A one stop destination for all Right to Information (RTI) matters
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A one stop destination for all Right to Information (RTI) matters


Issues relating to Health Centre of Rajiv Gandhi South Campus - Respondent: Information provided in compliance of CIC order; Concerned PIO had retired – CIC:- There appears to be no mala fide on the part of the PIO; Show cause notice dropped     Right to Information Act 2005    Medical records of wife were sought from Psychiatry Department claiming that it is essential for annulment of his marriage - CIC: Information qualifies as third-party information and is exempted from disclosure u/s 8(1)(j); No public interest involved     Right to Information Act 2005    Respondent: NPA borrower had filed a case against them in DRT and the same was sub-judice; they expressed their inability to provide the information to the appellant - CIC: It could not be a sole ground for denying disclosure of information under RTI Act     Right to Information Act 2005    PIO: RTI Application was misplaced and could not be traced which resulted into delay in dissemination of information - CIC: There is no malafide denial of information on the part of the CPIO and hence no action is warranted u/s 18 and 20 of the RTI Act     Right to Information Act 2005    Process of recognizing law colleges: U/s 25 (5), the CIC recommends the Bar Council of India to voluntarily disclose every inspection report of the affiliated colleges/universities recognised in order to enhance transparency in the recognizing process     Right to Information Act 2005    Respondent: First appeal was addressed to CBI Bhopal, therefore, could not be disposed of by IT Office - CIC: RTI Application replied appropriately; In the absence of appellant to plead his case or contest the CPIO’s submissions, no scope of intervention     Right to Information Act 2005    Vijai Sharma and K V Chowdary appointed as CIC and CVC respectively     Right to Information Act 2005    Is the Mysore Police Commissioner’s office coming up without plan approval?     Right to Information Act 2005    No action taken against the illegal massage parlours or spas in Goa     Right to Information Act 2005    Are there norms about the fee a school should charge and the facilities it offers?     Right to Information Act 2005    There is only 1 primary health centre per 28 villages of UP     Right to Information Act 2005    Services of all OSDs / Consultants terminated by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai     Right to Information Act 2005    Are the state-funded ‘public trust institutions’ obligated to provide ‘information’ under the RTI Act?     Right to Information Act 2005    Takeaways from the Supreme Court verdict on the Electoral Bond Scheme     Right to Information Act 2005    We will know, we will live - RTI     Right to Information Act 2005   
2nd edition of "PIOs Guide on RTI" published - Based on study of over one lakh orders of CIC and judgments of Courts - Book carries subject wise case laws, latest legal updates, Practical tips for PIOs and FAAs - Needs of all stakeholders covered
Writing the Application

5. How should the drafting of the applicant be done?

Drafting of an application
The choice of words in raising the queries is very important. An analysis of the disposal of the past applications shows that wrongly worded applications may lead to confusion resulting into delay or denial of information. Therefore, an applicant should be careful while penning an application.
A few suggestions are:
1. Application should be in a simple and easy language.
2. Avoid using too technical terms or legal jargon.
3. The application must be legible - either typed or neatly handwritten.
4. The queries must be specific and to the point leaving no room for ambiguity. Vague questions may confuse the PIO leading to vague answers. Further, some PIOs may use it as an excuse to avoid giving specific information.
5. If the applicant is not certain regarding which specific documents are required, he may first seek inspection of the record so as to identify the same.
6. The length of the application should not be too long.
7. The number of questions and sub-questions should be limited.
8. As no additions can be made at the appellate level, all the information required should be sought at the time of making the initial application.
9. The reasons for seeking exempted information claiming overriding Public Interest should be emphatically given in the application. Remember, the onus is on the applicant to prove that there is an overriding Public Interest.
10. Unsubstantiated allegations or use of abusive language should not form a part of the application.
 

How to file a RTI application

Step-1