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The working reference for India's Right to Information Act, 2005.

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guide:guidelines-for-public-information-officer [2023/04/15 11:37] – Shrawanguide:guidelines-for-public-information-officer [2026/04/20 01:46] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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 ====== Guidelines for Public Information Officer ====== ====== Guidelines for Public Information Officer ======
  
 +{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(guide guidelines for public information officer rti right to information india)
 +metatag-description=(The Right to Information Act, 2005 empowers citizens to get information from any 'public authority'.)}}
  
-===== Guide For The Central Public Information Officers ===== 
  
 +<WRAP center round didyouknow 95%>
 +**Did you know?** A PIO who refuses without reasons or delays beyond thirty days can be personally fined **Rs 250 per day, up to Rs 25,000** under Section 20. The penalty comes out of the officer's **own salary**, not the department's budget.
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +<WRAP center round info 95%>
 +**In one line.** A Public Information Officer must receive a Right to Information application, decide it within thirty days, and furnish information or record a reasoned refusal under one of the clauses of Section 8(1), Section 9, or Section 11 of the Right to Information Act.
 +
 +**What that means in practice.**
 +  * Timeline. Thirty days from the date of receipt of the application. Forty-eight hours where life or liberty is involved. Forty days where Section 11 third-party procedure is engaged.
 +  * File noting. Record on the file the item-wise decision, the clause relied on for any refusal, the Section 8(2) balancing where engaged, and the Section 10 severability consideration. A bare decision without reasoning is vulnerable on appeal.
 +  * Format. Disclose in the form requested where practicable, per Section 7(9). Do not ask the applicant why the information is needed. Section 6(2) bars this.
 +  * After 14 November 2025. Section 8(1)(j) is amended. The public interest override within clause (j) is removed. The override operates through Section 8(2). See [[blog:pio-reply-section-8-1-j-after-dpdp-2025|the practitioner note on the reply and the file noting]].
 +  * Penalty. Section 20 provides a mandatory penalty of two hundred and fifty rupees per day up to twenty-five thousand rupees on the Public Information Officer for malafide refusal, knowingly incorrect or misleading information, or obstruction.
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +
 +{{page>_snippets:dpdp-banner}}
 +
 +
 +===== Guide For The Central Public Information Officers =====
  
 The [[act:|Right to Information Act, 2005]] empowers citizens to get information from any 'public authority'. The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of a public authority plays a pivotal role in making the right of a citizen to information a reality. The Act casts specific duties on him and makes him liable for penalty in case of default. It is, therefore, essential for a CPIO to study the Act carefully and understand its provisions correctly. Following aspects should particularly be kept in view while dealing with the applications under the Act. The [[act:|Right to Information Act, 2005]] empowers citizens to get information from any 'public authority'. The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of a public authority plays a pivotal role in making the right of a citizen to information a reality. The Act casts specific duties on him and makes him liable for penalty in case of default. It is, therefore, essential for a CPIO to study the Act carefully and understand its provisions correctly. Following aspects should particularly be kept in view while dealing with the applications under the Act.
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 Downloads: Downloads:
  
-{{:important-decisions:cic-case-laws:dopt_om_format-for-giving-information-to-the-applicants-under-rti-act.pdf|DoPT Order on Format for giving information to the applicants under RTI Act}}+{{:important-decisions:cic-case-laws:dopt_om_format-for-giving-information-to-the-applicants-under-rti-act.pdf|%%DoPT%% Order on Format for giving information to the applicants under RTI Act}}
  
 ===== Guidelines View ===== ===== Guidelines View =====
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 {{indexmenu>:guide#3}} {{indexmenu>:guide#3}}
 [<>] [<>]
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 +<WRAP center round help 95%>
 +**New to RTI? File your first application in ten minutes.** See [[:file-rti-online-india|How to File RTI Online in India — 2026 Step-by-Step Guide]] with a ready-to-use English and Hindi template, the Rs 10 online fee flow, and the appeal path.
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +===== Related =====
 +
 +  * [[guide:applicant:first-appeal|First Appeal]].
 +  * [[guide:applicant:fundamental-facts|Fundamental Facts about RTI]].
 +  * [[guide:applicant:application:sample:rti-form-marathi|RTI Form in Marathi]].
 +  * [[guide:applicant:application:sample:start|RTI Application Forms]].
 +  * [[guide:applicant:application:information-free-of-cost|When to supply information free of Cost?]].
 +
 +{{tag>rti guide pio}}
 +
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guide/guidelines-for-public-information-officer.txt · Last modified: by 127.0.0.1