How to file RTI for PAN card in Mizoram

This page is the Mizoram-specific companion to the parent guide RTI for PAN card status. The parent page carries the full template, decision tree and case law; this page focuses only on what is different for a resident of Mizoram — which office, which portal, which fee mode, and which appellate body. Read both together. If you want to draft the application right now, jump to the AI RTI Drafter.

The single most important correction from older notes floating online: PAN is a Central subject, so even though you live in Mizoram, your second appeal goes to the CIC in New Delhi, not to the Mizoram Information Commission. Filing the second appeal at the wrong commission is the commonest avoidable delay for North-East applicants.

The Permanent Account Number is allotted under §139A of the Income-tax Act, 1961, and the Income Tax Department is part of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. The official CBDT portal states verbatim that it is “the official website of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.” The two agencies that physically accept and process the application on CBDT's behalf — NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited (now Protean) and UTI Infrastructure Technology And Services Limited (UTIITSL) — are also Central-government-appointed intermediaries, not State agencies.

Because every public authority in the PAN chain is Central, the Right to Information Act, 2005 routes your application through the Central machinery:

1. The designated officer is the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of CBDT, not a State PIO.
2. The applicable fee rules are the Central RTI Rules (Rs 10), not the Mizoram State fee schedule.
3. The online filing portal is rtionline.gov.in, run by the DoPT for Central public authorities.
4. The Second Appeal lies before the Central Information Commission (CIC) under §19(3).

This is also confirmed by the rtionline.gov.in portal itself, which states that RTI applications filed there are accepted “for all Ministries/Departments and other Public Authorities of Central Government,” and explicitly warns that “applications for the public authorities under the State Governments … would be returned, without refund of amount.” So a Mizoram resident can and should use rtionline.gov.in for PAN matters (Central), but must not use it for genuinely State subjects like a Mizoram PWD file or a Mizoram school matter. For those, see State portals directory and all RTI schemes for Mizoram.

A quick self-check before you file: if your complaint is about PAN allotment, a PAN correction that did not reflect, a PAN card not delivered, an e-PAN download that failed, Aadhaar-PAN linking, or NSDL/UTIITSL processing delay, you are in the Central lane and this page applies. If your complaint is about a Mizoram State service, switch to the relevant PAN-card state index entry or the Mizoram schemes hub.

You have three reachable layers in the PAN chain. Address the layer whose action you actually need.

1. Layer 1 — The processor (NSDL e-Gov / Protean or UTIITSL). This is where the day-to-day delay usually sits. NSDL e-Gov's TIN Call Center is at 4th Floor, Mantri Sterling, Plot No. 341, Survey No. 997/8, Model Colony, Near Deep Bungalow Chowk, Pune – 411 016, telephone 020-27218080 (operating 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Monday to Sunday) and fax 020-27218081, as published on tin-nsdl.com. UTIITSL runs its own PAN portal at utiitsl.com. Note: NSDL e-Gov and UTIITSL are agencies of CBDT, so an RTI addressed to them is, in law, an RTI to CBDT through its designated CPIO — name the CPIO, CBDT as the addressee and mention the processor in the body.
2. Layer 2 — CBDT CPIO (Income Tax Department). This is the legal recipient for a §6(1) RTI application about PAN. For an applicant in Mizoram, the practical route is the online portal (which auto-routes) or Speed Post to the CPIO, CBDT, with the application referencing your 15-digit acknowledgement number and the processor used. The Income Tax Department's central webmaster is at Room No. 9002, Aayakar Bhawan, Vaishali, Ghaziabad, U.P. (per incometaxindia.gov.in); for the Mizoram field office, look it up on the CBDT portal's Field Offices → Mizoram page and cite that address on the envelope if you prefer a postal filing close to home.
3. Layer 3 — First Appellate Authority (FAA), CBDT. One rung above the CPIO; the FAA is named in the CPIO's reply (or on the suo motu §4 disclosure of the public authority). You address the First Appeal to the FAA, not back to the CPIO.

A practical rule: name the highest officer you can identify, but route through the cheapest channel. Online filing on rtionline.gov.in is cheapest (Rs 10, no postage, no IPO) and auto-routes to the correct CPIO — use it whenever you can. Use the PIO Reply Checker once a reply lands, to grade whether it actually answers your five questions.

Because PAN is Central, the Central RTI Rules set the fee, not the Mizoram State schedule.

A few Mizoram-specific notes that trip people up:

1. Do not affix a Mizoram State court-fee stamp and assume it is enough. For a Central PA, the Rs 10 IPO payable to the CPIO, CBDT is the safe default; the online portal sidesteps the question entirely.
2. BPL exemption is real and Central, but you must attach a self-attested copy of the BPL card. The Aizawl Treasury and the sub-divisional treasuries at Lunglei, Saiha, Kolasib, Champhai and Mamit can issue the certificate if your name is on the list.
3. For Below Poverty Line applicants there is no fee at all as long as the application is for information about your own PAN and you attach the BPL proof. This exemption is set by the Central RTI Rules and applies in every state including Mizoram.
4. Keep the receipt. The Speed Post acknowledgment number (or the rtionline registration number) is what you will quote in the First Appeal — without it you cannot prove the 30-day clock started. The RTI Timeline Calculator will compute the deadlines from that date for you.

For the full fee schedule across states (useful when comparing with how your friends in other states file), see RTI fees by state.

Yes, and for PAN you should usually prefer online. The rtionline.gov.in portal run by the Department of Personnel & Training accepts RTI requests and First Appeals for Central public authorities — and CBDT is Central. Payment is by UPI, debit/credit card or net banking, and the registration number you get on submission is legally equivalent to a Speed Post receipt.

What the portal does not accept, and you should not try to use it for, is any application concerning a State public authority. The portal's own notice makes this explicit: applications for State-government public authorities “would be returned, without refund of amount.” So:

1. Use rtionline.gov.in for: PAN status, PAN correction status, e-PAN, Aadhaar-PAN linking, NSDL/UTIITSL processing, TDS/TCS, refund status — anything CBDT/Income Tax.
2. Do NOT use rtionline.gov.in for: Mizoram Police, Mizoram PWD, Mizoram school leaving certificate, Mizoram land records, Mizoram health department — those are State subjects. For State matters, the directory at State portals directory lists the right route.

The portal also integrates with the Central Information Commission for Second Appeals, which means the registration numbers from your Request and First Appeal are auto-pulled when you escalate — a small but real advantage for a North-East applicant who otherwise has to courier paper to New Delhi twice.

If you live in a remote location in Mizoram where the internet is patchy — say a village in Lawngtlai or Siaha — you can still file online from the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC); the VLE (Village Level Entrepreneur) can submit on your behalf using your Aadhaar for the Rs 10 payment. Carry a print of your PAN acknowledgement.

A PAN-status RTI is only as strong as the specific questions inside it. Vague (“why is my PAN delayed?”) applications invite vague replies. Use the five-question structure from the parent PAN card RTI guide and adapt the blanks to your Mizoram filing. The full sample, ready to copy, is further down this page.

The five questions every PAN RTI should contain:

1. Q1 — Status today: the daily status of application no. _ (15-digit acknowledgement) as recorded in the NSDL/UTIITSL system, with the date the file last moved.
2. Q2 — Reason for hold/discrepancy: if the application is on hold, marked for discrepancy, or sent back, the exact reason and the exact document/action required to clear it.
3. Q3 — Name and designation of the officer handling the file at this moment, with the office address.
4. Q4 — Action-taken timeline: the date by which the PAN/e-PAN/printed card will be dispatched, and the courier/India Post tracking number once dispatched.
5. Q5 — Certified copies: a certified copy of the complete file notings, the verification report from the Income Tax Department, and the dispatch register entry for the application.

These five together force the CPIO to either (a) give you the information or (b) refuse it in writing under a specific exemption of §8/§9 — which is itself appealable. If you want a structured draft, the AI RTI Drafter produces a Mizoram/CBDT-tuned version in under two minutes.

The moment your application (or your online submission) is received by the public authority, the 30-day clock under §7(1) starts. Three things to internalise:

Two practical reminders for Mizoram filers. First, postal transit time from Aizawl to a North-Indian addressee can eat 4–7 days; the clock starts on receipt, not dispatch, so always allow a margin or simply use rtionline.gov.in where receipt is instantaneous. Second, if the CPIO claims life-or-liberty under §7(1) proviso (48 hours), that almost never applies to a PAN matter — treat any such claim with suspicion and read the RTI Act text of §7(1) before accepting it. Use the RTI Timeline Calculator to lock the exact dates.

If Day 30 passes with no reply, or the reply is evasive (“your application is under process, please wait” with no dates, no officer name, no documents), you have two parallel escalation tracks.

Track 1 — Statutory appeal (the strong one):

1. First Appeal under §19(1), within 30 days of the CPIO's reply (or, if no reply, within 30 days of the day the reply was due). Address it to the First Appellate Authority named by CBDT; on rtionline.gov.in you file it through the Submit First Appeal option using your original registration number. No extra fee.
2. Second Appeal under §19(3), within 90 days of the FAA order, to the Central Information Commission (CIC). The CIC's portal integrates with rtionline.gov.in, so your Request and First Appeal numbers auto-populate. You can also file by post.

The First Appeal Drafter and the Awaaz RTI helper cover the wording. For the legal scaffolding, read how to file a First Appeal and how to file a Second Appeal.

Track 2 — Parallel pressure (the fast one):

1. CPGRAMS (pgportal.gov.in) — file a grievance against the Income Tax Department / NSDL / UTIITSL under “Non-receipt of PAN card.” CPGRAMS is fast (often a callback within a week) and is read by the same CBDT machinery.
2. Aaykar Sampark Kendra (ASK) at 1800-180-1961 or 1961 — the Income Tax helpline; quote your 15-digit PAN acknowledgement and ask them to flag the file.
3. TIN Call Center at 020-27218080 for the processor's view of the hold.

Parallel pressure does not replace the statutory appeal — it just keeps the file warm while the appeal runs. Decide your move with the PIO Reply Checker, which scores the reply and tells you whether you have enough to win an appeal.

This is the single most important Mizoram-specific correction on this page, and the place where older templated notes have been wrong.

Because PAN is administered by the CBDT — a Central public authority — your Second Appeal under §19(3) goes to the Central Information Commission (CIC), whose portal is cic.gov.in. It does not go to the Mizoram Information Commission. The State Commission only hears second appeals against State public authorities (Mizoram Police, Mizoram PWD, Mizoram Education Department, and so on).

How to tell you are filing at the right place:

If you have already filed the Second Appeal at the Mizoram Information Commission by mistake, do not panic — withdraw and re-file at the CIC. The §19(3) 90-day limit runs from the FAA order, and a courteously-worded withdrawal-and-refiling letter usually preserves your date. For the full appeals architecture, see the Second Appeal guide and RTI case law.

1. Filing at the Mizoram SIC for a PAN matter. PAN is Central; the second appeal belongs at the CIC. (See the table above.)
2. Affixing a State court-fee stamp instead of the Rs 10 IPO to “CPIO, CBDT”. For Central PAs use the Central fee mode — or, simplest, file online at rtionline.gov.in.
3. Addressing NSDL/UTIITSL as if they were the public authority. They are agencies of CBDT; the legal addressee is the CPIO, CBDT.
4. Asking “why is my PAN delayed?” — a question that invites “it is under process” as the answer. Use the five-question structure instead.
5. Forgetting the acknowledgement number. Without the 15-digit acknowledgement, the CPIO cannot pull your file and will ask for it, costing you a round-trip.
6. Posting without an acknowledgment due. A plain registered post is hard to track; Speed Post with AD gives you the receipt that proves the 30-day clock.
7. Skipping CPGRAMS. Even when the appeal is the real weapon, a parallel CPGRAMS grievance often shakes the file loose in days.
8. Mis-reading the 48-hour life-or-liberty rule. §7(1) proviso almost never applies to PAN; do not let the CPIO use it to dodge the normal 30-day window.
9. Ignoring the e-PAN route. If you only need the number for a bank or employer, the e-PAN download (NSDL/UTIITSL) is faster than fighting for the physical card — RTI becomes the backstop, not the first move.

For the wider checklist, see the parent RTI for PAN card status guide and how to file RTI.

The following is a composite, illustrative case assembled from common Mizoram filing patterns; the figures are representative, not a quoted record of any one applicant.

R., a small trader in Aizawl, applied for a correction to his PAN (father's name spelling) through NSDL e-Gov on 12 February, paying the Rs 107 correction fee online and getting acknowledgement 8810XXXXXXXXXX999. The status sat at “Under verification at Income Tax Department” for 52 days. After two calls to the TIN Call Center (020-27218080) returned only “please wait”, R. filed an RTI on rtionline.gov.in on 5 April, addressed to the CPIO, CBDT, using the five-question structure and quoting the 15-digit acknowledgement. Rs 10 paid by UPI.

On Day 4 of the RTI clock, the file moved; on Day 11, the CPIO replied that the application had been held for a demographic mismatch between the Aadhaar and the PAN record, and that biometric authentication at a designated PAN centre was needed. The reply also named the verifying officer and gave a 15-day clearance window. R. completed the biometric step at the nearest TIN Facilitation Centre, and the corrected e-PAN was generated within the next 10 days. The total elapsed time from RTI to delivery: about 21 days, against 52 days of prior silence.

The lesson is the one this whole page turns on: once a specific RTI with specific questions lands on the CPIO's desk, the file moves. The Mizoram geography did not slow the legal clock — only the postal transit, which rtionline.gov.in removes entirely.

(If you want your case reviewed for appeal readiness, the PIO Reply Checker will grade any CBDT reply against the five-question standard.)

Copy the block below into a clean sheet, replace every [bracketed] field with your own details, and file either at rtionline.gov.in (paste the body into the “Text of RTI Application” box) or print and Speed Post to the CPIO, CBDT with a Rs 10 IPO. Do not change the section citations.

To the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO),
Central Board of Direct Taxes / Income Tax Department,
[insert address from incometaxindia.gov.in Field Offices > Mizoram,
 or simply file online at https://rtionline.gov.in/ ]

Subject: Application under §6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 —
status of PAN application/correction no. [15-digit acknowledgement],
filed through [NSDL e-Gov / UTIITSL] on [DD/MM/YYYY].

Sir/Madam,

I, [full name], son/daughter of [father's name],
resident of [full address, Mizoram, PIN], holder of Aadhaar
[xxxx-xxxx-xxxx] and provisional PAN [if known], had applied for
[New PAN / Correction / Reprint / e-PAN download] on [DD/MM/YYYY]
through [NSDL e-Gov / UTIITSL], acknowledgement no.
[15-digit number], paying Rs [amount] online. The application has
remained pending beyond the normal service timeline and I seek the
following information under §6(1) and §7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005:

1. The current status of application no. [acknowledgement] as
   recorded in the CBDT/NSDL/UTIITSL system, with the date the file
   last moved and the stage it is at present.

2. If the application is on hold, marked for discrepancy, or returned,
   the exact reason for the hold and the exact document or action
   required from me to clear it.

3. The name, designation and office address of the officer currently
   handling my file at the Income Tax Department / NSDL / UTIITSL.

4. The date by which my PAN / e-PAN / printed PAN card will be
   dispatched, and the courier or India Post tracking number once
   dispatched.

5. A certified copy of the complete file notings, the verification
   report from the Income Tax Department, and the relevant dispatch
   register entry for my application.

I state that the information sought is not falling under the exemptions
in §8 or §9 of the RTI Act, 2005, to the best of my knowledge. I am a
citizen of India. The requisite fee of Rs 10 is paid herewith
[IPO no. ___ / online receipt no. ___ / BPL certificate attached].

If the information is denied, kindly cite the specific subsection of
§8/§9 under which each part is refused, with reasons, as required by
§7(8) of the Act.

Place: [Aizawl / Lunglei / Serchhip / your town, Mizoram]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]

[Signature]
[Name]
[Address, Mizoram]
[Mobile] [Email]

Once you get the reply, run it through the PIO Reply Checker and, if it scores poorly, move straight to the First Appeal Drafter. The Awaaz RTI helper can also draft the appeal and the CPGRAMS grievance in one pass.

No. PAN is allotted by the CBDT, a Central public authority. Mizoram State offices (DC office, SDO office, BDO office) are not the custodian of your PAN file and cannot be made the addressee for a §6(1) application about it. File at the CBDT CPIO, ideally through rtionline.gov.in. The Mizoram offices remain useful only as Common Service Centres that can submit the online RTI on your behalf.

No. Because the public authority is Central, the Central RTI Rules apply: Rs 10 per application, payable online (UPI/card/net banking) or by Rs 10 IPO favouring “CPIO, CBDT.” BPL applicants file free on proof. The Mizoram State fee schedule does not govern this application. See RTI fees by state for comparison.

Both work. rtionline.gov.in is faster, cheaper (no IPO, no postage) and auto-routes to the right CPIO; the registration number is a legal receipt. Speed Post with acknowledgment due is the paper alternative and is useful when you want a court-admissible trail or when the internet is unreliable. Carry your acknowledgement number in either case.

==== What if the CPIO says my application is “under process” and gives no dates? ==⇒ That is an evasive reply and it scores poorly on the PIO Reply Checker. File a First Appeal under §19(1) within 30 days, arguing that “under process” is not information within the meaning of §2(f) and §7(1). The FAA will usually direct the CPIO to give you the status, the reason for the hold, the officer's name and the dispatch date.

CIC — the Central Information Commission at cic.gov.in. PAN is Central. The Mizoram Information Commission hears only State matters. Filing at the wrong commission is the commonest avoidable delay for Mizoram applicants; see the table in the “Where does the Second Appeal go” section.

==== Is the 15-day CBDT grievance SLA binding? ==⇒ CBDT publishes a Citizen's Charter that commits to grievance redressal timelines, but the legally binding clock for your RTI is the 30-day window under §7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005. Use the Citizen's Charter timelines as friendly pressure when you call ASK (1800-180-1961) or the TIN Call Center (020-27218080); use §7(1) when you file the appeal.

==== Can I ask for the PAN of another person? ==⇒ No. A PAN is personal information and is exempt under §8(1)(j) of the RTI Act unless you can show a larger public interest that the CPIO is bound to weigh. Asking for someone else's PAN will be refused, correctly. For your own PAN, use the e-PAN download on NSDL/UTIITSL, or the “Know Your PAN” tool on incometaxindia.gov.in.

==== I applied through UTIITSL, not NSDL — does anything change? ==⇒ Only the acknowledgement number format and the call-center number. UTIITSL is the other agency appointed by CBDT; the legal recipient of your RTI is still the CPIO, CBDT. Mention UTIITSL and your UTIITSL acknowledgement in the body, but address the application to the CBDT CPIO.

==== What if I lost my PAN acknowledgement number? ==⇒ Contact the Aaykar Sampark Kendra at 1800-180-1961 / 1961 (the Income Tax helpline) with your Aadhaar and date of birth; they can usually recover the PAN. The TIN Call Center at 020-27218080 can also help trace an NSDL-filed application. Once you have the number, file the RTI normally.

==== Can a BPL applicant in Mizoram file for free? ==⇒ Yes. Attach a self-attested copy of your BPL card and the Rs 10 fee is waived under the Central RTI Rules. This works from any district of Mizoram — Aizawl, Lunglei, Saiha, Champhai, Kolasib, Serchhip, Mamit, Lawngtlai or Siaha — as long as the BPL certificate is valid.

==== Do I need a lawyer to file the First or Second Appeal? ==⇒ No. RTI appeals are designed to be filed by citizens without legal representation. The First Appeal Drafter and the Awaaz RTI helper produce the wording; the CIC accepts self-drafted appeals filed online.

==== How long does the CIC take to decide a Second Appeal? ==⇒ The CIC does not commit to a fixed disposal period in the Act; in practice a PAN-related second appeal is typically listed within a few months of filing. You can monitor the listing on cic.gov.in using your appeal number. The statutory limit for filing the Second Appeal — 90 days from the FAA order — is the hard deadline you must not miss.

==== Is this page about a Mizoram State scheme? ==⇒ No, and that is the point. This page exists because so many Mizoram residents assume PAN has a Mizoram-State route and waste weeks looking for one. PAN is Central; this page clarifies the routing, the fee, the portal and the appellate body so you file once, correctly. For genuinely Mizoram-State schemes (land, police, education, health, social welfare), start at all RTI schemes for Mizoram and State portals directory.

• Income Tax Department / CBDT — Contact Us — confirms CBDT, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, is the public authority for PAN; Aaykar Sampark Kendra 1800-180-1961 / 1961; webmaster at Aayakar Bhawan, Vaishali, Ghaziabad.
• NSDL e-Gov (Protean) — TIN portal — confirms NSDL e-Gov and UTIITSL as the only two CBDT-appointed PAN processors; TIN Call Center at 4th Floor, Mantri Sterling, Plot No. 341, Survey No. 997/8, Model Colony, Pune 411 016; 020-27218080 (9 AM–9 PM, Mon–Sun); fax 020-27218081; Form 49A (Indian citizens) and 49AA (foreign citizens); reprint PAN fee Rs 50 (Indian address) / Rs 959 (foreign address).
• UTIITSL — PAN portal — co-authorized PAN processor.
• rtionline.gov.in — DoPT portal for Central public authorities; confirms Rs 10 fee, UPI/card/net-banking payment, and that State-government applications are “returned, without refund”; CIC Second Appeal integration.
• Central Information Commission — the correct Second Appeal body for any PAN (Central) matter from Mizoram.
• Right to Information Act, 2005 — §§2(f), 4, 6(1), 7(1), 7(8), 8(1)(j), 19(1), 19(3). Full text on the RTI Act page.

Related reading on this wiki:

• RTI for PAN card status — the parent guide (template, decision tree, case law).
• RTI for PAN card status across all states.
• All RTI schemes for Mizoram.
• State portals directory.
• RTI fees by state.
• How to file a First Appeal and how to file a Second Appeal.
• How to file RTI, RTI by post, track your RTI.
• RTI case law and Right to Information overview.

Last reviewed: 18 July 2026.