The Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, on receipt of a request under section 6 shall, as expeditiously as possible, and in any case within thirty days of the receipt of the request, either provide the information on payment of such fee as may be prescribed or reject the request for any of the reasons specified in sections 8 and 9:
Provided that where the information sought for concerns the life or liberty of a person, the same shall be provided within forty-eight hours of the receipt of the request.
If the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer fails to give decision on the request for information within the period specified, the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer shall be deemed to have refused the request.
Where a request has been rejected, the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer shall communicate to the person making the request the reasons for such rejection, the period within which an appeal against such rejection may be preferred, and the particulars of the appellate authority.
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 7
Section 7 of the Right to Information Act mandates strict statutory timelines for the disposal of information requests, establishing a general 30-day deadline, an expedited 48-hour deadline for life or liberty, and deemed refusal for defaults.
Furthermore, under sub-section (6), if the public authority fails to comply within the statutory timeline, the information must be provided completely free of charge.
The 48-hour 'life or liberty' provision in Section 7(1) is an extraordinary legal safeguard used in cases involving unlawful detention, medical emergencies in government hospitals, or custodial violations, requiring instant PIO action under threat of severe penal liability.