Sections 5 and 20 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
The District Officer is the Government's point person in each district under the Act. Section 5 says who may be notified to the post; section 20 gives two duties. In practice the District Officer also appears in sections 6, 7, 13, 14, 21, 22 and 25, which is why employers and committees need to know who this officer is. If you need advice on dealing with the District Officer's office, see our legal consultation service.
The appropriate Government may notify a District Magistrate, an Additional District Magistrate, the Collector or a Deputy Collector as the District Officer for every district (section 5). Under section 20 the District Officer must monitor the timely submission of the report furnished by the Local Committee, and take measures to engage non-governmental organisations for awareness on sexual harassment and the rights of women.
Source and names
We follow the consolidated text of the Act consulted (it shows one amendment, Act 23 of 2016, with effect from 6 May 2016); later amendments and notifications should be checked. The Act's definition of District Officer in section 2(d) reads "means on officer notified under section 5"; "on" is a printing slip for "an". The 2016 change of name of the committees is shown in the footnotes; this article says "Local Committee", while the copy still prints the older name "Local Complaints Committee" in the Chapter III heading and in some definitions.
Section 5: notification of the District Officer
Section 5 reads: "The appropriate Government may notify a District Magistrate or Additional District Magistrate or the Collector or Deputy Collector as a District Officer for every District to exercise powers or discharge functions under this Act."
Break the sentence down.
- Who notifies. The "appropriate Government". Section 2(b) makes that the Central Government for workplaces connected with it or a Union territory administration, and the State Government otherwise. For notifying a District Officer for a district, the section simply says "the appropriate Government" and the text consulted does not say more.
- Who may be notified. A District Magistrate, an Additional District Magistrate, the Collector or a Deputy Collector. The word is "may", so the notification is a power, and the list is of the offices from which the choice is made.
- For what area. "For every District". Each district is to have a District Officer.
- For what purpose. "To exercise powers or discharge functions under this Act", which links to the sections listed below.
Section 20: duties and powers
Section 20 is headed "Duties and powers of District Officer" and says the District Officer shall:
- (a) monitor the timely submission of report furnished by the Local Committee; and
- (b) take such measures as may be necessary for engaging non-governmental organisations for creation of awareness on sexual harassment and the rights of the women.
Compare this with the employer's duty in section 19(j) to monitor the timely submission of reports by the Internal Committee. The employer watches the Internal Committee; the District Officer watches the Local Committee. The report is the annual report under section 21, explained in our article on section 21.
Clause (b) does not say how many organisations, what budget or what kind of awareness activity is needed. The detail is left to the District Officer's measures "as may be necessary".
Where else the District Officer appears
Sections 5 and 20 are the headline sections, but the District Officer has work in several others.
| Section | What the District Officer does |
|---|---|
| 6(1) | Constitutes the Local Committee in the district |
| 6(2) | Designates one nodal officer in every block, taluka and tehsil in a rural or tribal area, and ward or municipality in an urban area, to receive complaints and forward them to the Local Committee within seven days |
| 7 | Nominates the Local Committee members and specifies their period of office, not exceeding three years |
| 8(3) | Receives from the State agency the sums needed for the fees or allowances of the Local Committee |
| 13 | Receives the inquiry report from the Local Committee; the District Officer acts on the recommendation within sixty days; may receive the order for recovery as an arrear of land revenue |
| 14 | Receives the Local Committee's recommendation on a false or malicious complaint or false evidence |
| 21 | Receives the annual report of the committee and forwards a brief report to the State Government |
| 22 | Receives the intimation of the number of cases from an employer who has no annual report to prepare |
| 25 | May be called on by the appropriate Government to furnish information, and must produce records on demand to an inspecting officer |
Our articles on section 6 and on sections 7 and 8 cover the Local Committee in detail, and the live post on section 22 covers the employer's information on cases.
A few points to note
- The Act names offices, not persons. Which individual holds the office in a district depends on the notification, which is outside the text consulted. Check the notification in force in your district.
- Seven days. The seven-day period is for the nodal officer to forward a complaint to the Local Committee under section 6(2), which the District Officer designates. It is not a period for the District Officer personally.
- No penalty clause for the District Officer is printed in the Act. Chapter VII has only the two duties.
- State rules. The Act mentions rules by the State Government only in section 29(4), for the accounts of the State agency under section 8(4). We have no State rules in the sources and say nothing about them.
An example
Chitra works at a small firm with less than ten workers, so no Internal Committee has been constituted there. She wants to know where to complain. The District Officer in her district has designated a nodal officer in her ward. She can make the written complaint to that nodal officer, who must forward it to the Local Committee within seven days, as section 6(2) provides. The District Officer will later receive the Local Committee's report and monitor that it is submitted on time under section 20(a).
Need help with the District Officer and the Local Committee?
Employers with smaller teams, and anyone unsure where a complaint should go in a district, often need a clear answer on whom to approach. Our legal consultation team can help you identify the right route and prepare the papers.
Key takeaways
- Section 5: the appropriate Government may notify a District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Collector or Deputy Collector as District Officer for every district.
- Section 20: monitor the timely submission of the Local Committee's report and engage non-governmental organisations for awareness.
- The District Officer also appears in sections 6, 7, 13, 14, 21, 22 and 25.
- The nodal officer's seven days in section 6(2) are separate from the District Officer's own duties.
- Check the current notification for your district; the text consulted does not name any officer.
Read next
- Section 6 of the POSH Act, 2013: Local Committee constitution and jurisdiction
- Sections 7 and 8 of the POSH Act, 2013: Local Committee composition, tenure, grants and audit
- Section 21 of the POSH Act, 2013: annual report
- Local Complaints Committee (LCC): For Small Employers
Disclaimer: Based on a consolidated text of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 showing one amendment (Act 23 of 2016, 6 May 2016) and on a copy of the Rules of 2013 as notified on 9 December 2013, as consulted on 2 October 2026. Later amendments, State rules and notifications, and the position under the Labour Codes in force from 21 November 2025 should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.