---
title: "Public Information Officer (PIO): RTI Role | Model Diplomat"
description: "A Public Information Officer (PIO) is the official who answers RTI requests under India's RTI Act 2005, with a 30-day deadline and personal penalties for delay."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/public-information-officer"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- A Public Information Officer is the designated official in an Indian public authority responsible for receiving citizens' requests under the Right to Information Act and supplying the requested information within stat…
- What is the deadline for a PIO to respond to an RTI request?
- What penalty can be imposed on a PIO for non-compliance?
- How does a PIO differ from the First Appellate Authority?
- What must a PIO do if the requested information is held by another authority?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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Example

In 2014 the Central Information Commission imposed the maximum penalty of ₹25,000 on a CPIO of a Union ministry for furnishing misleading information and delaying an RTI reply beyond the statutory thirty-day limit.

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