Just last Friday over lunch, I was explaining Zen Citizen’s two-fold approach to tackling petty corruption to a friend, A.
The first part involves sharing a list of reasons officials often use to reject applications for government services. Some of these reasons are legitimate, while others are fabricated to prolong the process, making citizens weary and pushing them toward hiring an agent or paying a bribe. We equip citizens with the knowledge to navigate these nuances and submit flawless applications.
A interjected with rightful skepticism, “How could you possibly stay ahead of all the creative reasons they come up with?”
I hear this often. It perfectly transitions to the other half of our strategy: simplifying how citizens can utilize powerful tools like the Right To Information and Right to Services Act to hold officials accountable. We equip them with what they need – contact details, clear templates, and workarounds for filing and payments – to truly make these laws work for them.
Even as the RTI Act’s power is diminishing in certain areas, it remains a powerful tool for inquiring about service delays. For every citizen brave enough to invoke laws like the RTI or Right to Services Act, countless others have internalized bribery as a norm and pay without protest.. Officials often prioritize the applications of these ‘troublemakers’ rather than risk a formal inquiry on their records.
The first approach bridges information gaps and overcomes technical hurdles, and the second counters the people-centric challenges within the system.
As if on cue, that same Sunday, Mohan, one of our readers, gave us a perfect real-world example: he finally received his marriage registration certificate 14 days after he somewhat reluctantly followed our advice to file an RTI. He also had a baby boy the same day!
I’ll share Mohan’s timeline below for those interested in the details of how this came through. Before that, I want to emphasize that our approach doesn’t eliminate challenges, but rather guides you through them based on our exhaustive research and fieldwork.
Mohan’s Story
Mohan first applied for his marriage certificate online when the process launched in February 2024. His application was rejected, and he didn’t try again until last month, when having the certificate became crucial.
Here’s his recent journey:
Application 1
April 24, 2025: Mohan submits application for marriage certificate.
April 25, 2025: Application returned by Sub Registrar with the reason: “Marriage Proof is not being previewed.”
April 25, 2025: The message from the SR is unclear. Mohan re-submits the application after double-checking that the PDFs can be opened.
April 28, 2025: Status updated to “Application Verified by SDA/FDA/DEO.”
April 30, 2025: Status hasn’t changed, so Mohan reaches out to us asking how long it typically takes.
We inform him that after verifying the application, the Sub Registrar must enable the option to make the payment. According to the government timeline, the application should be processed within 1 day after payment. It appears that the Sub Registrar is preventing the application from reaching the payment step.
We advise him to file an RTI (Right to Information). Our guide even has the template text. We him to the template and the guide with detailed instructions. However, he is not inclined – filing an RTI sounds like a lot of work, and files another application instead.
Application 2
May 3, 2025: Mohan reaches out to us again; he has created a new application, but this it is rejected with the comment: “Upload marriage invitation along with marriage photos. Upload latest 2B size photos.” He re-submitted the application following these instructions, but it is rejected again with the same reason. What should he do?
We review Mohan’s application, which has been diligently prepared. It’s clear that the Sub Registrar is trying to make him give up and hire an agent to file the application, with the agent routing part of their fee to the SR as a bribe.
Once again, we advise him to file an RTI, directing him to the template and the guide with detailed instructions. We reiterate that the cost for filing the RTI is just Rs. 10 – he doesn’t have much to lose.
This time, he proceeds with the RTI application.
May 6, 2025: Mohan reaches out again to say he got a notification that RTI application was allocated to “Secretariat – REVENUE” on May 5th, however the Marriage registration status has not changed. The status continues to be: “Upload marriage invitation along with marriage photos. Upload latest 2B size photos.”
He sounds weary: “Like I want to understand, what this RTI application will provide to me in real sense ? it seems the progress is very slow to get this. Not sure I will get the response on my RTI application?”
We explain what is stated in the guide: We file an RTI to find out why the application is not being accepted. Right now, we don’t know the reason. There’s no way to seek clarification from the SR through the portal, and you’re not getting sufficient responses via email or phone. So, we file an RTI. When an RTI is filed, the official is legally required to respond within 30 days of submission. Therefore, if Mohan’s application is airtight, it will be processed within that timeframe.
May 14, 2025: Mohan reaches out again; His application has been successfully verified, the payment option was enabled, and he made the payment successfully. However, the status now shows “Submitted for Verification”. He is confused as to why his application is being subject to another verification.
We clarify that after the payment is made, the SR verifies the payment, generates the marriage certificate, and adds their digital signature.
Mohan hasn’t made any changes to the application, yet it is now verified and enabled for payment, implying that filing the RTI application has helped.
May 18, 2025: 2 weeks from the date the RTI was filed
Mohan texts to say that his marriage certificate has been approved, and he was able to download it.