How to Identify the Correct PIO (Designation by Ministry)

Every public authority under the RTI Act, 2005 is required to designate a Public Information Officer (PIO) and to publish the PIO's name, designation, and contact details on its website under §4(1)(b). The simplest way to find the right PIO is the public authority's own website. The “RTI” or “Right to Information” tab usually carries the designation. If the website is unhelpful, the rtionline.gov.in dropdown lists 2,300+ Central PIOs by Ministry. For State bodies, the relevant State Information Commission's website lists the PIOs. A wrong-PIO application gets transferred under §6(3) within 5 days, but the safer route is to identify the right office before filing.

§5 of the RTI Act, 2005 sets the rule. Three parts matter:

1. §5(1). Every public authority must designate one or more Public Information Officers in all administrative units or offices under it, within 100 days of the Act coming into force or of the public authority being formed.
2. §5(2). Every public authority must also designate Assistant Public Information Officers (APIOs) at each sub-divisional level. For most citizens, the APIO is the local Post Office under the §5(2) scheme.
3. §5(4). The PIO is allowed to seek the assistance of any other officer for the proper discharge of the duty. The assisting officer is treated as a PIO for the limited purpose.

A public authority without a designated PIO is in breach of §5(1). The applicant addresses the application to the Head of the Office under the §5(2) proviso, and the Head is treated as the deemed PIO.

§4(1)(b)(xvi) requires every public authority to publish the names, designations, and other particulars of the Public Information Officers. The publication must be on the authority's website and in printed form at the office.

If the website does not list the PIO, the public authority is in breach of §4(1)(b). The CIC has held in repeated orders: this failure attracts a §20 penalty. Use this in your First Appeal when the PIO claims jurisdiction issues.

For Ministries, Departments, Central PSUs, and statutory bodies:

1. rtionline.gov.in dropdown. Open rtionline.gov.in → Submit Request → public-authority dropdown. 2,300+ entries. Search by keyword (“Education”, “Income Tax”, “Railway”, “RBI”, and similar).
2. The Ministry's own website. Each Ministry has an “RTI” page listed in the footer. For example, the Ministry of External Affairs lists its PIOs at mea.gov.in → RTI tab. The Income Tax Department lists at incometax.gov.in → RTI section.
3. Department of Personnel and Training. The DoPT at dopt.gov.in maintains an aggregate list of Central PIOs by Ministry and Department.
4. Central Information Commission. The CIC at cic.gov.in also publishes a directory under Public Authorities.

If the Ministry has multiple Departments, identify which Department holds the information. The Ministry of Education has two: School Education and Higher Education. The PIO for school records is different from the PIO for college records.

1. State RTI portal where one exists (Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Odisha). The portal carries a PIO dropdown similar to rtionline.gov.in.
2. State Information Commission's website. Every State Information Commission publishes the PIO list under §4 obligations. Search for “[State name] Information Commission” online.
3. State Government's own website. Most state secretariats list PIOs under the Right to Information tab.
4. District Collectorate's website. District-level information typically sits with the District Collector or the District Magistrate. The PIO is named on the District site.

For state public sector undertakings and corporations (electricity boards, transport corporations, housing boards), the PIO is usually the Company Secretary or the Vigilance Officer.

For Central Public Sector Undertakings (NTPC, BHEL, IOCL, ONGC, SBI, LIC, Air India, and similar):

• The PIO is usually the Company Secretary or a Senior Manager (RTI).
• The corporate website lists the PIO under the Investor Relations or Corporate Governance section, sometimes under RTI.
• For SBI and other banks, each Zonal Office has its own PIO. Identify the Zone first.
• For LIC and other insurers, the PIO is at the Divisional Office.

• Panchayats (Gram, Block, District): the Panchayat Secretary or the Block Development Officer (BDO) is the PIO.
• Municipal Corporations and Councils: the Commissioner or a designated Deputy Commissioner (RTI) is the PIO.
• Urban Local Bodies (ULBs): the Chief Officer or Executive Officer.
• Educational Institutions (Central Universities, IITs, IIMs, AIIMS): the Registrar is usually the PIO, or a designated PIO (Registrar's Office).

For information about a specific scheme (PMAY, MGNREGA, PFMS), the PIO is at the office implementing the scheme, not necessarily the Ministry designing it. PMAY-G implementation sits with the BDO; the Ministry of Rural Development holds policy records only.

§6(1) proviso: the PIO has a duty to assist the applicant. §5(2) proviso: where no PIO has been designated, address the application to the Head of the Office and the Head is treated as the deemed PIO.

Practical steps when the PIO is hard to find:

1. Address to “The Public Information Officer, [Department], [Address]”. A generic address is accepted under §6(1).
2. Use the Head of the Office as deemed PIO. Cite §5(2) proviso in the application.
3. Send a copy to the Department's Public Grievance Officer as a backup.
4. File at the Post Office under §5(2) scheme. The APIO at the Post Office forwards to the right PIO.

If the application is misrouted, the receiving authority is required under §6(3) to transfer it within 5 days to the right authority. The 30-day clock then runs from the date of receipt by the right authority.

§6(3): where an application is filed with a public authority other than the one holding the information, the receiving authority must transfer it within 5 days to the authority holding the information. The applicant must be informed of the transfer in writing.

In practice, many PIOs return the application instead of transferring. The CIC has held this is a procedural breach. If your application is returned with a “not held by this office” note, file a First Appeal citing the §6(3) transfer breach.

No. §5(1) requires designation in all administrative units or offices. Each Department, Directorate, Zone, or sub-office has its own PIO. The Ministry's central PIO usually handles policy records only.

No. §6(3) requires the receiving authority to transfer the application within 5 days to the right PIO. The 30-day reply clock runs from the date the right PIO receives the transferred application.

The Panchayat Secretary, with the Block Development Officer (BDO) as the FAA. For information about scheme implementation in the village (PMAY-G, MGNREGA wage rolls), file at the BDO's office for fast access.

Yes, under §5(2) proviso. Address the application to “The Head of the Office, [Department], [Address]” and cite the proviso. The Head is treated as the deemed PIO.

Open the PSU's corporate website and look for the RTI tab under Corporate Governance, Investor Relations, or sometimes Citizen Charter. The PIO is usually the Company Secretary or a Senior Manager (RTI).

Yes. The State Information Commission publishes the PIO directory under §4 obligations. Use the State Commission's website as the second lookup if the public authority's own site is unhelpful.

The CIC's directory at cic.gov.in covers Central bodies only. There is no nationwide directory covering Central and State PIOs together. Use the rtionline.gov.in dropdown for Centre and the State Commission's site for State.

• RTI Application Format 2026
• File an RTI online via rtionline.gov.in
• §11 third-party consultation explainer
• First Appeal Format with grounds checklist
• §5 of the RTI Act, PIO designation
• §6 of the RTI Act, request and transfer
• The RTI Playbook. The complete guide to filing RTI in 2026.

• The Right to Information Act, 2005. §5(1), §5(2), §5(4), §6(3), §4(1)(b)(xvi).
• Department of Personnel and Training. dopt.gov.in.
• RTI Online Portal. rtionline.gov.in.
• Central Information Commission. cic.gov.in.

Last reviewed: 28 May 2026, RTI Wiki editorial team.