{"id":19830,"date":"2026-02-12T11:25:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T05:55:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/?p=19830"},"modified":"2026-02-12T11:29:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T05:59:12","slug":"rti-first-appeal-reply-time-limit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/rti-first-appeal-reply-time-limit\/","title":{"rendered":"RTI First Appeal Reply Time Limit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1) First Appeal \u201creply time limit\u201d = FAA must <strong>dispose<\/strong> the appeal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In RTI, First Appeal is decided by the <strong>First Appellate Authority (FAA)<\/strong> (a senior officer in the same public authority).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Legal time limit (RTI Act, Section 19(6))<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>30 days<\/strong> from the date the FAA <strong>receives<\/strong> your First Appeal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>FAA can extend it, but <strong>maximum up to 45 days<\/strong> (total), and <strong>reasons must be recorded in writing<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Important: It\u2019s not just \u201creply\u201d \u2014 the law says the appeal must be <strong>disposed \/ decided<\/strong> (meaning an <strong>order<\/strong> should be passed).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2) From which date do we count 30 \/ 45 days?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Count starts from <strong>date of receipt by FAA<\/strong>, not from the day you typed\/sent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical safe counting method (recommended)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the earliest solid proof you have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Speed Post receipt date + tracking delivery date<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Email sent date + delivery\/read acknowledgment (if available)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>RTI portal\/department portal submission timestamp (if any)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have Speed Post tracking showing \u201cDelivered on 01 Feb\u201d, then:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Day 1 = <strong>01 Feb<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>30-day limit ends = <strong>02 Mar<\/strong> (because you count 30 days including the receipt day in practical RTI practice; many applicants simply treat <strong>30 days after delivery date<\/strong> as the deadline day \u2014 either way, after 30 days you can act)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maximum 45-day limit ends = <strong>17 Mar<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>(If you share your \u201cdelivered on\u201d date, I can calculate exact last dates.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Facing delay or no reply on your RTI appeal? RTIwala resolves it fast\u2014contact now.<br>\ud83d\udcde Call: +91-7999-50-6996<br>\ud83d\udcac WhatsApp: <a href=\"https:\/\/help.rti.link\/\">https:\/\/help.rti.link\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3) Can FAA legally take 45 days every time?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>No. <strong>45 days is not automatic<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>FAA can go beyond 30 days <strong>only in special cases<\/strong>, and must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>record reasons in writing<\/strong> for the extension.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If FAA gives no written reason and keeps it pending, you can treat it as <strong>failure to decide within time<\/strong> and escalate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4) What does FAA usually do in First Appeal?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>FAA may:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Order CPIO\/PIO to give information<\/strong> (full\/partial) within a time (like 7\/10\/15 days)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Uphold the PIO\u2019s denial<\/strong> (reject your appeal)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Remand\/seek clarification<\/strong> and then pass order<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Call for hearing<\/strong> (optional; not mandatory in every case)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>But regardless of method, FAA should issue a <strong>written order<\/strong> within 30\/45 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5) What if FAA does not reply within 30\u201345 days?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2705 Your strongest next step: <strong>Second Appeal<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>RTI Act Section 19(3) allows Second Appeal to the:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Central Information Commission (CIC)<\/strong> for Central Govt authorities, OR<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>State Information Commission (SIC)<\/strong> for State authorities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Time limit for Second Appeal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Must be filed <strong>within 90 days<\/strong> from the date the FAA decision <strong>should have been made<\/strong> OR the date you actually received it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CIC also clearly says<\/strong>: you can file Second Appeal <strong>after 45 days<\/strong> of filing First Appeal if no FAA order comes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2705 So, if FAA is silent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Wait till <strong>45 days complete<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Then file <strong>Second Appeal<\/strong> (don\u2019t keep waiting endlessly)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6) \u201cSecond Appeal\u201d vs \u201cComplaint\u201d \u2014 don\u2019t mix them up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Second Appeal (Section 19(3))<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Best when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>You didn\u2019t get info<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You got wrong\/partial info<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>FAA did not decide in time<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Complaint (Section 18)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Used when (examples):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>PIO refused to accept RTI<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re forced to pay illegal fee<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>No PIO appointed \/ systemic RTI issue<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In most \u201cno reply \/ denial \/ delay\u201d cases, <strong>Second Appeal is the correct route<\/strong> (because commissions can pass directions on information supply more effectively in appeal route).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Facing delay or no reply on your RTI appeal? RTIwala resolves it fast\u2014contact now.<br>\ud83d\udcde Call: +91-7999-50-6996<br>\ud83d\udcac WhatsApp: <a href=\"https:\/\/help.rti.link\/\">https:\/\/help.rti.link\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1) First Appeal \u201creply time limit\u201d = FAA must dispose the appeal In RTI, First Appeal is decided by the First Appellate Authority (FAA) (a senior officer in the same public authority). Legal time limit (RTI Act, Section 19(6)) Important: It\u2019s not just \u201creply\u201d \u2014 the law says the appeal must be disposed \/ decided [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":19074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19830"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19830"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19830\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19835,"href":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19830\/revisions\/19835"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rtiwala.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}