• 5(1) — every public authority to designate CPIOs within 100 days of enactment.
• 5(2) — APIOs at sub-divisional level to receive applications and forward.
• 5(3) — CPIO shall deal with requests and assist applicants.
• 5(4) — CPIO may seek assistance of any other officer.
• 5(5) — Any officer whose assistance has been sought shall be 'deemed to be a CPIO' for the purposes of any contravention of the Act.

No amendments.

• CIC F.No.CIC/OK/A/2006/00163 — deemed CPIO personally liable for delays.
• Anjali Bhardwaj v. UoI, (2020) 11 SCC 345 — supervisory duty of Commissions extends to ensuring proper designation under 5(1).
• DoPT Circular F.No.1/8/2007-IR — Section 5(5) liability.

The deemed-CPIO rule is the counter to 'file is with another officer' refusals. Always ask for the file movement register to identify who actually held your file; that officer becomes the Section 5(5) deemed CPIO and is the target for Section 20 penalty.

For drafting RTIs or appeals engaging this section, use the First RTI template or the First Appeal template. See How to fill an RTI application for structural help.

• Back to the full RTI Act
• Section 6 — Request for information
• Section 7 — Disposal
• Section 8 — Exemptions
• Section 19 — Appeals
• Deemed CPIO — detailed explainer
• All explanations
• Landmark RTI decisions

1. Right to Information Act, 2005, Section 5.
2. RTI (Amendment) Act, 2019 (where applicable).
3. DPDP Rules, 2025, notified 14 November 2025 (where applicable).
4. Department of Personnel and Training, Guide on the RTI Act, 2005.

Last reviewed on: 21 April 2026