Request for obtaining 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 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 deals with request for obtaining information. A person, who desires to obtain any information under this Act, shall make a request in writing or through electronic means in English or Hindi or in the official language of the area in which the application is being made, accompanying such fee as may be prescribed, to-- (a) the Central Public Info The Act was enacted on 15 Jun 2005.
(1) A person, who desires to obtain any information under this Act, shall make a request in writing or through electronic means in English or Hindi or in the official language of the area in which the application is being made, accompanying such fee as may be prescribed, to--
(a) the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, of the concerned public authority;
(b) the Central Assistant Public Information Officer or State Assistant Public Information Officer, as the case may be,
specifying the particulars of the information sought by him or her:
Provided that where such request cannot be made in writing, the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall render all reasonable assistance to the person making the request orally to reduce the same in writing.
(2) An applicant making request for information shall not be required to give any reason for requesting the information or any other personal details except those that may be necessary for contacting him.
(3) Where an application is made to a public authority requesting for an information,--
(i) which is held by another public authority; or
(ii) the subject matter of which is more closely connected with the functions of another public authority,
the public authority, to which such application is made, shall transfer the application or such part of it as may be appropriate to that other public authority and inform the applicant immediately about such transfer:
Provided that the transfer of an application pursuant to this sub-section shall be made as soon as practicable but in no case later than five days from the date of receipt of the application.
Section 6, 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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Aseer Jamal vs Union of India Thr. the Secretary Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
The Right to Information Act 2005, as constituted and supplemented by its Rules, contains adequate statutory provisions to ensure accessible information for illiterate persons, visually impaired persons, persons below poverty line, and other differently abled persons. Section 6(1) proviso makes it mandatory for Public Information Officers to assist oral applicants in reducing requests to writing. Section 6(3) allows appropriate transfer of applications. Rule 5 exempts BPL persons from fees. Existing implementation including Braille conversion, audio files, multiple payment modes, and toll-free assistance demonstrate that accessibility concerns can be effectively addressed within the existing framework. Rather than declaring constitutional invalidity or imposing new mandatory directions, the appropriate remedy is to grant liberty to affected persons to submit representations regarding additional accessibility modes and to direct authorities to explore advanced technology and deal sympathetically with such requests.
On this section: Court emphasized the proviso to Section 6(1) which mandates Public Information Officers to render all reasonable assistance to persons making oral requests to reduce the same in writing, thereby addressing accessibility for illiterate persons
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Manohar vs State of Maharashtra
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
State Information Commissions, being quasi-judicial bodies exercising adjudicatory functions with power to impose penalties and recommend disciplinary action having civil consequences, are bound by principles of natural justice including the doctrine of audi alteram partem. Before recommending disciplinary action under Section 20(2) of the Right to Information Act 2005, the Commission must provide a hearing to the concerned Public Information Officer. The grounds for such disciplinary action are exhaustive and limited to: persistent failure to receive application or furnish information within 30 days, mala fide denial, providing incorrect/incomplete/misleading information, destruction of information, or obstruction in furnishing information - all without reasonable cause. 'Negligence' alone is insufficient. The Commission must record reasoned findings that the default was persistent and without reasonable cause before recommending disciplinary action. The word 'shall' in Section 20(2) should be read as 'may', conferring discretion on the Commission to evaluate whether circumstances warrant recommendation based on the officer's explanation and the facts of the case.
On this section: Procedure for filing information applications
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Mannatil Kumar v. Central Information Commission
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Final Order order-1.pdf 2014-10-24 DATE VERIFIED (index 24 Oct; body also 23 Oct 2014). A. Muhamed Mustaque J. WP(C) 2261/2014. Isolate: RTI Act s.6 request for obtaining information — the applicant is entitled to existing records on the file (whether the representation was considered/not considered/what transpired); a public authority cannot be asked to generate information, but the CPIO also cannot answer the representation as if it were a grievance instead of stating the file outcome. CIC order quashed; information to be supplied in 30 days; s.20 penalty declined (no mala fide). Leading HC. Distinctive name. Map 6 only — s.2/s.8 already filled. Do not pad s.20.
On this section: RTI Act s.6 entitles the applicant to existing records of what happened on a representation; the authority cannot be made to generate new information, nor treat the request as a grievance to be answered on merits (Mannatil Kumar).
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.
Judgments citing this section
These may be obiter dicta or a precedent, for you to study. These are the judgments where this section is quoted.
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… Significant for our purpose are observations that there is also a special responsibility upon the public authorities to suo moto publish and disseminate information falling in the first category so that they will be easily and readily accessible to public without any need to assess them through recourse of Section 6 of the Right to Information Act. This is a statutory obligation imposed by Section 4(1)(b) and (c) as also sub-sections (2), (3) and (4) of Section 4 relating to dissemination of information. Thereupon, reference was made to section 19(8) of the Right to Information Act which entrusts the Information Commissions …
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… Significant for our purpose are observations that there is also a special responsibility upon the public authorities to suo moto publish and disseminate information falling in the first category so that they will be easily and readily accessible to public without any need to assess them through recourse of Section 6 of the Right to Information Act. This is a statutory obligation imposed by Section 4(1)(b) and (c) as also sub-sections (2), (3) and (4) of Section 4 relating to dissemination of information. Thereupon, reference was made to section 19(8) of the Right to Information Act which entrusts the Information Commissions …
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… Significant for our purpose are observations that there is also a special responsibility upon the public authorities to suo moto publish and disseminate information falling in the first category so that they will be easily and readily accessible to public without any need to assess them through recourse of Section 6 of the Right to Information Act. This is a statutory obligation imposed by Section 4(1)(b) and (c) as also sub-sections (2), (3) and (4) of Section 4 relating to dissemination of information. Thereupon, reference was made to section 19(8) of the Right to Information Act which entrusts the Information Commissions …
Made under this section, and citing it
1 instrument states that it was made under this provision — the power to make it comes from here, so a change to any of them changes what this section requires in practice. Newest first.
Another 2 instruments name this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.
Questions about Section 6
What have the courts held on Section 6 of the Right to Information Act?
Aseer Jamal vs Union of India Thr. the Secretary Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions (27 Sep 2018) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Court emphasized the proviso to Section 6(1) which mandates Public Information Officers to render all reasonable assistance to persons making oral requests to reduce the same in writing, thereby addressing accessibility for illiterate persons. Another 2 judgments on this section are set out below, 2 of them from the Supreme Court. They run from 2012 to 2018.
How do I find court cases under Section 6 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 6, section 6 RTI Act, section 6 of the Right to Information Act. People searching for it also type rti 6(3) and rti 6(1). Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 3 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with Aseer Jamal vs Union of India Thr. the Secretary Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions (27 Sep 2018).
What should I read with Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, and has it changed?
5 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. The rules and notifications made under it are where it actually bites, and there is one: most recently Tamil Nadu Right to Information (Fees) Rules, 2005 (2005).
When was Section 6 of the Right to Information Act enacted?
Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, commonly called rti application or right to information, and cited as RTI Act 6, 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 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.