Guides

Why portals reject files, what the rules actually say, and how to get it right the first time. Written by Aman; every guide links the tool that does the job.

• UPSC: the photo, the triple signature and the 10-day ruleUPSC's application is the strictest in the country. A recent photo with your name and date printed on it, three signatures stacked in one image, and file sizes checked to the kilobyte. How to prepare both files correctly.4 min read
• Form 16, ITR-V and bank statements: finding the PDF password you already haveTax and bank PDFs arrive locked, and each follows a different rule. ITR-V has a published format; Form 16 and bank statements are set by your employer or bank. Where to find each password, and how to save an unlocked copy safely.4 min read
• SSC photo and signature rules, explainedSSC now takes your photo live through the camera, so the file you actually prepare is your signature. What the 10–20 KB rule means, why scans get rejected, and how to get both right on a phone.5 min read
• Split a large PDF to fit a 5 MB or 10 MB limitA 40-page statement or a scanned annexure is too big for a 5 MB portal limit or a 10 MB email. Splitting into parts under the limit keeps every page exactly as it was, and is often the better answer than compressing. How to do it and how to name the parts.3 min read
• Colour, greyscale or black and white: which scan should you upload?The same page can be a 900 KB colour scan or a sharp 40 KB black-and-white one. What each mode keeps and throws away, which documents need colour, and why black and white is often the clearest choice under a tight limit.4 min read
• RRB photo and signature rules for NTPC, Group D and ALPRailway recruitment forms reject black-and-white photos, PNG files and signatures in capital letters, and the size range can change between cycles. How to read your CEN and prepare both files correctly on a phone.4 min read
• How to read an exam notification's upload rules in 5 minutesThe photo, signature and document rules in a recruitment notification are buried in a dense annexure. Where to find them, what to write down, the traps that cause rejections, and how to turn the rules into ready files.4 min read
• Reduce a photo to 20 KB or 50 KB without it going blurryThe usual way of shrinking a photo for a form ends in a smudged face that gets rejected anyway. The order that keeps it sharp is resize, then compress, then check. Here is how, including what to do when a form also sets a minimum size.4 min read
• Photo size in cm, pixels and KB: what each number meansA form asks for "3.5 × 4.5 cm, 20–50 KB, 200 DPI" and you are not sure which number to change. Here is what centimetres, pixels, KB and DPI each measure, how they relate, and how to turn any spec into a file that passes.5 min read
• Why was my photo rejected?Exam and government portals refuse a photo for seven reasons, and most of them are invisible when you look at the picture. Here is each one, how to spot it, and how to fix it before the form closes.6 min read
• Compress a PDF under 100 KB or 200 KB for a government portalGST wants 100 KB, NSP 200 KB, NTA between 50 and 300 KB. How to get a scanned certificate or bill under the limit and still readable, when to split instead of compress, and why you should never compress a digitally signed PDF.5 min read
• Passport-size photo in India: which size do you actually need?"Passport size" means different things on different forms: 3.5 × 4.5 cm on most Indian forms, a square 2 × 2 inch on some, and a small 3.5 × 2.5 cm on PAN. How to tell which one your form wants and make it at home.4 min read
• NEET, JEE and CUET: the photo with your name and dateNTA forms want your name and the photo's date printed under your face, inside the image. What that means, which photos you need for NEET, JEE Main and CUET, and how to add the strip without a studio.4 min read
• NSP scholarship: getting every document under 200 KBThe National Scholarship Portal wants each supporting document under 200 KB, and applications are more often sent back for unreadable documents than for wrong ones. How to prepare every file on your phone before you reach the cyber café.3 min read
• Merge, reorder and split PDFs for an applicationApplications ask for documents in a set order, sometimes as one file and sometimes page by page. How to combine scans into one PDF, put pages in the right order, remove blanks, turn sideways pages and pull out only the pages a form wants.4 min read
• Masked Aadhaar: what to hide before you share a copyMost places that ask for your Aadhaar don't need the full number. What a masked Aadhaar is, what to cover on the front and back of the card, why a black box drawn on a PDF often doesn't hide anything, and how to mask it properly.4 min read
• iPhone photos and government websites: fixing the HEIC problemGovernment and exam portals want JPEG, and iPhones save photos as HEIC. Renaming the file doesn't help. What HEIC is, how to change your iPhone so this never happens again, and how to convert a photo you already have.3 min read
• IBPS and SBI: thumb impression and handwritten declarationBank-exam forms need four files with strict pixel checks, and two of them, the left thumb impression and the handwritten declaration, trip up most applicants. How to make both at home so they pass first time.4 min read
• GST, income-tax and MCA uploads: size limits and how to meet themFor accountants and small businesses. The document limits on the GST, income-tax and MCA portals, how to get registration documents, notice replies and eForm attachments under them, and why you compress before signing.4 min read
• How to open your e-Aadhaar PDF: the password format explainedThe e-Aadhaar you download is locked with a password made from your name and year of birth. Here is the exact rule, the cases that trip people up (initials, short names, spaces), and when to use a masked Aadhaar instead.3 min read