Assistant Public Information Officer (APIO)
Section 5(2), RTI Act 2005
An Assistant Public Information Officer (APIO) receives RTI applications and first appeals and forwards them to the correct PIO or appellate authority. An APIO does not decide your RTI — it is a receiving and forwarding point.
Under Section 5(2), public authorities also designate Assistant Public Information Officers, usually at the sub-divisional or sub-district level, to receive applications and appeals and pass them on to the right PIO or appellate authority.
For central public authorities, designated Post Offices act as Central APIOs (CAPIOs) — so you can hand in a central RTI at a CAPIO post office counter. Note that when you file through an APIO, the law adds 5 extra days to the 30-day limit (effectively 35 days), to allow for forwarding.
Key points
- Designated under Section 5(2) to receive and forward RTI applications/appeals.
- An APIO does not decide your request — the PIO does.
- Designated post offices act as Central APIOs for central RTIs.
- Filing through an APIO adds 5 days to the reply deadline (≈35 days).
Related RTI terms
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This is a plain-English summary of the Right to Information Act, 2005 for general understanding — educational, not legal advice. For a specific case, the exact wording of the Act and your facts matter.
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