A Visit to Telangana State Information Commission in July 2025
A 3 member team from 1516 had the opportunity to visit the Telangana State Information Commission and talk to State Information Commissioner D Bhoopal. It was a fruitful experience.
On July 10th 2025, three of us from 1516 visited the Telangana State Information Commission (TSIC) in Hyderabad. Thanks to a personal connection—State Information Commissioner Mr. D. Bhoopal, who is acquainted with our team member Pawan Sripathi—we had a productive and insightful discussion that clarified numerous doubts about the RTI second appeal process.
Key Takeaways from Our Visit
Unlike the typical image of government offices, we found TSIC staff genuinely welcoming and supportive. We gained clear insights into several aspects of the RTI second appeal process, including:
- No specific format is required for filing a second appeal.
- No need for multiple copies to be sent separately to the PIO or FAA—a single submission suffices.You need to carry one main page xerox copy so that you can get an acknowledgment with stamp and sign from the Commission. I filed 2 second appeals for the first time today.
- You can also send a second appeal by Registered/SPEED Post.
- The process is simpler and more straightforward than commonly perceived.
- We acquired valuable internal contacts for future guidance, greatly boosting our confidence. It is surprising how few people are interested in getting the names of people who are working at a place. By just knowing the name, we can make a lot of headway into any task.
RTI System: Reality & Challenges
Addressing our concerns about the TSIC website’s functionality and second appeal filing process online, Commissioner Bhoopal informed us that it’s just the second month of operation since recent appointments, and improvements are underway.
He also candidly addressed a critical issue: many RTI activists misuse RTI, treating it as a weapon rather than as a tool for transparency. He noted:
"RTI is not a weapon to blackmail; it is a tool to empower citizens with rightful access to public information."
This perspective struck a chord. Typically, activists strongly emphasize the statutory 30-day response time under RTI.
However, the other side of the story is that government offices themselves face considerable pressure and resource constraints. They are often overburdened, dealing with multiple responsibilities. Thus, a surge of RTI requests can strain their already stretched capacity, leading to inefficiencies and delayed responses.
Some officials were summoned to come to Hyderabad from far flung places like Asifabad (Komaram Bheem District) which is about 5 hours from Hyderabad. If officials are spending their time travelling 5+5 hours up and down to deal with one appeal, how would they discharge their duties locally?
Rights & Civic Responsibility
While acknowledging these administrative challenges, there's another concerning reality: the lack of initiative among citizens. Most people I know would be happy to spend 2-3 hours a day watching TV or reels but would not want to step out of their house to get their job done at a place like the TSIC. Change demands proactive engagement. RTI isn’t magic; it's a legal right requiring responsible civic participation. But if you do it, you will be using the system to your advantage.
Structure of Telangana State Information Commission
For public knowledge, Telangana’s State Information Commission currently comprises:
- One Chief Information Commissioner (CIC)
- Five State Information Commissioners (SICs)
This structure ensures comprehensive oversight and efficient handling of RTI appeals.
Encouraging Proactive Use of RTI
I personally strongly encourage more people to actively use RTI platforms—whether it’s the Central government’s RTI portal for any Central Govt Agency, Telangana’s state RTI website for any agency that is onboarded in Telangana, or efficient third-party platforms like YouRTI—to seek rightful information from any authority across India for FREE.
Our visit reinforced one clear message: genuine progress in transparency and governance comes from informed, active citizens who responsibly exercise their rights. 1516 remains committed to facilitating this crucial civic engagement.
While we keep filing RTIs with various organisations to help students, if you file it yourself, you stand to gain a lot. If you need help, you can always reach out to someone on the 1516 team to get some help.
You do your bit and you expect the results. If you don't do your bit, asking for results is not the best way.
Authored by
Prithvi Raj Kunapareddi
Founder, 1516
