Parliament Question: Disposal of RTI requests

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING) RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1556 (ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026) DISPOSAL OF RTI REQUESTS

1556. SMT. RENUKA CHOWDHURY:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

(a) the overall trend in disposal of RTI requests since 2021, including the number of applications disposed of, partially answered, transferred or remaining unresolved, year-wise;

(b) whether Government has analysed the grounds on which information has been refused, particularly the use of personal information exemptions and the year-wise frequency of such refusals;

(c) the broad categories of public authorities or sectors where requests for information are most frequently denied and the proportion of such denials in relation to total RTI applications; and

(d) the current pendency position of second appeals and complaints before the Central Information Commission and average time taken for disposal? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a) and (b): As per the Annual Reports of the Central Information Commission (CIC), the overall trend in disposal of RTI requests, since 2021, is as under: - Disposal of RTI requests Year Replied Rejected Transferred 2021-22 11,31,757 53,733 2,04,607 2022-23 13,15,222 52,662 2,13,162 2023-24 14,30,031 67,615 2,37,671 2024-25 13,80,509 58,501 2,80,353 Central Information Commission (CIC) has informed that data regarding partially answered applications and remaining unresolved cases are not collected/compiled. Further, the information may be denied/refused to an applicant on the grounds laid down in various Sections of the RTI Act, 2005, including on the grounds of ‘personal information’ (Section 8(1)(j) of the Act).

Page 1 of 2(c): Public-Authority-wisedata on rejected RTI requests are available in Annexure-1 of the Annual Reports of the CIC, which can be accessed at URL - https://cic.gov.in/circular- reports-conventions. The percentage of rejection of RTI applications, in respect of various Public Authorities such as Ministries, Department, Attached Offices, Subordinate Offices, Autonomous bodies etc., has come down to 3.26% in the year 2024-25 from 7.21% in the year 2013-14.

(d): The number of second Appeals and complaints pending before the Central Information Commission, as on 01.02.2026, is 29034 and 3577 respectively. Central Information Commission (CIC) has informed that the data on average time taken for disposal of second appeals/complaints is not maintained.

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