How to File a Right to Information (RTI / सूचनाको हक) Request in Nepal: Step-by-Step Guide

The right to information (सूचनाको हक, suchanako hak) is the citizen's legal power to ask for, and receive, information held by government offices and other public bodies, so that public affairs can be scrutinised rather than kept behind closed doors. In Nepal this right rests on two pillars: the Right to Information Act, 2064 (2007) — the operating law that spells out the procedure — and Article 27 of the Constitution of Nepal (2015), which elevates the right to information about matters of public importance to a fundamental right.

To make the right usable, the Act created the National Information Commission (Rastriya Suchana Aayog), an independent body seated in Kathmandu that oversees implementation, hears complaints and appeals against public bodies, and can issue binding orders — including directing an office to release information and imposing fines on officials who obstruct access. The same framework requires every public body to appoint a designated Information Officer and to proactively publish key information about its work at regular intervals, so that citizens need not always file a request for routine facts.

The Act's reach is broad. A 'public body' covers government ministries, departments and their offices, constitutional bodies, local governments (municipalities, rural municipalities and wards), courts and security agencies to the extent the law allows, public enterprises, and organisations owned or substantially funded by the government or receiving public grants. From any of these you can request records, decisions, correspondence, budgets and expenditure, contracts, tender and procurement details, and other documents the body holds.

The right is not absolute. The Act lists categories of information that may be withheld — broadly, matters that would seriously jeopardise the sovereignty, integrity, national security, public order or international relations of Nepal; information that would directly harm the investigation, inquiry or prosecution of a crime; certain economic, trade, monetary or intellectual-property interests; information that would incite disharmony among castes, ethnic groups or communities; and information that would unreasonably invade an individual's privacy, or endanger a person's life, property, health or safety. Where only part of a document is exempt, the non-exempt portions should still be released. A separate classification process (with a policy-level committee) can keep specified information confidential for a limited period, subject to review — so a refusal on exemption grounds is itself something you can challenge, and you should verify the precise exempt categories against the current Act text.

The Act frames the right to information as a right of the Nepali citizen, so any Nepali citizen may file an RTI request; you generally do not need to be personally or directly affected by the matter, and you are not usually required to explain why you want the information. Requests are made to the Information Officer of the specific public body that actually holds the records you are after — so identifying the correct office is the first practical step.

The application itself is short and can be handwritten. There is a prescribed request format under the Right to Information Rules, but the essentials are simple: address it to the Information Officer of the named public body; give your full name, address and contact details; cite the Right to Information Act, 2064; describe as precisely as possible the information or documents you want (dates, subject, reference numbers help); and state how you would like to receive it — inspection of the file, a photocopy, or an electronic copy. Sign and date it, submit it in person or by post (registered post with acknowledgement is safest), and always keep a stamped copy or receipt showing the date of submission, because your appeal deadlines run from that date.

Once your application reaches the Information Officer, the law sets tight clocks. As a general rule the public body must provide the requested information within 15 days of receiving the application. Where the information sought concerns the life, personal freedom or liberty of a person — an urgent matter such as someone's detention or safety — it must be provided within 24 hours.

If the Information Officer decides not to give the information, the law expects that decision to be communicated with reasons, rather than met with silence. In practice, note the exact date you filed, mark 15 days ahead on your calendar, and treat a refusal, a partial answer, or simple non-response after the deadline as the trigger for the appeal ladder described below. Because timelines and any amendments can change, verify the current figures against the Act before relying on a specific deadline in a formal matter.

Filing an RTI request is designed to be affordable. Inspecting or examining records at the office is generally free or minimal, and a fee is charged mainly to cover the actual cost of copies — for example a per-page photocopy charge or the cost of a CD/electronic copy — as set out under the Right to Information Rules. The amounts are nominal and are meant to reflect cost, not to deter requests.

Fee waivers exist for those least able to pay: applicants who can show they are below the poverty line are, in practice, exempted from the copying fee. Because the exact per-page and per-medium rates are fixed by the Rules and can be revised, ask the Information Officer for the current fee schedule, obtain a receipt for whatever you pay, and verify the latest amounts before assuming a figure.

The Act builds in a layered remedy so that a single unhelpful officer cannot be the final word. If the Information Officer refuses your request, gives incomplete or misleading information, or fails to respond within the time limit, your first step is a complaint or appeal to the chief (head) of the same public body — this must be made within 7 days, and the chief is expected to reconsider and decide the matter.

If you remain dissatisfied with the chief's decision (or the chief also fails to act), the next rung is an appeal to the National Information Commission. The Commission is the independent adjudicator: it can hear the appeal, call for the records, and issue binding orders directing the public body to release the information, and it can impose fines or departmental-action recommendations on officials who wrongfully withhold information or destroy records. Decisions of the Commission can, in turn, be challenged before the court. The exact windows for the second-stage appeal to the Commission and for any onward judicial appeal, and the penalty amounts, are set by the Act and Rules and are sometimes cited differently across sources — so confirm the current deadlines directly with the National Information Commission or the latest Act text before filing.

A few habits make RTI requests work. Send the application to the correct body — the one that actually holds the record — and if you are unsure, a request to the wrong office should be transferred, but naming the right one saves time. Keep your wording specific (dates, subject, document names, reference numbers) so the officer cannot claim the request is too vague, and always retain a dated receipt so your 15-day clock and 7-day appeal window are provable. If you hit silence, escalate promptly rather than letting deadlines lapse.

RTI is a workhorse of citizen action and pairs naturally with the site's wider civic toolkit. Use it to obtain a ward or municipality's budget and expenditure details, a copy of a decision or tender document, or records behind a public project — and then, where the papers reveal wrongdoing, escalate. Suspected corruption or abuse of authority by officials can be reported to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA); a defective product or service dispute goes through the consumer-complaint process; and online fraud, harassment or other digital offences are reported to the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau. In this way an RTI request is often the evidence-gathering first step that makes a later complaint stick.