Deemed Refusal
Section 7(2), RTI Act 2005
A “deemed refusal” means that if the PIO fails to reply to your RTI within the 30-day time limit, the law treats it as a refusal — so you can immediately file a First Appeal. Information must also be supplied free if the deadline is missed.
Under Section 7(2), if a PIO does not decide on your request within the prescribed period, they are “deemed to have refused” it. You do not have to wait any longer — you can go straight to a First Appeal under Section 19(1).
There is a second benefit: under Section 7(6), if the PIO misses the deadline, the information must be provided free of charge, even if additional fees would otherwise have applied. The standard deadline is 30 days (about 35 if filed through an APIO, and 48 hours for matters of life and liberty).
Key points
- No reply within the time limit = deemed refusal under Section 7(2).
- You can file a First Appeal at once, without waiting further.
- Section 7(6): on delay, the information must be given free of charge.
- Standard limit 30 days (≈35 via APIO; 48 hours for life and liberty).
Related RTI terms
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This is a plain-English summary of the Right to Information Act, 2005 for general understanding — educational, not legal advice. For a specific case, the exact wording of the Act and your facts matter.
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