My NPS PRAN shows a wrong NAV or a missing contribution. Should I file RTI with PFRDA or somewhere else?

Individual PRAN account issues — such as a wrong Net Asset Value (NAV) credit, a missing contribution, an incorrect unit allocation, or a contribution not reflecting in your account — are not matters that PFRDA maintains in its records. These records sit with the Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA), which is currently Protean eGov Technologies (formerly NSDL e-Governance). For such issues, you should first raise a grievance on the NPS CRA portal (cra-nsdl.com or npscra.nsdl.co.in) or through your Point of Presence (PoP), which is the bank or post office where you opened your NPS account. PFRDA is the regulator — it sets rules, regulates Pension Fund Managers, oversees the CRA and PoPs, and handles escalated grievances. RTI to PFRDA is appropriate for obtaining the regulation that should have been followed, or for checking whether PFRDA has received systemic complaints against your PoP or CRA — not for obtaining your individual transaction records.

My NPS Tier I withdrawal application was rejected. How does RTI to PFRDA help?

When an NPS Tier I withdrawal or exit application is rejected — either by the CRA or by a PoP — the rejection is supposed to cite the specific PFRDA regulation or circular under which the exit conditions were not met. If the rejection reason is vague, or if you believe the applicable regulation was misapplied, RTI to PFRDA is the right step. Ask PFRDA for: (1) a copy of the current regulation or circular governing exit conditions for your subscriber category (All Citizens / Government / Corporate) and your age at the time of application; (2) the annuity purchase requirement applicable to your category; and (3) whether PFRDA has issued any clarification circular applicable to the specific condition cited in your rejection. Once you have the authoritative regulation text, you can verify whether the rejection was legally valid — and if not, escalate with a formal complaint to PFRDA's Grievance Redressal Cell or take the matter to the First Appellate Authority.

I am enrolled in Atal Pension Yojana (APY). How does RTI confirm my guaranteed pension amount and scheme terms?

The Atal Pension Yojana (APY) is a government-backed pension scheme for unorganised sector workers, regulated by PFRDA. It guarantees a fixed monthly pension of ₹1,000, ₹2,000, ₹3,000, ₹4,000, or ₹5,000 per month — depending on the contribution amount and the age at which the subscriber enrolled. The pension commences at age 60. If you have a dispute about the guaranteed pension amount you are entitled to, or if your bank (PoP) has enrolled you at the wrong contribution rate, RTI to PFRDA can confirm: (1) the official contribution-pension table prescribed under APY for your age at enrollment; (2) the return-of-corpus provision applicable to your nominee if you pass away before or after age 60; (3) the terms of the government co-contribution (applicable for eligible subscribers who joined before March 2016); and (4) whether PFRDA has received complaints about your bank mismanaging APY enrollments. APY eligibility requires the subscriber to be between 18 and 40 years of age at the time of joining.

My Pension Fund Manager's returns seem very low. What does PFRDA publish publicly versus what needs an RTI?

PFRDA publishes a significant amount of Pension Fund Manager (PFM) performance data on its website (pfrda.org.in) — including scheme-wise NAV, fund performance returns (1-year, 3-year, 5-year, and since inception), and the annual report of each registered PFM. If this publicly available data already answers your question, an RTI application is unnecessary. However, RTI becomes relevant when you need: (1) the number of subscriber complaints filed against a specific PFM in a given period and PFRDA's action on each; (2) whether PFRDA has issued any show-cause notice, penalty order, or direction to a specific PFM — and the outcome; (3) the specific PFRDA regulation that governs the investment mandate of your PFM (for example, the equity/debt allocation limits); or (4) details from PFRDA's inspection or audit of a PFM that are not published. RTI is the appropriate instrument for this category of regulatory action data, which PFRDA does not routinely make public.

Home/Guides/How to File RTI with PFRDA — NPS Withdrawal Rules, APY Scheme and Pension Fund Manager Complaints

Central Government

How to File RTI with PFRDA — NPS Withdrawal Rules, APY Scheme and Pension Fund Manager Complaints

Q: PFRDA did not respond to my RTI within 30 days. What should I do next?

If PFRDA does not respond within 30 days of receiving your RTI application, or provides an incomplete or unsatisfactory response, file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at PFRDA within 30 days of the date of decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. The FAA must decide your appeal within 30 days (extendable to 45 days with written reasons). If the FAA's response is also absent or unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) under Section 19(3) of the RTI Act within 90 days of the FAA's decision or the expiry of the First Appeal period. PFRDA is a statutory body established under the PFRDA Act, 2013, under the Ministry of Finance — it is a Central Government public authority, so the second appeal always goes to the CIC. The CIC may direct PFRDA to furnish the information and may impose a penalty of ₹250 per day (up to ₹25,000) on the errant CPIO under Section 20 of the RTI Act.

Step-by-step guide to file an RTI with the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) under the Ministry of Finance for NPS withdrawal and exit conditions, partial withdrawal eligibility, Atal Pension Yojana (APY) scheme details, Pension Fund Manager complaint status, PFRDA circulars applicable to disputed NPS transactions, and PoP (bank) overcharging complaints. Includes a ready-to-use sample RTI draft.

Updated 24 May 2026

Quick Facts

MinistryMinistry of Finance

Address RTI ToCPIO, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), B-14/A, Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhawan, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi – 110016

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).

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is a statutory body established under the PFRDA Act, 2013. It operates under the Ministry of Finance and is the regulator for the National Pension System (NPS) and the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) — two of the largest pension infrastructure frameworks in India, collectively covering central and state government employees, corporate sector subscribers, and citizens from the unorganised sector. As a statutory body constituted by an Act of Parliament and funded substantially by the Government of India, PFRDA is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, and is obligated to respond to RTI applications within 30 days.

RTI applications to PFRDA are appropriate when you need regulatory information — the rules PFRDA has made, the status of a complaint you have escalated to PFRDA against a Pension Fund Manager (PFM) or a Point of Presence (PoP), scheme terms for NPS or APY, or data PFRDA holds on systemic issues. RTI to PFRDA is not the right instrument for individual PRAN account issues such as missing contributions, wrong NAV, or contribution not reflected — those records sit with the Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA) and your PoP (the bank or post office where you opened your NPS account).

PFRDA vs. CRA vs. PoP: Who to Contact for What

Understanding which body holds the information you need is essential before filing an RTI. Filing with the wrong body costs time and results in transfer delays.

Body	Role	What Information It Holds	RTI Applicability
PFRDA (Regulator)	Makes regulations, registers and supervises PFMs and PoPs, oversees CRA, administers APY	PFRDA regulations and circulars; PFM complaint status; PoP overcharging complaints; APY scheme terms; PFM registration and inspection data	PFRDA is a public authority under RTI — file at rtionline.gov.in → Ministry of Finance → PFRDA
CRA (Protean eGov Technologies, formerly NSDL)	Central Recordkeeping Agency — maintains PRAN records, processes contributions, generates statements	Individual subscriber account data — contribution history, NAV credits, unit allocation, PRAN status, withdrawal processing status	CRA's RTI applicability as a public authority depends on PFRDA's designation; raise grievances first on the NPS CRA portal (cra-nsdl.com)
PoP (Bank / Post Office)	Point of Presence — where subscriber opens NPS account, deposits contributions, initiates withdrawals	Contribution receipt records, service charge ledger, withdrawal applications submitted by subscriber	PoPs are private bodies in most cases; raise grievances with PoP directly, or escalate to PFRDA

Practical rule: If your issue is "what regulation applies to my situation" or "did PFRDA receive my complaint against my bank" — file RTI with PFRDA. If your issue is "my contribution of date is not showing in my PRAN account" — use the NPS CRA grievance portal first.

NPS Withdrawal: Key Conditions Under PFRDA Regulations

PFRDA has prescribed exit and withdrawal conditions for NPS Tier I subscribers. These conditions vary by subscriber category (All Citizens / Central Government / State Government / Corporate) and by age. The following is a general reference — the exact figures are governed by PFRDA Exit Regulations and amendments issued from time to time.

Exit Type	Age / Condition	Annuity Purchase Requirement	Balance Available as Lump Sum
Normal superannuation exit	Age 60 or above	Minimum 40% of corpus	Up to 60%
Premature exit (before 60)	After minimum 5 years of subscription	Minimum 80% of corpus	Up to 20%
Death of subscriber	Any age	Corpus paid to nominee / legal heir (annuity purchase optional)	100% to nominee (annuity optional)
Partial withdrawal	After 3 years; specified purpose	Not applicable	Up to 25% of own contributions

Partial withdrawal purposes permitted under PFRDA regulations include: higher education of children; marriage of children; purchase or construction of a residential house (if the subscriber does not already own one); treatment of specified critical illnesses affecting the subscriber, spouse, children, or dependent parents; disability of the subscriber; and skill development or entrepreneurship. A subscriber can make a maximum of three partial withdrawals during the entire subscription period.

RTI to PFRDA can provide the exact circular or regulation text applicable to your specific exit or withdrawal situation — which is essential if your application was rejected and you wish to challenge the rejection.

APY Scheme at a Glance

The Atal Pension Yojana (APY) is a government-guaranteed pension scheme for workers in the unorganised sector. It is regulated by PFRDA and offered through banks and post offices. Key features:

Eligibility: Indian citizens between 18 and 40 years of age with a savings bank account
Guaranteed pension: ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 per month, commencing at age 60 — depending on age at joining and monthly contribution
Nomination: On the death of the subscriber, the same pension is payable to the spouse; on the death of both subscriber and spouse, the entire accumulated corpus is returned to the nominee
Government co-contribution: For eligible subscribers who joined before March 31, 2016 and were not income tax payers, the government contributed 50% of the annual contribution (or ₹1,000 per year, whichever was lower) for five years
RTI use case: Confirm the official contribution-pension table for your age at enrollment; verify the return-of-corpus terms for your nominee; check whether PFRDA has received complaints about your bank's APY enrollment practices

Where to File

For RTI to PFRDA:

Go to rtionline.gov.in and click Submit Request
Select Ministry of Finance as the ministry
Select Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) as the public authority
Draft your application specifying the regulation, complaint reference, or scheme data you seek
Pay ₹10 online. BPL cardholders are exempt — attach a copy of your BPL card
Submit and note your registration number for tracking

For individual PRAN account issues (not PFRDA):

NPS CRA portal: cra-nsdl.com or npscra.nsdl.co.in
NPS Subscriber helpline: 1800-110-708 (toll-free)
Your PoP (the bank branch or post office where you opened your NPS account)
PFRDA Grievance Cell (for escalation after CRA/PoP grievance): pfrda.org.in

What Specific Information Can You Ask For?

The following are the most effective RTI requests to file with PFRDA:

NPS Tier I exit regulation: A copy of the current PFRDA regulation or circular governing the exit conditions (including the annuity purchase requirement and the premature exit corpus threshold) for your subscriber category
Partial withdrawal eligibility: The complete list of permitted purposes, the maximum number of withdrawals allowed, the minimum lock-in period, and the maximum percentage of own contributions that may be withdrawn
PFM complaint status: Whether a complaint filed by you (or any subscriber) against a named Pension Fund Manager has been registered; current status; and PFRDA's action taken or proposed
APY scheme terms: The official contribution-pension table for your age at enrollment; the return-of-corpus provision; and the government co-contribution terms if applicable
PoP overcharging: The number of complaints received by PFRDA against a named bank (PoP) for overcharging PoP service charges in a specified period; and action taken on each
PFM regulatory action: Whether PFRDA has issued any show-cause notice, penalty order, or regulatory direction to a named PFM — and the outcome
Grievance redressal data: The name and contact of PFRDA's designated Grievance Redressal Officer; the average disposal time for subscriber grievances in the most recent financial year for which data is available
PFRDA inspection or audit findings: Whether PFRDA has conducted an inspection of a named CRA or PoP and what findings were reported (to the extent not exempt under Section 8 of the RTI Act)

Appeals

First Appeal (Section 19(1)): If PFRDA does not respond within 30 days, or provides an incomplete or unsatisfactory response, file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at PFRDA within 30 days of the date of decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. The FAA must decide within 30 days (extendable to 45 days with written reasons).

Second Appeal (Section 19(3)): If the FAA's response is also absent or unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) within 90 days of the FAA's decision or the expiry of the First Appeal period. PFRDA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Finance — it is a Central Government public authority, and the second appeal always goes to the CIC, not any State Information Commission. The CIC can direct disclosure and may impose a penalty of up to ₹25,000 on the errant CPIO under Section 20 of the RTI Act.

Sample RTI Application Draft

To,
The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO),
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA),
B-14/A, Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhawan, Qutab Institutional Area,
New Delhi – 110016

Subject: Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 — NPS Withdrawal Regulations, Pension Fund Manager Complaint Status and APY Scheme Details

Sir / Madam,

I, [Your Full Name], residing at [Your Full Address], hereby seek the following information under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005:

Subscriber details (where applicable):
  PRAN (last 4 digits only): XXXX-[last 4 digits]
  NPS Tier: [Tier I / Tier II]
  Pension Fund Manager (PFM) Name: [e.g., SBI Pension Funds Pvt. Ltd. / HDFC Pension Management Co. Ltd.]
  Complaint/Grievance Reference Number (if any): [Reference No., if already filed]

Information sought:

1. Please provide a copy of the current PFRDA regulation or circular governing the conditions for premature exit (before age 60) from NPS Tier I by a subscriber in the [All Citizens / Central Government / State Government / Corporate] sector, including:
   (a) The minimum corpus required for premature exit;
   (b) The percentage of corpus required to be mandatorily used to purchase an annuity on premature exit;
   (c) The circumstances, if any, under which the annuity purchase requirement is waived.

2. Please provide the current PFRDA regulation or circular specifying the conditions under which a NPS Tier I subscriber is eligible to make a partial withdrawal, including:
   (a) The permissible purposes for partial withdrawal (e.g., higher education, specified illness, housing, disability);
   (b) The maximum number of partial withdrawals permitted during the entire NPS subscription period;
   (c) The minimum lock-in period of contributions required before the first partial withdrawal;
   (d) The maximum percentage of own contribution that may be withdrawn in a partial withdrawal.

3. Whether a complaint/grievance filed against [PFM Name] with PFRDA bearing reference number [Reference No.] has been registered in PFRDA's records; the current status of that complaint; and the action taken or proposed to be taken against the said Pension Fund Manager.

4. Whether PFRDA has received any complaints from NPS subscribers against [Bank/PoP Name] regarding overcharging of Point of Presence (PoP) service charges in the period [mention financial year(s)]; if yes, the number of such complaints received and the action taken on each.

5. Please provide the APY scheme terms applicable to a subscriber who joined at age [XX] and opted for a guaranteed monthly pension of ₹[amount] — specifically:
   (a) The monthly contribution applicable under the scheme;
   (b) The age at which the guaranteed pension commences;
   (c) The return-of-corpus provision applicable to the subscriber's nominee upon the subscriber's death.

6. Please provide the name, designation, and office address of the Grievance Redressal Officer designated by PFRDA for NPS subscriber complaints, and the average time taken by PFRDA to dispose of subscriber grievances in the most recent financial year for which data is available.

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

I request that the information be provided within 30 days from the date of receipt of this application, as mandated under Section 7(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005.

Yours faithfully,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Complete 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.

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