Glossary

Karnataka land & survey glossary

Plain-language meanings for the words on your RTC (Pahani) and village map / Tippan, what each one is, and which of them you actually need before joining your sheets.

RTC (Pahani)RTCಪಹಣಿ

Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops: Karnataka's core land record. For a survey number it shows the holder, the extent, the tenancy position and the crops grown. The document every purchase, loan and dispute starts from.

Tippanಟಿಪ್ಪಣಿ

The survey sketch of a single survey number or hissa, drawn with its measured boundaries. It is Karnataka's equivalent of an FMB sketch: one Tippan covers one number, so a holding across several numbers needs several joined together.

Bhoomiಭೂಮಿ

The state's land-records system, where RTCs and mutations are maintained and issued. One of India's earliest land-record computerisation programmes, and the source of the RTC copies used almost everywhere.

Akarbandಆಕಾರಬಂದ್

The register showing each survey number's extent and the revenue assessed on it, prepared at settlement. Consulted when an RTC's area is questioned or when a survey number's original extent has to be established.

Podiಪೋಡಿ

The sub-division of a survey number into separate holdings: after a partition, a sale of part, or the grant of a portion. Each resulting hissa gets its own record and its own sketch, which is why one original number can end up as a dozen sheets.

Hissaಹಿಸ್ಸಾ

A share or portion of a survey number, written as a suffix: 45/2 is hissa 2 of survey number 45. Each hissa has its own RTC and its own Tippan.

11E Sketch11E

The sketch prepared by a licensed surveyor when part of a survey number is being sold, showing the portion being transferred within the parent parcel. Registration of a part-parcel sale generally requires it.

Mojiniಮೋಜಿಣಿ

The state's survey request system, through which applications for sub-division sketches, 11E sketches and boundary work are filed and tracked with the survey department.

Mutation (MR)MR

The entry transferring a holding in the record after a sale, inheritance or partition. Until the mutation is complete the RTC still names the earlier holder, so its status is what a buyer checks after registration.

Village Accountant

The village-level revenue official who maintains the RTC, records crop entries and initiates mutations: Karnataka's counterpart to the Talathi or Patwari.

Form 9 and Form 11

Records issued by a gram panchayat for non-agricultural properties in its area: Form 9 the property register entry, Form 11 the demand register. They cover village-area buildings and sites, which sit outside the RTC.

Village mapಗ್ರಾಮ ನಕ್ಷೆ

The cadastral map of a revenue village showing every survey number and its boundaries, issued as several adjacent sheets for a large village. Joined together with the Tippans, it is how a holding is seen in its full context.

The full Karnataka guide · Tamil Nadu's glossary