Can a central government employee file an RTI against his own authority?

Under the Right to Information (RTI) Act in India, any citizen of India, including a central government employee, has the right to seek information from a public authority. The term "public authority" includes all government departments and agencies, including the one where the applicant is currently employed.

A central government employee can file an RTI application against their own authority to seek information, as long as the information sought is not exempted under the RTI Act. The RTI Act specifies certain exemptions, such as information that is classified as confidential, information that could harm national security, or personal information that is protected by privacy laws. If the information sought falls under any of these categories, the authority may refuse to disclose it.

To file an RTI application, the employee needs to submit an application in writing to the relevant authority. The application should clearly state the information sought and the reasons for seeking it. The application should also be accompanied by the prescribed fee, which varies depending on the nature of the information sought and the mode of payment.

Once the application is received, the authority has a maximum of 30 days to respond. If the information sought is not exempted under the Act, the authority is obligated to provide the information within this time period. If the information is exempted, the authority should explain the reasons for the exemption.

In summary, a central government employee has the right to file an RTI application against their own authority to seek information, subject to the provisions of the RTI Act. If the information sought is not exempted, the authority is obligated to provide it within a specified time period.