Kerala RTI online: file an application, pay the fee, track the reply

By AiCoN | Published 28 October 2026 | Sources checked 28 October 2026

You do not need to write a paper letter to ask a Kerala government department for information. The state runs an official RTI portal where any Indian citizen can file a Right to Information application online, pay the fee by UPI, card or net banking, and later file the first appeal the same way. It covers all Kerala State Government departments. For panchayats, municipalities and corporations the portal sends you to K-SMART, and for central government offices there is a separate national portal. Here is how the routes split and what to expect.

Quick facts

• Where to file: rtiportal.kerala.gov.in is the Government of Kerala's official RTI portal, owned by the General Administration (Co-ordination) Department and built by NIC. Its FAQ confirms applications through it go to Kerala State Departments.
• Local bodies are separate: the portal's own banner says RTI applications to Local Self Government Institutions - grama panchayats, municipalities and corporations - must be submitted through the K-SMART portal.
• Central government is separate too: for central ministries, departments and their public authorities, use the DoPT's rtionline.gov.in. That portal warns that applications meant for state governments filed there are returned without refund - so pick the right portal before paying.
• Fee: the portal charges the application fee prescribed under the RTI Rules, 2012, paid through the e-Treasury gateway by internet banking, debit/credit cards (Master, Visa, RuPay) or UPI. Citizens below the poverty line pay no fee, but must attach a government-issued BPL certificate.
• Account needed: registration is mandatory. The portal says this keeps all your RTI requests and replies in one place - Application Status and Application History pages show them as long as the account stays active.
• Writing the application: the request text is limited to 3,000 characters; a longer application can be attached as a PDF.
• What happens after filing: you get a unique registration number. The application reaches the department's Nodal Officer electronically, who transmits it to the Public Information Officer (PIO). Pick the wrong public authority and it is forwarded to the correct one under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act.
• Reply timeline: under the RTI Act, 2005, the PIO must supply the information within 30 days of the application, or within 48 hours where it concerns a person's life or liberty. First appeals can also be filed on the same portal.

How to file

1. Open rtiportal.kerala.gov.in and create your account with your mobile number or email.
2. Start a new RTI request and choose the department your question belongs to - read the department names carefully, though a wrong pick gets forwarded to the right one.
3. Write the request in 3,000 characters or less, asking for specific records or information; attach a PDF if you need more space.
4. Pay the fee through e-Treasury (UPI, card or net banking), or attach your BPL certificate if you are below the poverty line.
5. Note the registration number and track the reply under Application Status. If the reply does not come or does not answer you, file the first appeal on the same portal.

For a panchayat, municipality or corporation matter, use the RTI route inside the K-SMART portal instead - our K-SMART guide shows that portal's other citizen services. For a central government office, file at rtionline.gov.in.

Sources checked 28 October 2026:

• Government of Kerala RTI Portal (scope, payment modes, K-SMART banner for local bodies)
• RTI Portal FAQ (3,000-character limit, registration number, Nodal Officer routing, BPL fee exemption, mandatory account)
• RTI Portal guidelines (e-Treasury payment, first appeal online, fee per RTI Rules 2012)
• DoPT RTI Online (central government route; state applications returned without refund)

Explainer by AiCoN - not a government publication. Details can change; check rtiportal.kerala.gov.in before you file.