Key Details
The new portal modernises the system used to process second appeals and complaints under the Right to Information Act, 2005. Its main change is to bring applicants and public authorities into a common, account-based case-management system.
User | What AppCoMS 2.0 Provides |
|---|---|
RTI applicants | Online filing through verified accounts linked to a mobile number and email address |
Appellants and complainants | Case timelines, documents, hearing notices and downloadable decisions or orders |
Public authorities | Accounts for Central Public Information Officers to view cases and submit documents |
CIC | Digitally signed notices and orders, stronger security and streamlined case processing |
RTI Cases Can Be Managed Through One Account
The Central Information Commission introduced the original Appeal and Complaint Management System in 2016. AppCoMS 2.0, launched on 17 August 2026, upgrades this infrastructure with individual user accounts and expanded case-access facilities.
Citizens can file cases, follow their progress and retrieve documents without repeatedly approaching the Commission. CPIOs can respond and upload case material through the same system, potentially reducing dependence on physical correspondence and fragmented submissions.
Decisions issued from 1 August during the transition period—and initially dispatched by post—will be uploaded to the upgraded portal in the coming days.
The Upgrade Changes Access, Not RTI Rights
AppCoMS 2.0 is an administrative and technological reform. It does not alter:
the information citizens may seek;
the grounds on which information can be withheld;
the statutory appeal structure;
the CIC’s adjudicatory powers; or
the legal time limits governing initial RTI applications and first appeals.
Nor does the announcement specify new targets for registration, hearing or disposal of cases. The portal’s impact will therefore depend on system reliability, timely document uploads and whether better workflows reduce delays in practice.
What Is a Second Appeal?
When an applicant is dissatisfied with the decision on a first appeal made within a central public authority, a second appeal may be filed before the CIC. A complaint may be filed in circumstances such as refusal to accept an RTI request, absence of an information officer or denial of access to the application process. The two routes have different legal purposes even though both can now be managed through AppCoMS 2.0.
Policy Relevance
Digital case visibility can improve procedural transparency by allowing applicants to see notices, documents, timelines and final orders in one place.
Common access for applicants and CPIOs may reduce administrative friction, particularly in exchanging submissions before hearings.
Accessibility beyond digital users remains important. Offline filing and assistance channels should continue for citizens with limited connectivity or digital literacy.
Performance data will determine the reform’s value. The CIC could report portal uptime, filing defects, registration time, disposal time and user grievances.
Digitisation should support — not substitute for — timely adjudication. A better interface will have limited effect if case pendency and staffing constraints remain unaddressed.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: Will AppCoMS 2.0 measurably reduce the time and procedural effort required to pursue an RTI appeal or complaint before the CIC?
Follow the Full Update Here: CIC Launches Upgraded Second Appeals and Complaints Portal