Second Appeal to Information Commission
Second Appeal before the Central or State Information Commission (CIC / SIC) when First Appeal is also unsuccessful. Involves drafting grounds, evidence compilation, and hearing representation.
A Second Appeal under Section 19(3) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 is the final statutory escalation under the Act: filed before the State Information Commission (for state public authorities) or the Central Information Commission (for central public authorities) when the First Appellate Authority has either failed to decide the First Appeal within 45 days or has decided it unsatisfactorily.
The window to file is 90 days from the date the FAA's decision was received, or from the date the decision was due. There is no fee. The Commission has powers to direct disclosure of the information, impose a penalty of up to ₹25,000 on the PIO under Section 20 for unjustified denial or delay, and recommend disciplinary action against the officer responsible.
Disposal timelines at the Commission level are not statutorily fixed and vary widely — straightforward cases can close in 6–12 months, contested or backlog-heavy commissions take longer. A Second Appeal frames the issue narrowly, attaches the full RTI trail (original application, PIO response, First Appeal, FAA order), and asks for specific reliefs.
In Uttarakhand, Second Appeals against state public authorities are filed before the Uttarakhand Information Commission at RTI Bhawan, Ladpur, Dehradun-248008 (uic.uk.in). The Commission accepts appeals by post, in person, and through its online portal. Hearings are held at the Commission premises and most often require physical or video presence; the appellant may engage counsel or appear in person.
For central public authorities, the appeal goes to the Central Information Commission in New Delhi, filed through cic.gov.in. A Second Appeal is the last administrative remedy under the RTI Act — beyond it, the only further forum is a writ petition before the jurisdictional High Court.
NyaySetu Law's Second Appeal service drafts the appeal under Section 19(3) with grounds keyed to the FAA's failure or error, compiles the supporting record, and identifies the right Commission. You file the appeal at the Commission directly.