The Right to Information Act, simply known as RTI, is a revolutionary act that aims to promote transparency in government institutions in India. The Act came into existence in 2005, after sustained efforts of anti-corruption activists. RTI Act was made by the legislation of Parliament of India on 15 June 2005. Until the RTI Act empowered the common man to demand information from the government, only the members of Parliament had the privilege of seeking this information.
The Act came into effect on 12 October 2005 and has been implemented ever since to provide information to crores of Indian citizens. All the constitutional authorities come under this Act, making it one of the most powerful laws in the country. It is termed revolutionary because it opens government organisations up for scrutiny. Equipped with knowledge about RTI, a common man can demand any government agency to furnish information.
Steps to file an RTI (offline mode)
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STEP 1 - Identify the department in which you want to file an RTI plea. The department shall come under a local authority, State, or Central government.
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STEP 2 - Write/type an application in the official language of the State or in English/Hindi, and address it to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the concerned department. For example, if the RTI is related to tax then address it to the PIO of the Income Tax department, or if it is related to defense then address it to the PIO of the Ministry of Defense.
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STEP 3 - Ask clear and specific questions in the RTI application, related to the concerned department. While addressing it to the concerned department, mention “seeking information under the RTI Act -2005” in the subject line. Mention your address and contact details correctly.
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STEP 4 - To file the application, pay the fees of Rs 10 in cash or through a bank draft/money order. One can also seek a particular document or its excerpt which will be charged at a nominal fee of Rs 2 per page.
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STEP 5 - The RTI application can be sent by mail or handed over personally. The applicant also needs to keep a photocopy of the RTI application and an acknowledgment from the office upon receiving the application.
Note:
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If a person is illiterate then he/she can approach the PIO, tell their requirements to file an RTI, and the PIO is obligated to write an application on their behalf as well as read it to them before processing it, under the RTI Act 2005.
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If the applicant is below the poverty line then the applicant need not pay any fee to file an RTI applicant, however, proof shall be provided by the applicant of his financial status as per RTI Rules 2012.
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The application can also be sent to the assistant PIO via the post office. The postal department has appointed many assistant PIOs whose job is to receive RTI applications and forward them to PIO or appellate authority concerned.
Steps to file an RTI (online mode)
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STEP 1 - Visit the official website of the RTI portal.
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STEP 2 - In order to submit an application, click on the “Submit Request” option.
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STEP 3 - On clicking the submit request, “Guidelines for use of RTI online portal” will display on the screen. Read the guidelines carefully and click on the submit checkbox response to proceed further.
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STEP 4 - Then the applicant will be directed to the Online RTI Request Form on the screen. Select the department for which the applicant wants to file the RTI application. All the mandatory sections need to be filled and the applicant will get SMS alerts on the mobile number provided. If the applicant is below the poverty line then a BPL card certificate has to be filed in the form to get an exemption from paying the application fee (Rs 10/- per application).
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STEP 5 - Upon submission of the application form, a unique registration number will be issued for any future reference regarding that particular RTI application.
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STEP 6 - After filling all the details in the application form, the applicant shall proceed toward the payment option. Payment can be done through net banking or credit/debit card.
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STEP 7 - Finally, after the payment is done the applicant will receive an email and SMS alert on the provided email address and phone number respectively.
How many days does it take to get RTI response?
The RTI information should be provided within 30 days from the date of submission of the application to the PIO. However, if the documents are displaced or difficult to find then the PIO shall send the applicant a written intimation about the possible delay and reason. If the PIO fails to do so and the information is not received within 30 days by the applicant then a penalty can be levied on the PIO if the matter is taken up by the appellate authorities.
Which Government Departments are exempted from the RTI Act, 2005?
Twenty-odd organisations are exempted from RTI, which are related to the country’s defence and intelligence such as RAW, BSF, CRPF, CISF National Security Guard, Intelligence Bureau, etc. Further, there are some specific circumstances when an RTI cannot be filed, such as:
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Would affect national security, sovereignty, and economic or scientific interest
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Have been disallowed by the court
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Related to trade secrets of a competitive third party which might harm country’s international relations
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Information under fiduciary relationship
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Foreign government information
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Information related to any process of investigation
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Information that might affect the life/physical safety of a person
