RTI First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act

Introduction

The Right to Information Act, 2005 created a statutory right with two tiers of remedy. The first appeal is internal — to the First Appellate Authority within the same public authority — and the second is to the Information Commission. Most disclosures happen at the first appeal stage, provided the appeal is precise about what was asked, what was withheld, and why withholding is illegal.

When to Use This Prompt

• PIO has not responded within 30 days (48 hours for life and liberty).
• PIO has refused on an exemption that does not apply.
• PIO has provided incomplete or evasive information.
• Fee demanded is unreasonable or contrary to Section 7(5).

Statutory & Case-Law Backdrop

Section 6 — application. Section 7 — disposal in 30 days. Section 8 — exemptions, narrowly construed. Section 11 — third-party information. Section 19(1) — first appeal within 30 days. Section 19(3) — second appeal to CIC/SIC within 90 days. Section 20 — penalty up to Rs. 25,000 on PIO.

The Prompt

Paste into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. Replace every bracketed placeholder with your specific facts before generating.

Draft a first appeal under Section 19(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 before the First Appellate Authority of [PUBLIC AUTHORITY] by [APPELLANT] against the [NON-RESPONSE / DEFICIENT REPLY] of the Public Information Officer dated [DATE / NIL] in respect of RTI application dated [DATE].

Inputs:
- Information sought (point-wise): [LIST]
- PIO's response (point-wise) or NIL: [DETAILS]
- Why the response is deficient: [REASONS, INCLUDING WRONG EXEMPTION CLAIMED]
- Public interest in disclosure: [BRIEF]

Structure: appellant's details, PIO and public authority details, chronology, point-wise grievance, grounds (Section 7 timelines, Section 8 exemption misapplied, Section 4 suo motu disclosure overlooked), prayer for direction to disclose and for penalty under Section 20.

Anatomy of the Draft

Why the prompt is built the way it is — section by section.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ×Filing beyond the 30-day window without explanation.
• ×Vague grievance instead of point-wise comparison.
• ×Treating exemption as the end of inquiry — Section 8(2) override is often missed.
• ×Asking for opinions or hypothetical answers — RTI covers 'information held', not analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

The first appeal is the appellant's best leverage. File on time, frame it point-wise, and let the statutory timelines do the heavy lifting.