Times of India: Saturday, November 8, 2025.
On Aug 1, Morbi resident Chirag Mohan Chavda's RTI application seeking information about the implementation of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram was rejected by the Morbi district panchayat's health branch, citing the 12 RTI per year ‘limit' on applications. The reply quoted a March 12 directive of the Gujarat State Information Commission (GSIC).
The letter from the district health officer read, "As per the order, only 12 RTI applications can be filed in a calendar year and each may contain up to five queries." Ahmedabad-based RTI activist Pankti Jog said she has documented at least 30 similar cases. "Even though the commission says these orders are case-specific, many public information officers are misinterpreting them," Jog told TOI. "They are now asking every applicant to file an undertaking on oath. This practice has been continuing for nearly one and a half years." Chavda, who works for the welfare of silicosis patients, said that the decision came as a surprise. "There is no provision to reject an RTI application on such grounds," he told TOI.
The experience of Chavda mirrors the case of autorickshaw driver Raju Odedara from Anand. He had filed an RTI application on Aug 22 with the district education officer asking why a dilapidated school building — declared dangerous — was still in use. But on Oct 8, his application was voided on the grounds that he had failed to provide an undertaking promising that he would not file more than 12 applications in a year. While there is no overarching law on limits, in some cases, the GSIC has justified the restrictions by citing cases of ‘excessive' RTI use.
In Surendranagar's Wadhwan, Nanji Jitia, a Below the Poverty Line cardholder, was told in Jan that he could not file more than 12 RTI applications in a calendar year. Between 2016 and 2025, Jitia filed 448 RTI applications, many of which sought information already available on govt websites. The commission, led by chief information commissioner Subhash Soni, observed that Jitia's repeated filings were consuming "disproportionate public resources". The order restricted him to 12 applications per year, each covering a maximum of two subjects and five specific questions.
It added, "The RTI Act is meant to promote transparency, not to overwhelm the system," and invoked Supreme Court rulings that warned against the misuse of the law to harass public servants. In Surat, a more extensive case unfolded involving a Brahmbhatt family, which collectively filed 2,741 RTI applications and appeals between 2009 and 2025. Mahendrasinh Amrutlal Brahmbhatt, Jaswantsinh Amrutlal Brahmbhatt, and Harsh Dineshkumar Brahmbhatt were found to have repeatedly sought overlapping information from various departments, often leading to administrative delays. Records show that Mahendra filed nine appeals in 2023-24, Jaswant filed five in 2024, and Harsh filed seven in 2023.
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