Third party information
Commencement. Ss. 4(1), 5(1) (2), 12, 13, 15, 16, 24, 27, 28 (15-06-2005) and rest provisions on 120th day of its enactment.
Section 11 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 deals with third party information. Where a Central Public Information Officer or a State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, intends to disclose any information or record, or part thereof on a request made under this Act, which relates to or has been supplied by a third party and has been treated as confidential by that t The Act was enacted on 15 Jun 2005.
(1) Where a Central Public Information Officer or a State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, intends to disclose any information or record, or part thereof on a request made under this Act, which relates to or has been supplied by a third party and has been treated as confidential by that third party, the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall, within five days from the receipt of the request, give a written notice to such third party of the request and of the fact that the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, intends to disclose the information or record, or part thereof, and invite the third party to make a submission in writing or orally, regarding whether the information should be disclosed, and such submission of the third party shall be kept in view while taking a decision about disclosure of information:
Provided that except in the case of trade or commercial secrets protected by law, disclosure may be allowed if the public interest in disclosure outweighs in importance any possible harm or injury to the interests of such third party.
(2) Where a notice is served by the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, under sub-section (1) to a third party in respect of any information or record or part thereof, the third party shall, within ten days from the date of receipt of such notice, be given the opportunity to make representation against the proposed disclosure.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 7, the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall, within forty days after receipt of the request under section 6, if the third party has been given an opportunity to make representation under sub-section (2), make a decision as to whether or not to disclose the information or record or part thereof and give in writing the notice of his decision to the third party.
(4) A notice given under sub-section (3) shall include a statement that the third party to whom the notice is given is entitled to prefer an appeal under section 19 against the decision.
Section 11, The Right to Information Act, 2005 (Act 22 of 2005).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Securities and Exchange Board of India v. Central Information Commission
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
DATE VERIFIED Final Order / Judgment body dated 10 July 2025 (order-7.pdf): On RTI queries for SEBI inspection reports / PID appointment materials relating to stock exchanges and candidates, CIC directions that compel disclosure without first following the third-party notice-and-objection procedure under RTI Act s.11 are unsustainable; ss.8 and 11 must be read together — s.11 is substantive protection for third-party confidential information, not a mere formality, and applies where information relates to / was treated confidential by third parties (exchanges, rejected candidates). Queries 3–5 remanded to CPIO for fresh consideration after s.11 compliance; other queries left undisturbed.
On this section: s.11 — third-party information procedure is mandatory before directing disclosure of confidential third-party / exchange / candidate materials held by a public authority.
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 11
What have the courts held on Section 11 of the Right to Information Act?
Securities and Exchange Board of India v. Central Information Commission (10 Jul 2025) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: s.11 — third-party information procedure is mandatory before directing disclosure of confidential third-party / exchange / candidate materials held by a public authority.
How do I find court cases under Section 11 of the Right to Information Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: RTI Act 11, section 11 RTI Act, section 11 of the Right to Information Act. People searching for it also type rti 11(1) and 11 rti act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Securities and Exchange Board of India v. Central Information Commission (10 Jul 2025).
What should I read with Section 11 of the Right to Information Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 6 (Request for obtaining information), section 7 (Disposal of request), section 19 (Appeal), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 3 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it.
When was Section 11 of the Right to Information Act enacted?
Section 11 of the Right to Information Act, cited as RTI Act 11, was enacted on 15 Jun 2005 as Act 22 of 2005. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 19. Appeal669 words
- 7. Disposal of request657 words
- 4. Obligations of public authorities643 words
- 2. Definitions618 words
- 13. Terms of office and conditions of service530 words
- 8. Exemption from disclosure of information520 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 14 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.