The single biggest mistake in an RTI application is asking a “why” question instead of asking for records. The records-not-answers drafting guide explains the fix.

The Question Builder does the translation for you. You describe your situation in your own words. The tool matches your description against 32 common RTI situations and tells you exactly which records you should request — each question phrased in a way that a Public Information Officer must either supply or invoke a specific Section 8 ground.

1. Type your problem in 1–3 sentences (plain English or Hinglish works).
2. The tool scans for keywords across 32 RTI-situation templates.
3. Top 3 matches are shown with a score, with the best match highlighted.
4. For each match, you see the records you should ask for (4–10 specific queries).
5. Two buttons per match: Open in the RTI Application Generator (to produce the full letter) and Read the full guide (to understand the legal basis).

The tool covers 32 common RTI situations across four categories:

• Daily Life (10) — ration card, birth certificate, death certificate, caste certificate, marriage certificate, domicile certificate, FIR copy, FIR not registered, electricity bill dispute, property registration.
• Money & Schemes (12) — GST refund, income-tax refund, PM-KISAN installment, PMAY installment, Ayushman Bharat claim, NSAP pension, MGNREGA wages, LPG subsidy (PAHAL), Ujjwala connection, PMFBY crop insurance, Jal Jeevan Mission.
• Students (8) — exam result delay, answer-sheet inspection, degree verification, scholarship not credited, UPSC/SSC marks and cut-off, campus placement data, college admission rejection, hostel fees breakdown.
• Community (3) — water supply quality, noise pollution complaint, metro project concerns.

Each situation is backed by a detailed article on this site — the tool links you straight to it.

Two things to try:

1. Reword the problem. Use concrete nouns — “electricity bill”, “ration card application”, “FIR number” — instead of abstract phrasing.
2. Draft manually. The Ask for records, not answers piece teaches the skill. Then use the RTI Application Generator with a closest-fit template.

Section 2(f) of the RTI Act defines “information” as any material held on record. A Public Information Officer has a duty to supply records — not to explain, interpret, or respond to “why” questions.

• ✘ “Why have I not got a ration card?”
• ✓ “Certified copy of the file-noting on my ration-card application dated __ and the current officer holding the file.”

The “right” phrasing points at a document that must exist. The PIO either releases it or invokes a specific §8(1) clause — which is then challengeable. The “wrong” phrasing gives the PIO an easy escape.

Full discussion: Ask for records, not answers.

1. Tool 1 — RTI Question Builder (this tool) → maps your problem to records.
2. Tool 2 — RTI Application Generator → turns those records into a complete RTI application.
3. Tool 3 — First Appeal Builder → if the PIO refuses, drafts the Section 19(1) appeal with case law.

All three tools are free, client-side, and privacy-safe. Nothing is sent to any server.

Didn't find your situation in the 32 templates? Want a new category? Please tell us at our corrections page — we expand the library based on real requests.

• RTI Application Generator
• First Appeal Builder
• Ask for records, not answers
• Why RTI gets rejected
• Grounds for RTI rejection
• How to file RTI online
• All sample RTI applications
• RTI FAQ — 25 most-asked questions

• Right to Information Act, 2005 — Sections 2(f), 2(i), 5(3), 6(1), 6(2)
• Template library derived from 32 problem-specific recipes on this site.

Last reviewed: 21 April 2026.