Found a broken link or outdated data on a government portal? Learn how to find and message the Web Information Manager (WIM) to get it fixed fast.
You are 19, it is 11:30 PM, and the deadline for the Pre-Matric Scholarship is tomorrow. You click the 'Download Annexure-I' link on the state portal, but instead of a form, you get a '404 Not Found' page. Or worse, the website's 'Latest News' section still shows 'Exam Dates 2022' while you are living in 2026.
Most of us just vent on X (formerly Twitter) or refresh the page ten times. But there is a specific person whose actual job description is to fix this for you. They are not a faceless 'admin' or a random IT guy; they are the Web Information Manager (WIM). Every single official Indian government website—from your local Municipal Corporation to the Prime Minister’s Office—is required by law to have one. If a link is broken, a PDF is missing, or the Hindi translation makes no sense, the WIM is the person you hold accountable. This is how you find them and make them work.
Digital governance in India is not a free-for-all. It is governed by the Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW). As of 2026, we follow GIGW 3.0, which was released to ensure that government portals are accessible, secure, and—most importantly—up-to-date.
According to the GIGW 3.0 framework (Section 2.1.1), every government department must nominate a Web Information Manager (WIM). The WIM is usually a senior officer within the department, not just a technical developer from the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Their role is defined under the 'Content Management Strategy' of the department.
If the website is non-functional or provides misleading information, it can be seen as a failure of public service delivery. While the GIGW is a set of guidelines, it is issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG). Persistent failure to update a site can be escalated as a formal grievance via PGPortal or even addressed through a File an RTI online request to ask why the WIM has not updated the mandatory disclosures.
Don't waste time clicking every menu item. Scroll to the very bottom of the website (the footer). By law, every GIGW-compliant site must have a link titled 'Website Policies', 'Help', or 'Contact Us'.
Before you email them, gather proof. Government portals change, and sometimes they go offline for 'maintenance' just as you complain.
Your email should be professional but firm. Do not use 'Dear Sir/Madam' if you have their name. Use 'Respected [Name/Designation]'.
If you don't get a response or the link isn't fixed within 2 working days, don't wait.
If the WIM is unresponsive and the website remains broken, you move from 'requesting' to 'reporting'.
Once they claim it is fixed, check it on both desktop and mobile. Sometimes they fix the 'www' version but forget the mobile version. If it's a security issue (like your personal data being visible), this is a much larger issue. In such cases, you should immediately refer to our guide on the Cyber Crime reporting portal.
Government systems aren't always plug-and-play. Even with a playbook, you will hit walls. Here is how to climb over them:
The WIM details are missing or "Under Construction": You scroll to the footer and click 'Website Policies' only to find a blank page or a "Page Not Found" error.
site:[website-url] "Web Information Manager" or site:[website-url] "Nodal Officer". If that fails, go to the National Informatics Centre (NIC) state directory. Every state has an NIC coordinator who manages the servers for these departments. Email the State Informatics Officer (SIO) directly; their details are always on the NIC state-specific subdomains (e.g., up.nic.in or kerala.nic.in).The "Not My Department" loop: The WIM might reply saying, "We only host the site; the content comes from the Scholarship Section."
The email bounces or is never opened:
Many official .gov.in or .nic.in inboxes are full or rarely checked.
The "Security Risk" warning: Your browser blocks the site because the SSL certificate expired 200 days ago.
Copy, fill in the [highlighted] bits, and send.
To: [WIM Email Address] CC: [Department Head Email] Subject: URGENT: Broken Link/Outdated Content on [Website Name] - [Your Issue]
Respected Sir/Madam,
I am writing to bring to your attention a technical error on the [Department Name] website ([URL]).
The link for [Name of the Document/Form/Scheme] located at [URL of the specific page] is currently [broken/leading to a 404 error/showing data from 2022].
As the designated Web Information Manager under GIGW 3.0 guidelines, I request you to update this content. This error is preventing me and many other students from applying for [Scheme Name] before the deadline of [Date].
Attached is a screenshot of the error for your reference. I look forward to a swift resolution.
Regards, [Your Name] [Your Phone Number]
Use this if the website has been broken for weeks and no one is responding.
To: Public Information Officer, [Department Name] Subject: Request for Information under Section 6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.
Tag the Minister and the Department.
"Hey @[DepartmentHandle], the link to download the [Scheme] form is broken (404 Error) on your official site. The deadline is tomorrow. As per GIGW 3.0, the Web Information Manager needs to fix this ASAP. Please help! #DigitalIndia #Grievance @[MinisterHandle]"
No. Reporting errors to the WIM or filing a grievance on PGPortal is completely free. If you choose the RTI route, you only pay the standard ₹10 application fee (and nothing if you are below the poverty line).
For "High Priority" content like recruitment results or scholarship forms, the WIM should ideally fix it within 24–48 hours. For general typos or archived data, expect 7–10 working days. If there is no movement in 3 days, escalate to PGPortal.
Never rely solely on phone calls. Always have an email trail. If they don't pick up, send a WhatsApp (if it's a mobile number) or an SMS, then immediately follow up with an email referencing the "unanswered call at [Time]".
Yes. GIGW 3.0 covers "Mobile Apps" under the same framework. Every government app on the Play Store or App Store must have a "Developer Contact" email which should ideally lead to the WIM or the technical lead.
Yes. Under the Digital India mandate, even local body websites are supposed to follow GIGW standards. If a small-town municipal site is broken, the 'Nodal Officer (IT)' at the District Collectorate (Zilla Parishad) is your target.
Section 1.2 of GIGW 3.0 encourages bilingual content. If the 'Hindi' toggle button doesn't work or leads to a blank page, this is a valid "Content Availability" error you can report to the WIM.
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