Who should Central Government employees file RTI with for GPF queries?

GPF accounts for Central Government employees are maintained by their Pay and Accounts Office (PAO). File the RTI with the CPIO of the PAO that maintains your GPF account. Your GPF account number includes the PAO code — your DDO (Drawing and Disbursing Officer) or the salary slip can help you identify the PAO. If you are unsure, file with the Principal Accounts Officer of your parent ministry.

What is NPS and who administers it for Central Government employees?

The National Pension System (NPS) covers Central Government employees who joined service on or after January 1, 2004. NPS accounts are managed by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) through Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRAs) — currently KFintech (formerly Karvy). For NPS account discrepancies, file an RTI with the CPIO of the PAO or the PFRDA. PFRDA is a statutory regulator under the PFRDA Act, 2013 and is a public authority under the RTI Act.

My pension has not been revised after the latest Pay Commission revision. Can RTI help?

Yes. File an RTI with the CPIO of the Principal Accounts Office (PrAO) or the pension disbursing bank asking for the basis of your current pension fixation, whether the revision per the applicable Pay Commission notification has been processed, and if not, the reason for the delay. Pension revisions for Central Government pensioners are governed by notifications issued by the Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

Can a family pensioner file RTI to get information about the pensioner's service record?

A family pensioner (spouse or dependent receiving family pension under CCS Pension Rules, 2021 or the earlier CCS Pension Rules, 1972) can file RTI asking for information about the family pension calculation, the qualifying service of the original government servant (relevant for computing family pension), and any arrears pending. Personal service details of the deceased employee relevant to pension entitlement are not exempt under Section 8(1)(j) because they directly affect a public service (pension payment).

Home/Guides/How to File RTI for GPF, NPS, and Pension — Central Government Employees

Central Government

How to File RTI for GPF, NPS, and Pension — Central Government Employees

Q: What if the PAO or Ministry does not respond within 30 days?

File a First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) — typically the senior accounts officer or the Joint Secretary (Administration) of the concerned ministry — within 30 days of the date of the decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. If unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) under Section 19(3) within 90 days.

Step-by-step guide to file an RTI application for General Provident Fund (GPF) balance and withdrawal, National Pension System (NPS) account issues, and pension fixation or arrears for Central Government employees and pensioners. Includes a ready-to-use sample RTI draft.

Updated 24 May 2026

Quick Facts

MinistryMinistry of Finance / Concerned Ministry (varies by department)

Address RTI ToCPIO, Pay and Accounts Office (PAO) OR CPIO, Office of the Principal Accounts Officer

Application Fee₹10 under RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. Free for BPL cardholders.

Response Time30 days from receipt (Section 7(1), RTI Act 2005). 48 hours if the matter involves life or liberty.

File Online Athttps://rtionline.gov.in

All information on this page is based on the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Act No. 22 of 2005) and the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. First Appeal: Section 19(1). Second Appeal to CIC/SIC: Section 19(3).

Central Government employees are covered by the General Provident Fund (GPF) scheme (for those who joined before January 1, 2004) or the National Pension System (NPS) (for those who joined on or after January 1, 2004). Retired Central Government employees receive pension under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2021 (earlier the CCS Pension Rules, 1972 for old retirees).

Pay and Accounts Offices (PAOs), the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), and ministries are public authorities under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005. Employees and pensioners frequently use RTI to resolve delays in GPF withdrawal, NPS account discrepancies, incorrect pension fixation, and non-payment of arrears.

What Can You Achieve with an RTI for GPF/NPS/Pension?

Get the current GPF balance and annual statement for a specific financial year
Know the stage and officer responsible for a pending GPF withdrawal or advance
Verify whether all NPS contributions have been credited and the current Tier I corpus
Get the basis for pension fixation — LPC, qualifying service, average emoluments
Find out the status of Pay Commission pension revision and the reason for delay
Obtain details of family pension calculation and any pending arrears

Where to File: The Right Authority

The correct authority depends on the type of query:

Query Type	File with
GPF balance / withdrawal	CPIO, Pay and Accounts Office (PAO) maintaining the GPF account
NPS account discrepancy	CPIO, PAO or CPIO, PFRDA (depending on whether it is a contribution or CRA issue)
Pension fixation / arrears	CPIO, Principal Accounts Office (PrAO) of the concerned Ministry, or the pension disbursing bank (for bank-related issues)
Family pension	CPIO, PrAO or the Accounts Branch of the last employer Ministry

File at rtionline.gov.in under the relevant Ministry → PAO/PrAO.

How to File: Step by Step

Step 1: Identify Your PAO

Your GPF account number and the PAO code are printed on your salary slips or available from your DDO (Drawing and Disbursing Officer). For pension matters, the Principal Accounts Office (PrAO) is the relevant office.

Step 2: Draft Your Application

Be specific: state your GPF account number, PRAN for NPS, or PPO number for pension. Ask for the specific financial years or periods in question. The sample draft covers all three types.

Step 3: File Online

File at rtionline.gov.in under the relevant ministry and PAO, and pay ₹10 online. You may also submit in person or by post.

Step 4: Appeals

If there is no response within 30 days, or the response is unsatisfactory, file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) with the FAA in your ministry within 30 days of the date of the decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. If unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) under Section 19(3) within 90 days.

What Specific Information Can You Ask For?

GPF:

Balance and interest credited in GPF Account No. XXX as on Date / for FY YYYY-YY
Status of GPF withdrawal application Ref. No. — stage and officer holding the file

NPS:

Total Tier I corpus in PRAN XXXXXXXXXX as on Date
Whether contributions for FY YYYY-YY have been credited — if any gap, the specific months and reason

Pension:

Basis of pension fixation: qualifying service, LPC used, emoluments computed, and final pension amount as per pension payment order (PPO No. XXX)
Status of pension revision due under Pay Commission Notification No. — if not revised, reason and expected date
Arrears calculation for the period Month/Year to Month/Year and the basis for non-payment, if arrears are pending

Sample RTI Application Draft

To,
The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO),
[Pay and Accounts Office / Principal Accounts Office]
[Office Name and Address]

Subject: Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 — GPF / NPS / Pension Fixation

Sir/Madam,

I, [Your Full Name], [Designation/Post], [Department and Office], submit this application under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, to seek the following information:

Employee / Pensioner details:
  Name: [Full Name]
  Employee / PPO No.: [Employee Number or PPO Number]
  Designation and Department: [Designation, Department, Office]
  PAO / DDO Code: [PAO/DDO Code if known]
  Date of Retirement (for pensioners): [DD/MM/YYYY]
  Subject: [GPF Balance / NPS Account / Pension Fixation / Pension Arrears / Family Pension]

Information sought:

1. [For GPF] The current balance in my General Provident Fund (GPF) account bearing GPF Account No. [XXX] as on [DD/MM/YYYY], along with a statement of GPF contributions and interest credited for the financial years [YYYY-YY to YYYY-YY].

2. [For GPF withdrawal] The current status of my GPF withdrawal / advance application bearing file reference [XXX] submitted on [DD/MM/YYYY], the stage at which it is pending, and the name and designation of the officer currently holding the file.

3. [For NPS] The current status of my NPS PRAN (Permanent Retirement Account Number) [XXXXXXXXXX], including the total corpus (Tier I balance), the CRA (Central Recordkeeping Agency) under which my account is registered, and whether all contributions from [Financial Year] have been credited.

4. [For pension fixation] The basis on which my pension was fixed after retirement on [DD/MM/YYYY], including the Last Pay Certificate (LPC), qualifying service considered, and average emoluments calculated. Also, whether any revision is pending pursuant to the [applicable Pay Commission revision] and its current status.

5. [For pension arrears] The reason for non-payment of pension arrears for the period [Month/Year to Month/Year] and the name and designation of the officer responsible for processing the arrears.

I am enclosing the application fee of Rs. 10 [via online payment; Reference No.: [Payment Ref]].

I request the above information within 30 days as required under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Full Name]
[Your Complete Postal Address]
Phone: [Your 10-digit Mobile Number]
Email: [[email protected]]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]

Replace all text in [square brackets] with your actual details before filing. Do not include the brackets in your submission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Rather have us file it for you?

We research your case, identify the right department, draft the RTI with proven language, and file it on your behalf. Pay ₹149 + GST only after we've done the work.

File RTI — it's free to start