Under the RTI Act, the first appeal must generally be filed within what period from the expiry of the prescribed time or receipt of the decision?

Under Section 19 of the Right to Information Act, the first appeal to the First Appellate Authority must be filed within thirty days from the expiry of the period prescribed for providing the information or from the receipt of the decision of the Public Information Officer. The appellate authority may admit the appeal after this period if satisfied that there was sufficient cause for the delay. This time limit ensures that appeals are pursued promptly while allowing some flexibility for genuine delays.