NRIs holding valid Indian passports qualify as citizens under RTI
Here's some good news for Indians living overseas: if you're a nonresident Indian (NRI) with a valid Indian passport, you count as a "citizen" under India's Right to Information (RTI) Act.
That means you can officially request information from the Indian government, just like residents back home.
But heads up, this doesn't apply to Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) or Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs).
US NRIs pushed 2010 RTI rule
This rule has actually been in place since 2010, after NRIs in the US pushed for more ways to stay involved in Indian governance.
The Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs backed the move, but made it clear that only full-fledged NRIs with Indian passports get this right.
Even filing RTI requests from abroad has gotten easier since then, making it simpler for NRIs to stay connected and informed.