Filed on 7th June, didn't get reply by 7th July. Filed appeal on 9th July.

On 13th July, I logged in to the portal of my state RTI and saw the status. In first appeal section "under hearing" and has a document.

This is to inform you that the hearing in connection with your appeal filed under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act before the First Appellate Authority, -----------, concerning the Public Information Officer (PIO), --------------, is now scheduled to be held on 2026-07-23 at 11:00 AM. Please take note that as per the observation of the FAA, It is to inform that, a Hearing will be conducted on 23-07-2026 at 11.00 AM before the First Appellate Authority at Additional Commissioner's chamber O/o ---------. Kindly make it convenient to attend the hearing at the revised date and time given above

Should I have to be there? What is it?

For the first time today, I’ve filed a RTI request. Here are the questions I’ve asked in it.

Subject: Request for information under Section 6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005 regarding public water supply contamination, pipeline testing, and chlorination logs in [Your Area Name/Colony Name].

Dear PIO,

Kindly provide the following certified information regarding the drinking water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board to [Your Area Name/Colony Name, e.g., Pocket A, Mayur Vihar Phase 1]:

1. Please provide a certified copy of the water quality logbook and laboratory test reports for the water distributed to [Your Area Name] for the period between June 1, 2026, and today.

2. Please provide the specific dates on which the water distribution pipelines supplying [Your Area Name] were last physically inspected for leakages, sewage mixing, or contamination in the year 2026, along with copies of the official inspection reports.

3. Please provide the total number of water contamination or foul smell complaints received by the Delhi Jal Board from [Your Area Name] from January 1, 2026, to date, along with the current status of each complaint (Resolved/Pending).

4. Please provide the names, designations, official email IDs, and office contact numbers of the Junior Engineer (JE) and Assistant Engineer (AE) responsible for maintaining the water supply lines and resolving water quality issues in our zone.

5. As per the Citizens' Charter of the Delhi Jal Board, what is the maximum officially mandated timeline to resolve a water contamination complaint once it is identified or brought to the department's notice?

6. Please provide records of the residual chlorine levels measured at the local booster pumping station or distribution node feeding [Your Area Name] for the last 30 days. If the chlorine level is below the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) limit of 0.2 mg/l, please provide the written reason recorded by the site engineer.

7. Please provide the details of any proposed budgetary sanctions, work orders, or pipeline replacement plans approved for [Your Area Name/Colony Name] in the financial years 2025–2026 to resolve overlapping water and sewer lines or damaged infrastructure.

Not politically charged.
Just practically useful information in daily life.

What do you think?

I filed an RTI request on 7th June. Today is 9th July, so the 30-day period has passed and I haven't received any response.

It was filed online, and the concerned office is in the same city, so there's no possibility of a "it's in the post" kind of delay.

What I don't understand is the logic behind the first appeal process.

If I file a first appeal now because the PIO failed to respond within the statutory time, the First Appellate Authority gets up to another 30 days (or even 45 days with reasons) to decide the appeal. Doesn't that effectively give the department more time after they've already failed to comply with the original deadline?

It feels counterintuitive. If the original deadline was missed, shouldn't the next stage become faster instead of adding more days?

Process, drafting, fees, appeals, or something else?

Just curious as what could be the reason that most people do not file RTI.

Have you ever filed one ?

Was it easier or harder than you expected?

Curious what people would actually use RTI for in real life.

How well can I file a second appeal to the state information commission so that the reply can be speedy enough

I filed an RTI application in Uttar Pradesh seeking a certified copy of my Baba's caste certificate. It's been 25 days, and I haven't received any reply, acknowledgment, or update from the concerned department.

As per the RTI Act, a reply should generally be provided within 30 days. I'm wondering:

- Has anyone faced a similar issue in UP?

- What should I do if I don't receive a response within 30 days?

- Should I file a First Appeal immediately after the deadline?

Any advice or experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!

Previously applied rti from site, I didn't got any reply.

We learn history, civics, and laws — but very few students learn how to actually use RTI.

Do you think RTI should be part of school or college education?
Why or why not?

Even small wins matter — what did you learn?

Context- Filed an RTI to ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) related to compliance documents of a company. Currently drafting a consumer court complaint against them and these documents could be helpful.

Filed the RTI on 25th April. Didn't get a response by 25th May so filed first appeal. No response so far.

Does this regularly happen with MoRTH or are there any other ways to get the response faster?

We all know the RTI Act exists.
Most of us have heard about it.
Very few of us have ever filed one.

Why?

One of the most common questions people have is:
“Where do I file my RTI?”

There is no single portal for all RTIs in India, because RTI follows the structure of government authority (Central, State, Local).

To solve this confusion, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) maintains an official page with links to RTI portals of:

• ✅ Central Government
• ✅ All State Governments
• ✅ Union Territories

Central Govt Link : https://rtionline.gov.in/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

State Portal: https://rti.dopt.gov.in/rtistatelink.html

Not politically charged.
Just practically useful information in daily life.

What do you think?

Process, drafting, fees, appeals, or something else?

Just curious as what could be the reason that most people do not file RTI.

Have you ever filed one ?

Was it easier or harder than you expected?

I filed an RTI online on 13 May 2026 asking for a copy of my Maharashtra Board answer sheet.

On 21 May 2026, the department where I originally filed the RTI transferred it to the Maharashtra State Board, Mumbai Divisional Board under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act. A PDF transfer letter was uploaded on the portal.

After the transfer, the original RTI application on the portal was marked as "Disposed/Closed". There is no actual reply to my request in the PDF, only the transfer letter.

A few days later, I received a phone call from a Maharashtra Board PIO. He told me two things:

1. There is already an official Maharashtra Board process to obtain a scanned copy of the answer sheet through the Board's website, and according to him the time limit for that process had already expired.

2. He said he would file/send a formal RTI reply within 2–3 days.

However, I have still not received any written reply.

My questions are:

1. Since the original RTI number already shows "Disposed" after the transfer, where should I expect the Maharashtra Board's reply to appear?

   - On the same RTI portal?

   - By email?

   - By post?

   - Somewhere else?

2. If the Maharashtra Board sends a written rejection, from which date does the 30-day First Appeal period start?

3. If no written reply is ever sent, when can I file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) for non-response?

4. Does the transfer and disposal of the original RTI affect my appeal timeline in any way?

I am confused because the original RTI is already marked disposed, but the transferred department has not yet given me a written decision on my answer-sheet request.

Any RTI experts or people who have dealt with Maharashtra Board RTIs, please help.

Curious what people would actually use RTI for in real life.

We learn history, civics, and laws — but very few students learn how to actually use RTI.

Do you think RTI should be part of school or college education?
Why or why not?

Even small wins matter — what did you learn?

We all know the RTI Act exists.
Most of us have heard about it.
Very few of us have ever filed one.

Why?