be more appropriate.

Don't send sensitive information unnecessarily

An RTI application should contain the information required by the applicable process.

Don't upload unrelated:

  • Aadhaar copies
  • Bank statements
  • Medical records
  • Personal documents

unless genuinely necessary for the request.

The less unnecessary personal information you circulate, the better.

Common RTI mistakes

❌ Asking for explanations instead of records

"Why are you inefficient?"

❌ Asking a question that requires an opinion

"Do you think this project was successful?"

❌ Filing with the wrong public authority

This can waste time.

❌ Sending a massive, unfocused questionnaire

Harder to process and follow up.

❌ Forgetting the registration number

You lose your easiest tracking reference.

❌ Stopping after an unsatisfactory reply

The first appeal exists for a reason.

❌ Assuming every document must be disclosed

RTI exemptions exist.

A citizen's RTI workflow

Use this sequence:

1. Identify the information

↓

2. Identify who holds it

↓

3. Ask for records

↓

4. File through the correct RTI route

↓

5. Save the registration number

↓

6. Wait for the statutory response

↓

7. Review the actual reply

↓

8. First appeal if necessary

↓

9. CIC/other applicable remedy if necessary

This is much more effective than repeatedly emailing the department.

After you receive the information

This is where RTI becomes particularly powerful for civic accountability.

Suppose you discover:

  • ₹20 lakh sanctioned
  • ₹18 lakh released
  • Work order issued
  • Completion certificate says "completed"
  • Residents say the work isn't visible

The next step isn't automatically another angry post.

Compare the documents with the physical reality.

Then, if there is a genuine discrepancy, use the appropriate grievance, administrative or legal channel.

Your RTI checklist

Before filing

  • ☐ Identify the public authority
  • ☐ Confirm Central vs State
  • ☐ Define exactly what information you need
  • ☐ Ask for records/documents
  • ☐ Keep questions numbered
  • ☐ Remove unnecessary personal information

After filing

  • ☐ Save application
  • ☐ Save payment receipt
  • ☐ Save registration number
  • ☐ Track status
  • ☐ Save the CPIO response

If unsatisfied

  • ☐ Identify exactly what is missing
  • ☐ Read any exemption clause cited
  • ☐ File first appeal where appropriate
  • ☐ Save the appellate order
  • ☐ Consider CIC/other applicable remedy
How NetaSampark fits in

RTI can tell a citizen what the government record says.

NetaSampark can help with the next civic question:

"Now that I know this, who should I approach?"

For example, an RTI may reveal that a local project was sanctioned, funded and assigned to a particular implementing authority.

The next step may involve the:

Municipal body → relevant department → elected representative → grievance mechanism

depending on who actually controls the issue.

Use the information to ask better questions, not simply to generate more paperwork.

Be Informed. Be Heard.

Official resources

This guide focuses on Central Government public authorities. State public authorities generally require the applicable State RTI process. Fee, response timelines, exemptions, appeal procedures and portal functionality should be checked against the latest official instructions and the RTI Act, 2005.