Under the Right to Information (RT

• Under Section 5(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, every public authority is required to designate officers as Public Information Officers (PIOs) at various levels to receive requests for information and provide the required information to citizens. • In central government organizations, these officers are designated as Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs), while in the state government, they are known as State Public Information Officers (SPIOs). • The Assistant Public Information Officers (APIOs) assist in collecting information, but the primary responsibility of providing information lies with the PIO. • The Appellate Authority hears appeals if a request is not satisfactorily addressed but does not primarily provide information. • The Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) oversees the overall implementation of the Act but does not directly provide information to citizens.[RTI Act, Section 5(1)]