21 guides · 12 topics

How to do things in India

Each guide answers one real question — the sort people type into a search box at 11pm when an application is rejected, a deposit is withheld, a claim is denied or an OTP arrives that nobody asked for. Every fact is cited to the department, regulator or Act that owns it; every judgment is labelled as our own.

Aadhaar, PAN & ID

Aadhaar enrolment and updates, PAN and its linking, passports, voter ID, birth and death certificates — the documents everything else in India depends on.

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How to apply for a PAN cardInstant e-PAN through the income tax portal takes minutes and is free if you have an Aadhaar with a linked mobile. The paid rout…8 min7 sources

How to apply for an Indian passportApply on Passport Seva, book a Kendra appointment, attend with originals. Police verification is what determines the timeline — …9 min6 sources

How to update your Aadhaar detailsAddress can be changed online in minutes. Mobile number, biometrics and photo require a visit. Name, date of birth and gender ha…9 min6 sources

Money, tax & banking

Filing your ITR, the old and new tax regimes, TDS and Form 26AS, UPI and bank accounts, EPF and PF withdrawal, and CIBIL scores.

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How to check and improve your credit scoreFour bureaus, one free full report a year from each by RBI rule, and a dispute process that costs nothing. What actually moves t…9 min5 sources

How to file your income tax returnFiling is free on the government portal, takes under an hour for a salaried person, and the return is now largely pre-filled. Wh…10 min6 sources

Old vs new tax regime: which is better?The new regime has lower rates and almost no deductions. The old regime has higher rates and lets you subtract a great deal. Whi…9 min5 sources

Understanding your salary slipCTC is not salary. Basic drives PF, gratuity and HRA all at once. What every line on the payslip means, why your in-hand is so m…9 min7 sources

Work & employment

Offer letters and appointment letters, EPF and ESIC, gratuity, notice periods, full and final settlement, and what to do when a salary is not paid.

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How to withdraw or transfer your EPFOnline claims settle in days if your UAN, KYC and exit date are correct — and get rejected for weeks if any one of them is not. …10 min6 sources

What to do if your salary is not paidThe Payment of Wages Act sets a deadline, the labour commissioner adjudicates for free, and unpaid full-and-final settlement is …9 min7 sources

Housing & property

Rent agreements and security deposits, registration and stamp duty, khata and mutation, encumbrance certificates, RERA and the checks before you buy.

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How to get your rent deposit backIndian security deposits are large, unregulated in most states and held by the landlord with no escrow. Photographs at move-in, …9 min6 sources

What to check before buying property in IndiaIndian land records are presumptive, not conclusive — registration proves a transaction happened, not that the seller owned anyt…10 min7 sources

Driving & transport

Learner's licence to driving licence, RC transfer, third-party insurance, e-challans, FASTag and the Parivahan services that are now online.

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How to get a driving licence in IndiaApply on Parivahan, take the learner's test online in many states, wait 30 days, then take the driving test. Plus RC transfer, m…9 min7 sources

Health & insurance

Ayushman Bharat, health insurance policies and claims, hospital bills, the CGHS and ESIC systems, and what a policy will not pay for.

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How to claim health insurance in IndiaCashless at a network hospital, reimbursement everywhere else. What actually gets deducted, why room rent limits quietly halve c…10 min7 sources

Bills & utilities

New electricity, water, gas and broadband connections, name transfers, meter disputes, and what to do when a bill is wrong or cannot be paid.

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What to do if your electricity bill is wrongEvery state has a two-tier free redress system almost nobody uses: a Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum at the distribution comp…9 min5 sources

Education & study

School admission and the RTE quota, board results and certificates, entrance exams, scholarships, and education loans.

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How to get school admission under the RTE quotaPrivate unaided schools must reserve 25% of entry-class seats for children from disadvantaged and weaker sections, free, with th…9 min6 sources

Consumer rights & complaints

The Consumer Protection Act, refunds and warranties, the National Consumer Helpline, e-daakhil and the sector regulators that take complaints seriously.

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How to file a consumer complaint in India1915 for mediation, e-daakhil for a formal case without a lawyer, and a sector regulator above almost every industry. The escala…9 min7 sources