RTI Application Draft Builder | Right to Information Form | Bharat Samvidhan
Draft a standardized Right to Information (RTI) application in minutes. Supports postal, electronic, and BPL waiver formats under Section 6(1).
RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005
RTI Application Draft Builder
Draft a legal RTI request to secure public records. Includes automatic BPL waivers, fee details, and formatting.
1
2
3
4
Step 1: Applicant Information
Applicant Name
Step 2: Public Authority Details
Public Authority / Department Name
Step 3: Information Required
Subject Matter of Information
Step 4: Fee Options & Preview
Back
RTI Application Statutory Guide: Section 6(1) Draft Protocols
Statutory Analysis of Section 6(1), Section 6(3) Transfer Rules, 48-Hour Life & Liberty Timeline, and Fee Exemptions
1. The Constitutional Anchor of RTI: Article 19(1)(a) & Section 6(1)
In landmark rulings including
State of UP v. Raj Narain (1975)
and SP Gupta v. Union of India (1981)
, the Supreme Court established that the Right to Information is an inalienable fundamental right emanated from the freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a)
of the Constitution.
This fundamental right was given legislative teeth through
Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Act No. 22 of 2005)
, which empowers every citizen of India to secure information from any "public authority" (ministries, departments, municipal corporations, public sector banks, and government-aided institutions). Under Section 6(2)
, the applicant is not required to give any reason
for requesting the information or any other personal details except those necessary for contacting him.
2. What Legally Constitutes "Information" under Section 2(f)?
Drafting effective RTI queries requires understanding what public authorities are legally bound to provide:
Permissible Under Section 2(f):
Any material in any form, including records, documents, file notings, memos, emails, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, logbooks, and electronic database records held by or under the control of the public authority. You can request "certified copies"
of official records or ask to inspect works, files, and take certified samples of materials under Section 2(j).
Not Covered (Improper Queries):
Asking "Why" questions, seeking legal opinions, demanding interpretations of court orders, or requiring the PIO to create hypothetical data that does not already exist in government records. Frame requests around specific existing records (e.g., "Please provide a certified copy of the order / file notings dated..."
).
3. Mandatory Transfer Duty: Section 6(3)
If an applicant mistakenly submits an RTI application to the wrong ministry or public authority, the PIO cannot dismiss or return the application. Under
Section 6(3) of the Act
:
Where an application or part thereof relates to another public authority, the PIO shall transfer the application to that other authority
within five days
from the date of receipt and immediately inform the applicant in writing.
4. Timelines & BPL Fee Waivers (Section 7)
The statute prescribes rigid timelines and equity protections:
Standard Timeline:
The PIO must either provide the information or reject it with reasons under Section 8/9 within 30 days
of receiving the application (35 days if filed through an Assistant PIO).
Life or Liberty Exception (48 Hours):
Under the proviso to Section 7(1), where the information sought concerns the life or liberty of an individual (e.g., medical negligence in government hospital, illegal police custody), the information must be provided within forty-eight (48) hours
of the receipt of the request.
BPL Fee Waiver:
Under Section 7(5), no fee whatsoever (application fee, photocopying charges, or inspection charges) shall be payable by citizens who belong to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category, upon submitting a photocopy of their valid BPL card or Antyodaya ration card.