An Indian citizen can request the Passport Office to reveal any sort of information that comes under the right to knowledge of the individual, as per the Right to Information Act [RTI] of 2005. The individuals who want to know such information can file RTI Application for Passport. Any citizen of India who wishes to get any kind of information as per the RTI Act 2005 can make a written request. People planning to file RTI Application for Passport can go through this post. In this article, we explained the complete information about RTI Passport, the procedure to file RTI Online, fee details, tracking procedure, and more. Check it out!
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When can Applicant File RTI Appeal?
People can send a written request or email to the Chief Public Information Officer of the CPV Division of the Ministry of External Affairs. Otherwise, the individuals can file an RTI for a passport via online mode i.e., at https://rtionline.gov.in. Before understanding how to file an RTI for Passport, the applicant must know when to file an RTI appeal. The applicant can file an appeal with the Appellate Authority within 30 days of the following instances.
- When a decision hasn’t been informed to the applicant within the time specified under Subsection-1 or Clause-a of Subsection-3 of Section 7.
- When the applicant is wronged or dissatisfied by the Public Information Officer’s [PIO] decision
How to file RTI Application for Passport
Wondering how to file application for a passport? If so, you are in the right place. This post gives you in-depth information about the procedure to file an RTI for Passport.
- At first, the applicant must submit an application to get information. The applicant needs to pay a specific fee of Rs. 10 if the information is sought under subsection [1] of Section 6 as per the Gazette notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Training Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension, Government of India.
- The applicants can pay the application fee via cash or through Demand Draft or Indian Postal order/Banker’s cheque. In case, the RTI application is submitted in writing at the CPV Division, Patiala House, New Deli, the fee can be paid in any of the aforementioned ways. The DD or Indian Postal Order or Banker’s Cheque can be drawn in favor of the Accounts Officer, Ministry of External Affairs. The application fee is payable in New Delhi.
In the application form for RTI Passport, the applicants need to enter some vital details.
- Enter the full name of the applicant and Father’s or Husband’s name in block letters.
- Fill in the complete address along with the Pin code in the provided field.
- Enter the mobile number and telephone number.
- Tick Yes or No, whether you belong to BPL Category or not
- Lastly, declare that the information filled in the application form is accurate. Enter the date and place in the given fields.
This is the procedure on how to file RTI Online for Passport.
The Passport RTI Application Format is given below.
RTI Application Fee
If the applicant is seeking to file an RTI application in person at the Regional Passport Offices, the application fee must be paid in cash or via Indian Postal Order, DD, or Banker’s Cheque. The DD or cheque can be drawn in favor of the Passport Officer of the corresponding passport office. The application fee can be paid at the nearest passport office. The applicants can even pay the application fee via internet banking, debit card, credit card, or other payment modes available on the RTI online portal. The applicants who fall under the BPL category needn’t pay the application fee if the essential documents are provided at the time of filing the RTI application.
As per the directive of the Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pension of the Indian Government to get information under sub-section [1] and [5] of section 7, an extra fee is charged.
The additional fee charged under subsection [1] of section 7 is as follows:
- Rs. 2 – For each page created or copied in A-4 size paper.
- Rs. 2 – For each page created or copied in A-3 size paper.
- Actual Cost Price – For copies in larger size paper
- Actual Cost price – For samples or models
- No fee in the initial hour and Rs. 5 per hour after that – For inspection of records
As per the subsection [5] of Section 7, the additional fee besides the application fee includes:
- Rs. 50 – For information provided in a floppy or diskette
- Rs. 2 per page of photocopy for extracts from the publication – For information provided in print
The notable point is that the additional fee payment mode is quite similar to the application fee. In case, an additional fee is needed to be paid to get information, the concerned authority will communicate the requirement for the additional fee payment to the applicant.
RTI Status Tracking
Till now, you have seen how to file RTI application for passport. Now, you can learn how to track the status of the RTI application. Follow the simple steps provided below to track the status of the RTI application from the official website.
- Visit the official website of Passport Seva Portal i.e., at passportindia.gov.in.
- On the home page of the website, you can find a few tabs.
- Click on the RTI tab displayed on the screen.
- Soon after clicking the tab, it displays a plethora of options.
- Just tap the link that reads ‘RTI Status Tracking.’
- By tapping the link, it redirects to the next page.
- Enter the RTI Reference Number in the respective field.
- Hit the Track button.
- The status of the RTI Application for Passport will be displayed on the screen.
Well, this is everything you need to know about the RTI Passport, the procedure to file RTI Application for Passport, and more. We hope this guide has given enough information about the status tracking procedure. If you still have any doubts, just ask us in the comments section. Stay tuned to our website to get more information about the Indian passport, various articles related to the passport, and more.