Right to Information Act 2005 mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information.

It may be noted that information provided under the Right to Information Act is available to citizens of India only. Applications should be submitted along with documentary proof of Indian Citizenship (like copy of personal particulars pages of passport.) More information, including the full text of the Act, is available at http://rti.gov.in

The Government of India (Department of Post) has launched the e-IPO (Electronic Indian Postal Order) service to facilitate purchase of Indian Postal order electronically for paying RTI fee/cost of information on-line through e-Post Office Portal ( https:/www.epostoffice.gov.in ) of the Department of Posts. The detailed instructions for using the e-IPO service for payment of RTI fee on-line are contained in DOP & T OM No. 1/44/2009-IR dated March 22, 2013. (The facility of e-ipo has been extended to 176 Indian Missions/Posts abroad also vide Department of Personnel & Training OM NO 1/44/2009-IR dated October 7, 2013. Department of Posts has extended the eIPO service to Indian citizens residing in India also w.e.f. February 13, 2014 vide OM No. 1/44/2009-IR dated 13th February 2014. The RTI applicants may, therefore, pay the RTI fee/cost of information, also on-line using the said e-IPO service, for seeking information from Ministries/Departments in India as well as from Indian Missions abroad.

It may also be pointed out that as per section 6(1) (a) of the RTI Act, 2005, a person who desires to obtain information under the Act is required to submit the application to the Information Officer of the “concerned public authority”. Applicants are, therefore, advised to send their requests under the RTI Act to the Embassy only when the subject matter can reasonably be presumed to pertain to the Embassy. Where the information required obviously does not pertain to the Embassy, the application may be addressed to the concerned PIO directly.