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+{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(section 5 rti act, designation pio deemed-cpio, rti india, rti act 2005)
+metatag-description=(Section 5 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 — Designation of Public Information Officers. Section 5 obliges every public authority to designate Central/State Public Information Officers (CPIOs/SPIOs) and Assistant PIOs within 100 days of commencement. Sub-sections 5(4) ...)}}
+====== Section 5 — Designation of Public Information Officers ======
+{{ :social:auto:act-section-5.png?direct&1200 |Section 5 of the RTI Act — Designation of Public Information Officers}}
+<WRAP center round info 95%>
+**In one line:** Section 5 obliges every public authority to designate Central/State Public Information Officers (CPIOs/SPIOs) and Assistant PIOs within 100 days of commencement. Sub-sections 5(4) and 5(5) create the 'deemed CPIO' doctrine — any officer whose assistance the PIO seeks becomes personally liable.
+</WRAP>
+===== Key points =====
+  * **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.
+===== Legislative history =====
+No amendments.
+===== Rulings and references =====
+  * **//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.
+===== Practical note =====
+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.
+===== Call to action =====
+For drafting RTIs or appeals engaging this section, use the [[:templates:first-rti|First RTI template]] or the [[:templates:first-appeal|First Appeal template]]. See [[:guide:applicant:application:how-fill-rti-application-form|How to fill an RTI application]] for structural help.
+===== Related =====
+  * [[act|Back to the full RTI Act]]
+  * [[act:section-6|Section 6 — Request for information]]
+  * [[act:section-7|Section 7 — Disposal]]
+  * [[act:section-8|Section 8 — Exemptions]]
+  * [[act:section-19|Section 19 — Appeals]]
+  * [[:explanations:deemed-cpio|Deemed CPIO — detailed explainer]]
+  * [[explanations|All explanations]]
+  * [[:important-decisions:start|Landmark RTI decisions]]
+===== Sources =====
+  - Right to Information Act, 2005, Section 5.
+  - RTI (Amendment) Act, 2019 (where applicable).
+  - DPDP Rules, 2025, notified 14 November 2025 (where applicable).
+  - Department of Personnel and Training, //Guide on the RTI Act, 2005//.
+//Last reviewed on: 21 April 2026//
+{{tag>rti act section-5 designation pio deemed-cpio 2026}}

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