LPG - Subsidy direct transfer.

If you have LPG connection from BP, IOC or HP then you are supposed to have Aadhaar and Bank account linked to your LPG connection to get difference in subsidy amount. It looks simple isn't it.

Once this scheme or process was announced few months back, my wife was after me to get this done. Due to lazyness and more importantly, the complexity in execution involved (well it's my thought), I kept postponing it thinking it could this scheme might be postponed.

It is said in Chennai alone there are about 60 lakhs customers who are suppose to receive subsidy money transferred to their bank account. This requires mammoth effort to have the data entered in the appropriate systems at multiple ends. At-least 4 or 5 parameters are critical: the gas agency with city, Aadhaar number, Gas number, Bank and Account Number. Hence, naturally any data entry error can pose a higher challenges or even wrong pay out to account. Further there are going to multiple human touch point or different agency, can create confusion, particularly if pay out does not happen to one's account it could just be difficult to find out as what went wrong. 

On top of this being a continuous execution, would require high costing resources to be in place to function without a hitch. Hence, to me, the combined cost of having this new system, including subsidy pay out might turn out higher then the current system. Though the intention of the government is good that subsidy needs to reach directly its citizen, but sheer volume and different systems in place might cause a nightmare in its implementation 

Now, did I register?.

Yes, first registered my Adhaar card with the online bank site and then linked my Aadhaar through https://rasf.uidai.gov.in/seeding/User/ResidentSplash.aspx. Though had registered about few weeks before but still awaiting confirmation.

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Indian Youth

The general life trend in an Indian youth's career has changed over the years, particularly graduates of engineering  colleges.  But, always there are exceptions.
1970's to 80:

• Engineering degree was still a male bastion, with few exception.
• Preferred jobs in Railways, Telephones, TNEB and public sectors like BHEL, BEL.
• Once in job, book 'Bajaj' scooter which take 7 years to delivery. 
• Save excess money towards taking delivery of ' Hamara Bajaj' Scooter and marriage.
• Post Marriage save money for kids education.
• 'Loan' for personal use from  Bank is unheard.
• Close to retirement, plan to buy house from saving.

1980's to 90's.

• Girls prefer Engineering too. Yes, both are equal, what's wrong. Engineering is no longer a male bastion.
• Preferred jobs still in public sector and some in large private sectors.
• If Parents not dependent, if one is good in studies look at going abroad for post graduation. No worries, if stipend not available ready to work in Petrol banks, stores.
• Still 'Loan' for personal use be it home, consumer, education not available. 'Loan' from Public sector bank are only for Commerce & Industry.
• 'Body shopping', 'H1 stamping' is widely discussed, if one has couple of years experience. 'H1 stamping' is treated as a life time achievement and probably, the eligibility for marriage.

2000's and beyond.

• Layoff or recruitment freeze in Public sector.
• Whatever be the field of engineering study, preferred jobs are  from so called 'Tier 1' IT services company.
• Yes, campus recruitment and who is bothered about whats the job role. Experience matters.
• Private banks enter Indian market, with door step services for all loan needs be it home, consumer, personal. Hold on, bank did not advertise door step services, if you want to make part payment later.
• Word such as 'Body shopping', 'H1 stamping' looses charm. The word 'EMI' is widely known and available for whatever you want.... right  from baby birth till the end.  Yes, includes the recent addition of education loan too....
• Once in job, buy a smart phone(size of laptop) for text ting and browsing wherever you are. Can't waste time. Ensure to change every six months to a year.
• Few years in jobs, buy a house - more due to parents and peer pressure, preferably with metro city pin code and a car as well. Yes, otherwise real estate will go up every month - inputs from well-wishers and off-course purchase is through bank loan ranging  10 to 30 years.  Hmm... start working to feed the bank !!?!! ..............meant EMI.
• Few more years on... with husband and wife both working, debate about who will take care of kids. No worries SOS parents to take turn to take care of kids.
• 'Saving'.... where?.... money disappears to service EMI, life needs and off course the ever increasing inflation......

Already, you should have started hearing about 'Reverse Mortgage' option of house for senior citizen. 
Yes, Banks are innovative and would continue to offer door step services for all loans needs at whatever stage of life, if you are able to work or make your assets work for bank and you..... at any time or any where..

Yes.. its all 'virtual reality', I own everything but its not mine ......................... (Hypothecated to bank :-) ... ). 

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PM: The Indian way with Modi wave.!

It had been quite some time since my last post on my blog. May be, run out of thoughts as what to post or nothing interesting happened to write on it. With General election results out, its time to express my personal views.

All exit polls predicted a win for BJP. But, non would have expected Congress getting less than 50 seats in final tally. Cong by getting less than 50 seats, cannot even have a leader of opposition on its own. This might be also a first time in 30 years there may not be a leader of opposition, as they ask is the party needs to be have won at least 10% of the total seats.

Gone are the days of one way communication from politicians to public through DD or news paper. The visual media and social media have become powerful and a small mistake any where can cost politicians dearly. Like a T 20 match, the margin for making errors have become very narrow. Public focus these days, are just not limited to politician, a political set up or those who are related to it cannot get away after making adverse comments like 'Mango people' or 'Banana Republic' or having undue protection from Government. 

Everyone acknowledges that change is happening, but changes seem to happen quite fast, even less than a year changes can happen. AAP, which made a dream start in Delhi assembly, seems to have lost focus. When Team Anna was agitating the agenda was on corruption and on the ruling government for allowing it. However, in general election AAP performed badly. Not sure, whether  AAP, lost focus about the objective for which it was formed and in the process all seats even in Delhi was lost, which they won in Dec 2013. People decision on voting changed in less than six month towards AAP. 

After 30 years, a party on its own is having a majority and a first non-congress party to have majority in its own. Last time, it was in 1984 when Congress won over 400 seats and since 1984 each successive government was in collision. Even, in case of collision the country look upon a government and more particularly its leader to be decisive. A collision leader could be true and honest, but the people do not to take lightly the statement such as 'Collision Dharma' from  leader of a ruling party, particularly when corruption or kick back happens uninterrupted.

 Democracy is great and at times it can be challenge as well for political parties. At certain point of time a democratic leader have to take tough decision on his own and take responsibility for it and at times the leader might needs to consult elected representative or people. Again, when to consult and when to take responsibility to take tough decision on his own defines the present day ‘democratic leader’.

 I hope, BJP does not get carried out by election victory. The BJP is bestowed with a responsibility to lead the country which would require them to be cautious in all its action and critically need to deliver as per expectation  by providing good governance. 

 Having governed the state of Gujarat for 4th terms interrupted, the people of India had provided a decisive mandate for Modi, with a belief  better days are ahead for India. 

Signing off with a hope that,  India Shines under democratic leadership of Modi!

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House, eligibility of marriage for male!!??!!!

Surprised to find a front page advertisement in a leading English daily which states “He wants to marry my daughter and doesn’t even own a house?".

That too, this advertisement was issued by government funded housing finance corporation.

This seems to be the height of commercialization. Is it to bring necessary pressure on public so that they purchase a house?. 

One cannot say ‘OWN’ a house as advertisement claim,  the reason being in majority case, the house would have been purchased through debt  and which mean one does not own the house till the time the debt is completely serviced. Debt servicing could normally take about 5~30 years depending on once repayment capability.  Further, most likely these days in India it’s a private sector job, which mean once job is always at stake and what if a person looses the job and what if the hypothecated property is sold on auction due to non - servicing of debt?

The advertisement goes further to say “without tension of unpredictable rental accommodation”. The irony is that with no security in job these days, one is not sure whether the buyer would be in same place from young age till retirement. In fact, for some reason after purchase of house, one wish to rent it, there is equal tension of getting good prospective tenants without any issues year after year.

Again for argument sake what would happened if the advertisement would had been like “She wants to marry my son and doesn’t even own a house”, will the advertiser not be booked under dowry acts or a PIL filed in court?.

The Indian culture of humanness, belief, character, and family background seems to be fading under materialism. I can only hope, such advertisement may be stopped in the future.

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Spicy air travel

Was on short vacation to Goa few weeks back , while on my return I did have enough turbulence before we reached Chennai safely. Well, it was not turbulence due to weather, but due to cancellation of flight from Goa to Chennai. One would think, so what, flight cancellations are common, but I felt mine of unique.

Our return flight was at 4:40 PM, since we had visited scenic beaches the previous day, we did not have any plan to visit place the day of our return journey. Our initial plan was to check out at Hotel around 1:00 PM have lunch and proceed to airport, which is about 35 KM from our hotel. However, the previous day our cab driver suggested to start an hour early and he can take us to couple of beach in south Goa near airport before dropping us at airport for flight. This seemed fine and we agreed.

The next day, the driver picked us up at hotel post check out at 11:30 AM and we went to restaurant for lunch. Post lunch as the driver was taking us to a beach, it was 12:20 PM and a got a recorded phone call from airline stating the flight is cancelled for the evening and asking me bluntly to reach out to call center.

While on the way to a beach, I called up airline call center at 12:30 PM and gave my ticket PNR number and waited for a moment. The rest of it,

Call center: Yes, Sir how may I assist you.

Myself: What does your system say about my booking

Call center: Sorry sir, we really apologize for inconvenience caused, you flight is cancelled for the day.
(This was after I asked about the booking).

Myself: Why?.

Call center: Technical problem in flight,sir.

Myself: That's you problem to fix, so what are the options?

Call center: We have a flight tomorrow at 1:00 PM and you can travel with same ticket with no extra cost.

Myself: What??.... Will you provide for accommodation for stay, as I am not native of Goa and checked out of hotel? It will cost me a fortune for a night stay with family.

Call center: Sorry sir, we can’t provide accommodation (same reply came again and again).

****I was asking myself whether I have taken air ticket or a bus ticket to get such response? ****.

Myself: Come on, if you are not providing accommodation, is there alternative flight to other location like Bangalore, Hyderabad or Mumbai from where I can take flight to Chennai.

Call center: No sir, it already 12:45 PM, we have a flight to Bangalore at 1:55PM and to Hyderabad 2:15PM (then onward to Chennai at 19:25). From call center system allows for changes only upto 2 hours prior flight. Hence, unable to make change.

** I got some solace, immediately asked the cab driver to how long it takes to reach airport from that spot as he was driving towards beach location. He told me 30 minutes, immediately instructed him to drive to airport. ***

 Myself: Please get your supervisor, online. I will be in position to reach airport in another 40 minutes should be in time to reach in time Goa to Hyderabad flight. Hence put me on Hyderabad flight and had to shout" *********** and finally"

Call center: Hold on sir……….. Finally call center person confirms flight changes are done.

My wife and daughter, watching this, made a remark that they way, I was handling the situation was as thrilling like a movie scene..:).

In fact, there also a call few minutes later from airline spokesperson, stating my flight was cancelled, I shouted and asked her to check my reservation update in the system, she took few minutes and confirmed back...Hmmm....
 
Finally, we reached airport for flight by 1:10 PM and where in time for the flight check in and reached Chennai via Hyderabad.

Though, I was able to reach my home and flight cancellation is part and parcel of this industry, I had to manage the crisis on my own initiative for the fault on airline part.

Few question, for which I do not have answers,.

1. Airline being part of travel and hospitality industry, is it not the airline, who should have called me and informed about the flight option as from their internal computer system as they would know that, I am traveling with family and base location is different?.

2. In worst case, if airline cannot provide alternative on same day, should they not provide with appropriate accommodation?.

3. Being a no frill airline, compensation or accommodation are not applicable ?. If this is true, then passengers can be taken for a ride, particularly for small aircraft, when there are no adequate bookings and they can cite this point, if really needed.


Interestingly, the in flight crew circulated the feedback forms and collected it back, though I did mention few points in feedback. Not sure, whether these would be addressed OR is their a guideline/rule of law for passengers in event of cancellation by airline regulatory body for domestic flights in India?.

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Cricket - Bidding Vs Betting

According to web dictionary, meaning of bidding is an offer (often competitive) of setting a price one is willing to pay for something. A price offer is called a bid. The term may be used in context of auctions, stock exchange, card games, or real estate.

Meaning of betting - is the activity of predicting results and placing a wager on the outcome.

Last few days, Indian news is all about betting and spot fixing.

To me, bidding or auctioning and betting has a very thin line of difference and both are not right in cricket, as human is the subject of bidding or betting.

 In first place, sport or hobby start as passion and once a person starts playing for school, college, university, state or in a highest level to home country one would get patriotic about it. One cannot say the same after being auctioned for money… I meant, auctioned. Are the entities which win auction of player’s philanthropic or nonprofit organization? I think not. Like any business entity they might look at the return on investment or maximize resource utilization :-).

Interestingly, there is so much hype and cry for betting. But, unfortunately one did not see such opposition on player bidding for huge amount. Is it because bidding is legal, while betting is illegal?. Also, read an article in a news paper about FICCI is seeking to make betting legal.

To me, as I said, auctioning or betting should not be allowed when human is the subject of bidding or betting. Once, auctioning or betting happens it could get extended into spot fixing or any other forms of fixing.

Let team sport like cricket be made to remain as gentleman game, played with passion and patriotism and not reduced to action film played as per predefined scripts.

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Hinduism - Part 2.

Why does Hinduism have so many gods?. This is the one of the question normally asked. I have heard many answers, but, I thought of giving my own answer. 'Hinduism' is one amongst the oldest living religion date back to millions of years. As per Hindu mythology there are four yugas' namely Satyayuga (golden age),Tretha yuga(silver age), Dwapura Yuga(bronze age) and currently we are in Kaliyuga(Iron age).

Many of the god's incarnation in form of human happened over these yugas. As a matter of fact, god maha Vishnu has so far had 9 incarnation (out of 10) in his total of 10 Desaavatharam.

Hence, as Hinduism dates back to millions of years, each time their was incarnation of god into human and fought over the evil. This could have given new name for god. Further, all Hindu mythology god has associated biography behind it.

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