File a grievance via CPGRAMS for unresolved complaints against central government departments.
Jurisdiction
All of India — Central Government ministries, departments, and Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs); CPGRAMS (Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System) is the central grievance portal
Who applies
Any Indian citizen or organisation who wishes to lodge a grievance against a Central Government ministry, department, attached office, or Central Public Sector Undertaking
Typical time
Acknowledgement: immediate; resolution mandated within 30 days; complex cases may take 45–60 days
Fee
Free — no fee for filing a grievance on CPGRAMS
| # | Document | Type needed | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grievance description (typed) | Soft copy (PDF) | Clear, factual description of the grievance: what happened, when, where, which department is involved, and what relief is sought; character limit on CPGRAMS is 4,000 characters |
| 2 | Identity proof (Aadhaar / Voter ID) — for portal registration(optional)Required during portal registration; not a separate upload for each grievance | Self-attested Copy | Required for CPGRAMS registration; verifies the complainant's identity |
| 3 | Supporting documents (rejection letters, account statements, correspondence)(optional)Not mandatory but strongly recommended to substantiate the grievance | Soft copy (PDF) | Documentary evidence supporting the grievance — e.g., rejection order from department, PAN application receipt, pension disbursement record, EPF UAN statement; can be uploaded as attachments on CPGRAMS |
| 4 | Previous correspondence with the department(optional)Recommended; demonstrates that departmental-level resolution was attempted before escalating to CPGRAMS | Soft copy (PDF) | Emails, letters, or online complaint numbers from the department showing prior attempts to resolve the issue at the department level |
Original documents: Carry originals only for in-person visits — do not hand them over permanently unless explicitly required.
Visit pgportal.gov.in and click 'Lodge Grievance'. If you already have a registration (from a previous grievance), log in using your existing credentials. For first-time users, register with your mobile number and email (OTP verification required) and create a password. Alternatively, log in using your DigiLocker credentials.
Select the appropriate Central Ministry or Department to which your grievance relates from the dropdown menu. For example: EPFO grievances go under 'Ministry of Labour and Employment'; PAN or income tax grievances go under 'Ministry of Finance > CBDT'; passport grievances go under 'Ministry of External Affairs'; railway grievances may use CPGRAMS or the Rail Madad portal. Selecting the wrong ministry delays resolution as the grievance is transferred.
Fill in the grievance form: select the grievance category, provide a clear description of the issue (what happened, dates, amounts, relevant ID numbers like Aadhaar, PAN, or UAN), and state specifically what resolution you are seeking. Upload supporting documents (PDF, max 2 MB per file). Submit the grievance and note the unique registration number (19-digit alphanumeric code) for all future follow-ups.
After submission, the grievance is automatically routed to the designated Grievance Officer (Public Grievance Officer / Nodal Officer) in the relevant ministry or department. The officer is expected to acknowledge within 3 working days and provide a substantive response within 30 days. Track the status on pgportal.gov.in using your registration number. You will receive SMS/email updates.
Log in to CPGRAMS and check the response from the department. The response may: (a) resolve the issue with a specific action (e.g., payment credited, document issued); (b) provide a clarification or rejection with reasons; or (c) transfer the grievance to a sub-office. Review the response carefully and check whether the stated action has actually been taken (e.g., verify if the payment was actually credited to your account).
After the department closes the grievance, CPGRAMS sends you a feedback request. If you are not satisfied with the resolution, mark your feedback as 'Not Satisfied' with reasons within 30 days of the closure. The system then escalates the grievance to the next higher officer (Director / Joint Secretary level) for review. If still unsatisfied, you may escalate further to the Secretary of the Ministry or file a follow-up grievance with new evidence.
Respective Central Ministry or Department
Steps 4–5 — routing, handling, and closing the grievance
Designated officer responsible for examining, routing to sub-offices if needed, and providing substantive resolution to grievances within 30 days
Ministry Grievance Cell
Step 6 — appeal / escalation after unsatisfactory closure
Reviews escalated grievances where the complainant has marked response as unsatisfactory; provides second-level redress
Filing, tracking, and appealing public grievances against Central Government ministries, departments, and Central PSUs
Monitoring grievance redress quality; information on the CPGRAMS framework and government-wide grievance statistics
Complaints specific to Indian Railways — train delays, cleanliness, ticketing, and station services (integrated with CPGRAMS)
CPGRAMS is exclusively for Central Government bodies. Grievances against State Government services (ration card, land records, state police, state electricity board, municipal services) must be filed on the respective state's public grievance portal or the state CM Helpline. Filing on CPGRAMS will be rejected or transferred with no action.
Include all relevant reference numbers (PAN, Aadhaar, UAN, application number, transaction ID), dates, amounts, and the specific action you want. A grievance that says 'my pension is not coming' is far less effective than specifying the PPO number, the months for which it was not credited, and the EPF office concerned.
CPGRAMS can nudge departments into administrative action, but it cannot order compensation, reverse quasi-judicial decisions, or enforce rights. For compensation or legal enforcement, use RTI, consumer courts, CAT (for service matters), or the High Court.
If you do not submit feedback within 30 days of closure, the grievance is treated as resolved. You lose the automatic escalation mechanism. Monitor your email and CPGRAMS dashboard regularly around the expected closure date.
The unique CPGRAMS registration number is the only way to track, follow up, or appeal your grievance. Save it in multiple places (email, notes). CPGRAMS also sends it by SMS to your registered mobile.