Finance Ministry Clarifies CPIO Appointment Under RTI Act: ASOs and Non-Officials Cannot Be Designated

Finance Ministry Clarifies CPIO Appointment Under RTI Act: ASOs and Non-Officials Cannot Be Designated

NEW DELHI: Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, has issued an important clarification regarding the designation of Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.

In an Office Memorandum dated 12 May 2026, the department clarified that Assistant Section Officers (ASOs) and non-official personnel such as Young Associates should not be appointed as CPIOs.

The clarification came after the RTI Desk reportedly received multiple requests seeking appointment of junior officials and even non-official staff as CPIOs.

According to the Ministry, the RTI Act places a significant responsibility on the CPIO. The officer must decide what information can legally be disclosed and what cannot. Since any information released under RTI is treated as information officially coming from the government, the role carries high accountability.

The CPIO also acts as the department’s official representative before the Central Information Commission (CIC) during second appeals and is responsible for implementing CIC directions.

The Office Memorandum noted that while the RTI Act and its rules do not specify the rank of officers eligible to be designated as CPIOs, administrative guidance can be taken from the Manual of Office Procedure (MoP) issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), along with established practices across ministries.

As per existing practice, officers of the rank of Under Secretary and above are generally designated as CPIOs in Central Government ministries and departments.

The Ministry stated that appointing responsible senior officers ensures that decisions involving public disclosure are made at an appropriate level, balancing transparency with protection of sensitive information.

In short:

• ASOs cannot be designated as CPIOs
• Non-official personnel cannot be appointed as CPIOs
• Under Secretary level officers are generally preferred
• Clarification issued by Ministry of Finance on 12 May 2026
• RTI Act does not explicitly mention officer rank for CPIO appointment

This clarification may be important for government departments, public sector organizations, and RTI administration across ministries.