We Indians take being humorous very seriously. Mincing words? What’s that? We are straightforward and believe in receiving information as it is. This might land some of us in trouble sometimes, however, where’s the fun in living a risk-free life? We must live our lives to the absolute fullest, even if it means ruffling a few feathers at a government ministry. The RTI Act, passed in 2005, gives every Indian citizen to request information from any government institution they want – which eventually led to an overwhelming amount of RTIs being filed every day – over 4800 – most of which are utterly useless. Here are some people who filed some of the most ridiculous and funny RTIs & PILs so the rest of us could laugh one day.
Also read: 21 Funny News Stories That Prove Anything Can Happen In India
The tale of lost ‘Ladoos’
In 2008, hilarity ensued when a girl from Uttar Pradesh asked NHRC about her ‘Ladoos’, which she had sent to then U.S President George W. Bush on Rakshabandhan. She asked the commission to take action since the President never received them.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The man who took his ‘Paan’ very, very seriously
A man from Delhi filed an RTI in 2010 to get details of ‘Paan’ chewing habits of MCD officials. And, he did not end there. In his application, he also sounded very eager to know the ingredients of ‘Paan’.
Source: Flickr
The man who wanted to know about the Governor’s dinner menu and his “temple runs”
A man from Hyderabad got too curious about the ins and outs of the governor and filed an RTI to know how many times does the Governor of Andhra Pradesh visits the temple and what the dinner menu at his official residence consists of.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The man who was too desperate for a partner
A 47-year old man hailing from Kutch, Gujarat filed an RTI to request Tamil Nadu state information commission to provide details on a suitable partner for marriage from any government department.
Source: Pixabay
The misogynist who wanted to know the price of brides
An RTI filed in April 2011 requested information from Punjab University on the price of brides/girls according to popular Hindu scripts, the Ramayana and Mahabharata. As if that wasn’t enough, the RTI also sought information on the price of time as per the scripts.
Source: Piqsels
Looking for Acche Din with Tehseen and 15 lakh others
Congress spokesperson Tehseenn Poonawala filed an RTI seeking the answer to the question everyone in India wants to be answered, “whether Achche Din have indeed arrived?”
Source: Wikimedia Commons
This is what fanfiction is for, mate
Lawyer Thakur Chandan Kumar Singh filed a PIL in a Bihar court against Lord Rama and his brother Lakshman for sending Sita to a life in exile in a forest without any fault of her.
The struggle for a stolen cycle
If you were wondering whether things could get crazier, here’s the answer – they definitely can. A 9 year old boy filed an RTI that forced the Delhi police to register his stolen bicycle. He also demanded action against the assistant sub-inspector and also asked for a compensation of Rs 2500!
Source: pxfuel
For research purposes only
Someone filed an RTI to ask where the question papers for Aligarh Muslim University were printed, and where the answer papers were checked. What can we say? Must be a pretty curious fella.
Source: Flickr
Working on my issues
An applicant for the lecturer’s post at DU filed an RTI asking why his answers weren’t considered satisfactory by the recruiting committee.
Source: Flickr
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