Get Your Answer Sheet under RTI — the Aditya Bandopadhyay Right

Part of Pillar 3 — RTI for Students & Youth. Related: general RTI for students.

• Board refusing inspection citing secrecy.
• Overpricing inspection — some boards charge Rs. 500-750; statutory cap is Rs. 2/page.
• “Return-to-examiner” within 30 days — deadline for retrieval is administrative.
• Re-evaluation vs RTI inspection — some boards force you into paid re-evaluation instead of free-of-additional-charge RTI inspection.

• You believe a question / sub-question was not evaluated.
• You want to understand moderation / grace / scaling applied.
• You are appealing re-totalling / re-evaluation.
• You are preparing for re-exam attempt.
• You need evidence for a court challenge on scoring.

• Certified copy / high-resolution scan of the evaluated answer sheet.
• Marks awarded per question / sub-question.
• Moderation / grace / scaling applied with the rule under which applied.
• If any question was dropped post-exam, the official notification.
• Evaluator's marks separate from moderator's.
• Re-evaluation / re-totalling procedure and fee.

• File within 30 days of result for fastest retrieval (some boards return scripts to examiners beyond this).
• CBSE / CISCE / UPSC / SSC → rtionline.gov.in.
• State boards → state RTI portal.
• Universities → CPIO of university (Registrar).
• Rs. 10 filing fee + Rs. 2/page for certified copy.

To,
The Central / State Public Information Officer,
[Examining Body / Board / University],
[Address]

Subject: Application under Section 6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, for inspection / certified copy of my evaluated answer sheet.

Sir/Madam,

I, [Name], citizen of India, resident of [Full Address], submit:

Examination: ________
Session / Year: ________
Roll No. / Registration Number: ________
Subject / Paper code: ________
Date of declaration of result: ________

Please provide, relying on //CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay//, (2011) 8 SCC 497:

1. Certified photocopy / high-resolution scan of my evaluated answer sheet(s) for the above subject / paper.
2. Marks awarded question-wise (with sub-question detail where applicable), alongside the evaluator's initials.
3. Moderation / grace / scaling applied, if any, with the official rule / circular under which it was applied.
4. If any question has been dropped post-exam from evaluation, the official notification and date.
5. Evaluator's marking separate from moderator's/head-examiner's marking, if both sets exist on the record.
6. Procedure and fee for re-evaluation / re-totalling.
7. The deadline by which evaluation scripts are retained at this Office before return to evaluator or destruction.

I enclose Indian Postal Order / Challan No. __________ for Rs. 10 as the filing fee. I undertake to pay Rs. 2 per page for certified copies as per the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2012.

I declare I am an Indian citizen.

Yours faithfully,
[Signature, Date, Place]

1. Answer-sheet certified copy.
2. Marks per question / sub-question.
3. Moderation / grace rule.
4. Dropped-question notification.
5. Evaluator vs moderator marking.
6. Re-evaluation procedure.
7. Re-totalling fee.
8. Script-retention deadline.
9. FAA contact.
10. Aditya Bandopadhyay compliance confirmation.

• Day 0–10 RTI routed; Board retrieves script from custodian.
• Day 10–25 Script scanned / photocopied; certified copy prepared.
• Day 30 Delivered.

• Filing after the 30-day result window — script may have been returned to examiner.
• Paying non-statutory fees (Rs. 500+) — Rs. 2/page is the ceiling.
• Asking to see another student's answer sheet — §8(1)(j), rejected.
• Confusing RTI inspection with board's paid re-evaluation.

• File within 7 days of result — fastest retrieval window.
• Request inspection slot if the Board allows it — free for first hour, Rs. 5/hour thereafter.
• Parallel re-totalling often works as a belt-and-braces; but RTI inspection is cheaper and more thorough.
• For UPSC mains, Aditya Bandopadhyay applies; prior UPSC resistance has been overturned by CIC orders.

Q1. Does Aditya Bandopadhyay apply to UPSC?
Yes. UPSC is a public authority; the ratio applies.

Q2. Can the Board refuse if I want to challenge scoring?
No. Your motive is irrelevant (§6(2) RTI Act).

Q3. What if the script has been returned to the examiner?
The Board must still produce a scan / copy if one was retained institutionally. Otherwise, request a certification of non-availability.

Q4. Re-evaluation vs inspection?
Re-evaluation is a paid procedure that changes marks. RTI inspection gives you the marked script — you decide whether to apply for re-evaluation.

The answer sheet is your document. Aditya Bandopadhyay made it so. RTI is the instrument.

• Pillar 3 — Students & Youth
• RTI for students — full guide
• Exam result delay RTI
• CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay — case page

• CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, (2011) 8 SCC 497
• RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2012

Last reviewed: 21 April 2026.