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RTI Application Generator: Draft Your Section 6(1) Request

Any citizen can ask a public authority for information under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. The application goes to the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the office that holds the record, with the prescribed fee, and you do not have to give a reason for asking [S.6(2)].

This generator turns your questions into a clear, numbered RTI application with the fee or BPL exemption, your preferred mode of supply and a request to transfer the application under Section 6(3) if another office holds the information. The PIO must reply within 30 days, or within 48 hours where the information concerns someone’s life or liberty.

Where it goes

Type of office

Public authority / office *

Address of the PIO *

Your details

Your name *

Your address *

The reply comes to this address.

Phone (optional)

Email (optional)

Information you want

Information sought, one point per line *

Ask for documents, records or data. Avoid “why” questions and opinions; the PIO only supplies information that exists on record.

Period (optional)

How you want it

The information concerns someone’s life or liberty (reply due in 48 hours)

Fee

Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holder?

No Yes, I am exempt

Fee paid (₹)

Paid by

IPO / DD / receipt number and date (optional)

Place

Date

Sign it, attach the fee or BPL proof, and send it by registered post or hand it in and take a dated receipt. Keep a copy: you will need it for a first appeal. Formats: RTI application · RTI first appeal.

Frequently asked questions

What is the RTI application fee?

For Central Government public authorities it is ₹10 under the RTI Rules, 2012, with ₹2 per page for copies (A3 size or smaller). Payment is by the modes the authority accepts, such as cash against a receipt, demand draft, banker’s cheque, Indian Postal Order or the online RTI portal. Each State sets its own fee and modes of payment, so check the State rules. See our guide on how RTI fees work.

Who is exempt from paying the RTI fee?

Applicants below the poverty line, as determined by the appropriate Government, pay no fee [proviso to S.7(5)]. Attach a self-attested copy of the BPL card or certificate with the application.

How long does the PIO have to reply?

Thirty days from receipt of the application [S.7(1)], or 48 hours if the information concerns the life or liberty of a person. If you file through an Assistant PIO, five days are added. No reply within the time counts as a refusal.

What can I do if I get no reply or an unsatisfactory one?

File a first appeal under Section 19(1) with the First Appellate Authority, an officer senior to the PIO in the same office, within 30 days. If that fails, a second appeal lies to the Central or State Information Commission within 90 days [S.19(3)]. Use our RTI first appeal format.

How should I frame my questions?

Ask for specific records: copies of files, file notings, orders, registers, data for a stated period. Avoid questions that ask the officer to explain, justify or give an opinion. Read our step-by-step RTI guide.

For information only. The generated application is a draft for general information and is not legal advice; fees, payment modes and forms differ between the Centre and each State, so check the rules of the authority you are writing to before you send it.