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+{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(rti questions to ask, rti examples india, rti sample questions, what can i ask in rti, rti ideas, rti applications india, rti request examples, best rti questions)
+metatag-description=(20 high-impact RTI questions Indian citizens can file today, with copy-paste wording, real examples, and the exact section of the RTI Act each one uses.)}}
+====== Top 20 RTI Questions You Can Ask Government (With Examples) ======
+{{ :hero:top-20-rti-questions-hero.png?direct&1200 |Top 20 Rti Questions - RTI Wiki}}
+<WRAP center round info 95%>
+**In one line:** Under the Right to Information Act, 2005, any Indian citizen can ask a government body for **copies of documents, lists, numbers, file notings, and inspection reports** on record. File an RTI in 12 minutes, pay Rs 10, and the Public Information Officer must reply in **30 days** under [[act#section-7disposal-of-request|Section 7]].
+</WRAP>
+<WRAP center round didyouknow 95%>
+**Did you know?** In 2023-24, Indian citizens filed over 14 lakh RTI applications to the Central Government alone. More than 3 in 4 were answered in full or in part. The most successful applications asked for **one specific document per paragraph** and cited the Section of the RTI Act that compelled disclosure.
+</WRAP>
+===== The copy-paste RTI format (use this first) =====
+<code>
+To,
+The Central/State Public Information Officer,
+[Department / Ministry / Office],
+[Full address].
+Sir/Madam,
+Subject: Request for information under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
+Under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, I request the following information:
+. [One specific document, list, or fact, with exact date/year/subject].
+. [Second request, separate from the first].
+. [Third request].
+I enclose an Indian Postal Order of Rs 10 payable to the Accounts Officer, [department], towards the application fee under Rule 3 of the RTI Fees Rules.
+Kindly send the reply to the address below.
+Yours faithfully,
+[Full name]
+[Address]
+[Phone and email]
+Date:
+</code>
+Now pick any of the **20 questions below** and paste it as your numbered request.
+===== The 20 questions (by category) =====
+==== A. Services that affect you personally ====
+=== 1. Status of your own application ===
+Use this when your passport, PAN, ration card, caste certificate, scholarship, or pension application is stuck.
+> //"A copy of the file noting, movement history, and the current status of my application no. [application number] dated [date] in the matter of [subject], including the name and designation of the officer currently in seisin of the file."//
+=== 2. Your own evaluated answer sheet ===
+Legally unlocked by the Supreme Court in [[important-decisions:cbse-and-anr-vs-aditya-bandopadhyay|CBSE and Anr. v. Aditya Bandopadhyay]] (2011).
+> //"A certified copy of my evaluated answer sheet of [subject/paper code] in the examination held in [month, year], roll number [XXXX]."//
+=== 3. Reason your benefit was stopped ===
+> //"A copy of the order, the file noting, and the rule or circular under which pension, ration, or scholarship payment to the undersigned (PPO or card number [X]) was discontinued in [month, year]."//
+=== 4. Status of your police complaint or FIR ===
+> //"A certified copy of the daily diary entry and the final order on my written complaint dated [date] at [police station], along with the present status of FIR no. [number, if issued]."//
+==== B. Money that should have reached you ====
+=== 5. Scholarship disbursement ===
+> //"A list of students of [college or scheme] who received the [scheme name] scholarship in the financial year [X], along with the date and amount credited. A copy of the sanction order and the utilisation certificate."//
+=== 6. EPF or pension transfer ===
+> //"The current stage, file noting trail, and expected disposal date of my EPF transfer-in claim or pension commencement under PPO [X] dated [date]."//
+=== 7. Government scheme benefit you did not receive ===
+> //"A copy of the list of beneficiaries under [scheme name] in [panchayat or ward] for the financial year [X], along with the criteria used and the sanctioning authority."//
+==== C. Local governance ====
+=== 8. MPLADS or MLALADS spending ===
+> //"A copy of the sanction order, utilisation certificate, and photograph-based inspection report for [specific work, e.g. boundary wall, streetlight installation] under MPLADS or MLALADS in [constituency or ward] during [financial year]."//
+=== 9. Road and civic works ===
+> //"A copy of the tender document, contract award, estimated and actual expenditure, and completion certificate for [specific road, drain, park, or streetlight work] in [ward or locality] in the financial year [X]."//
+=== 10. School or health centre audit ===
+> //"A copy of the last three inspection reports of [government school or Primary Health Centre], along with the attendance register of teachers or doctors for the month of [month, year]."//
+==== D. Transparency of officers and politicians ====
+=== 11. Your elected representative's record ===
+> //"A list of starred and unstarred questions asked by [MP or MLA name, constituency] in [House] between [date range], along with the subject of each question and the minister to whom it was addressed."//
+=== 12. Minister's travel expenditure ===
+> //"The total expenditure incurred on domestic and foreign travel of [minister name] between [date range], along with dates, destinations, and the purpose of each visit."//
+=== 13. Recruitment or transfer orders ===
+> //"A copy of the merit list, cut-off marks, and the selection committee's minutes for [post name] advertised under notification no. [X] dated [date]."//
+==== E. Public money and contracts ====
+=== 14. Tender and contract award ===
+> //"A copy of the tender document, the list of bidders, the evaluation sheet, and the reasons for awarding the contract to [firm name] for [project name] under notification no. [X]."//
+=== 15. Subsidy or loan waiver beneficiaries ===
+> //"A list of beneficiaries of the [scheme name] subsidy or loan waiver in [district or block] for the financial year [X], with name, village, and amount credited."//
+=== 16. Purchase of government equipment ===
+> //"A copy of the purchase order, technical specifications, rate contract, and the utilisation report for [equipment, e.g. laptops for municipal schools] bought in the financial year [X]."//
+==== F. Policy, circular, and rule ====
+=== 17. Circular or standing order ===
+> //"A copy of the latest office memorandum, standing order, or circular issued by [department] regarding [subject], including all amendments up to [date]."//
+=== 18. Transfer and posting policy ===
+> //"A copy of the transfer and posting policy of [cadre or service] in force during [financial year X], along with the list of exceptions granted and the reasons recorded."//
+==== G. Records you didn't know you could ask for ====
+=== 19. File noting behind a decision ===
+> //"A copy of the complete file noting, including inter-departmental communications, leading to the order no. [X] dated [date] in the matter of [subject]."//
+Refer to [[important-decisions:court:girish-ramchandra-deshpande|Girish Deshpande]] for what survives a Section 8(1)(j) privacy test after DPDP 2025.
+=== 20. Public bodies you may not have considered ===
+The RTI Act reaches **every** public authority substantially financed or controlled by the government. Examples that many applicants do not try: **Reserve Bank of India** (on policy, regulation, and supervisory action), **UGC-funded universities**, **IITs and IIMs**, **ONGC, IOC, SBI and other PSUs**, **Election Commission of India**, **Supreme Court and High Court registries** (on administrative matters, not judicial proceedings), and **regulators** like SEBI, TRAI, IRDAI, CAG.
+> //"A copy of [specific order, report, circular, or inspection note] issued by [public authority] in the matter of [subject] during [date range]."//
+See [[important-decisions:thalappalam-coop-vs-state-of-kerala|Thalappalam Co-op Bank]] (SC, 2013) for the "substantially financed" test.
+===== How to file: step by step =====
+  - **Identify the right public authority.** Federal subject (defence, passport, income tax, railway) goes to the **Central** PIO. State subject (police, land, revenue, school) goes to the **State** PIO. See [[state-vs-central-rti|Central vs State RTI]].
+  - **Draft the application** using the format above. One request per paragraph. Specific dates and subjects.
+  - **Pay the Rs 10 fee.** Indian Postal Order (IPO), Demand Draft, or online for the Central Government at [[https://rtionline.gov.in|rtionline.gov.in]]. BPL applicants pay nothing.
+  - **Send by Speed Post** (get a proof of delivery) or file online for central departments.
+  - **Wait up to 30 days** (48 hours if a life or liberty issue is involved, per [[act#section-7disposal-of-request|Section 7(1) proviso]]).
+  - **If the PIO refuses or delays**, file a **first appeal** within 30 days using the [[templates:first-appeal|first appeal format]].
+  - **If the First Appellate Authority also refuses**, file a **second appeal** before the Central or State Information Commission within 90 days using the [[templates:second-appeal|second appeal format]].
+===== Common mistakes to avoid =====
+  - **Asking "why" instead of "what".** Do not ask //"Why was my file stalled?"//. Ask //"A copy of the current file noting on my application"//. See [[why-rti-gets-rejected|the 6 top rejection reasons]].
+  - **Asking for an opinion.** "Do you think the road will be built?" is not a document. Ask for the //sanction order and work-completion certificate//.
+  - **Combining an RTI with a grievance.** Keep action requests separate. See [[rti-vs-complaint|RTI vs Complaint]].
+  - **Naming a third-party individual without cause.** Section 8(1)(j) denials follow, especially post-DPDP 2025. Anchor the request in public activity, not the individual.
+  - **Filing the RTI with the wrong authority.** The central Ministry of Education has no files on state-run schools. The state Education Department does.
+  - **Forgetting the Rs 10 IPO.** A missing fee is a common rejection ground, though the PIO should notify you first under Rule 6.
+  - **Using an anonymous address.** The applicant must be a citizen of India (see [[explanations:citizen-under-rti-act|who is a citizen for RTI]]).
+===== Frequently asked questions =====
+==== Can I ask 20 questions in one RTI? ====
+You can ask multiple questions, but each on a distinct subject with its own clear wording, in numbered paragraphs. A single application must concern //one public authority//. If your 20 questions span different ministries, file 20 separate RTIs (one fee each). If they all concern one department, file one RTI with 20 numbered requests.
+==== Does the PIO have to answer all 20 questions? ====
+The PIO must answer every request that falls within the public authority's records and is not exempt under [[act#section-8exemption-from-disclosure-of-information|Section 8]] or [[act#section-9grounds-for-rejection-to-access-in-certain-cases|Section 9]]. For each refused item, the PIO must cite the specific sub-clause and give reasons, per [[act#section-7disposal-of-request|Section 7(8)]].
+==== What if the information is with another department? ====
+The receiving PIO must **transfer the request** to the correct PIO within 5 days under [[act#section-6request-for-obtaining-information|Section 6(3)]] and inform you. Do not refile on your own during this period.
+==== Can I ask the RBI about a specific bank? ====
+Yes for supervisory records and regulatory actions. Note the Supreme Court's ruling in [[https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1040103/|RBI v. Jayantilal N. Mistry]] (2016) on fiduciary relationship claims. Specific depositor files may be blocked under Section 8(1)(e) fiduciary or Section 8(1)(j) privacy.
+==== How long does a reply take? ====
+The PIO must reply in **30 days** under [[act#section-7disposal-of-request|Section 7(1)]]. For matters of life or liberty, the reply is due in **48 hours**. For third-party information under [[act#section-11third-party-information|Section 11]], the timeline extends to **40 days** to allow for notice and objections.
+==== Will filing an RTI invite harassment? ====
+In practice, a citizen-driven RTI is routine and rarely attracts trouble. If there is retaliation, the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014 provides some cover, and a complaint under [[act#section-18powers-and-functions-of-information-commissions|Section 18]] to the Information Commission is available for the PIO's misconduct.
+===== Call to action =====
+Pick **any one** of the 20 questions above. Paste it into the copy-paste format at the top. Post it by Speed Post with a Rs 10 IPO, or file online at [[https://rtionline.gov.in|rtionline.gov.in]]. You will have an answer in 30 days.
+For state-specific filing, see our [[rules:start|state RTI rules]]. If the reply is inadequate or late, use the [[templates:first-appeal|first appeal format]].
+===== Related =====
+  * [[act|The RTI Act, 2005 (as amended on 14 November 2025)]]
+  * [[rti-vs-complaint|RTI vs Complaint: When to Use RTI and When Not To]]
+  * [[file-rti-online-india|File RTI Online in India: 12 Steps (2026)]]
+  * [[why-rti-gets-rejected|6 Reasons Your RTI Gets Rejected (And Fixes)]]
+  * [[templates:first-rti|RTI Application Format 2026 (Copy-Paste)]]
+  * [[templates:first-appeal|RTI First Appeal Format (30-Day Rule)]]
+  * [[templates:second-appeal|RTI Second Appeal: CIC/SIC Format 2026]]
+  * [[faq|25 RTI Questions Answered (2026 Update)]]
+  * [[state-vs-central-rti|Central vs State RTI: Which Should You File?]]
+===== Also see =====
+  * [[state-rti-portal-rankings|State RTI Portal Rankings 2026]]
+  * [[rti-fees-by-state|Fees by State]]
+===== Sources =====
+  - Right to Information Act, 2005, Sections 6, 7, 8, 11, 18, 19.
+  - RTI Fees and Cost Rules, 2005.
+  - Central Information Commission, //Annual Report 2023-24//.
+  - //CBSE and Anr. v. Aditya Bandopadhyay//, (2011) 8 SCC 497.
+  - //Girish Ramchandra Deshpande v. CIC//, (2013) 1 SCC 212.
+  - //Thalappalam Ser. Coop. Bank Ltd. v. State of Kerala//, (2013) 16 SCC 82.
+  - //RBI v. Jayantilal N. Mistry//, (2016) 3 SCC 525.
+  - Government of India, [[https://rtionline.gov.in|RTI Online Portal]].
+  - Department of Personnel and Training, //Guide on the RTI Act, 2005// (updated 2013).
+//Last reviewed on: 20 April 2026//
+{{tag>rti examples questions sample applications practice}}

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