Is there any law to get my birth certificate copy by RTI. I have xerox of my birth certificate. Can you provide RTI sample for obtaining birth certificate copy?

Under the RTI Act, disclosure of information is a norm and refusal an exception. In other words, information cannot be denied under the RTI Act unless exempted from disclosure in accordance with Sections 8, 9 and 11 only. Section 22 as mentioned above leads the way to making the fundamental right to information a reality by enforcing it by simply invoking the provisions of the RTI Act.

So, you can get birth certificate by filing an RTI.

THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT 2005 APPLICATION FOR OBTAINING INFORMATION (Heading)

Date: ________

*By speed/regd. AD post *

*To, STATE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER *

Dept/Office________________________ Place______________________________

1. Name of the Applicant:

2. Full Address of the Applicant[with phone No.]:

3. Particulars of the information you required from the public authority:

4. Details of how you are going to pay the filing fees:

5. Details of enclosures:

6.After all the above mentioned details are given, write the following lines: ‘Please send the information to me by speed/registered post. I am an Indian citizen. Please reply in English.’

7. Also write: ‘Please also provide me file notings and ‘action taken’ report on this application along with your reply.’

Signature of the Applicant

Few of the state governments allow online searching and downloading of birth certificates. As you have not mentioned your State, I am listing down details of few of the State government websites.

• Kerala Civil Registration website

• Karnataka E-Janma Website

• Rajasthan Civil Registration Website

• Chhattisgarh E-district Website

• Andhra Pradesh Meeseva Website

• Delhi Municipal Corporation Website

• Himachal Pradesh E-district website

• Madhya Pradesh Nagar Palika website

• Uttarakhand E-district website

• Uttar Pradesh Urban Local Body

If you belong to any of these States, check the website of that particular State whether they allow search and download of birth certificate. For example, Government of Kerala allows searching of the birth records based on Date of Birth,Gender and Mother’s Name as shown below.

So even if you lose the birth certificate, you can search for it and download it, provided your State digitised the birth records.

If you have a xerox of original, then you can visit the registrar's office to get the original copy of your birth certificate. There is no need to file an RTI for it.