Sunday, May 13, 2007

Corruption at the Passport offices ? Has it reduced ?

I had to apply for fresh passports for my kids & I was told it can be filled online . Yes , it can be filled online & it is relatively easier . You could get into this site for Info https://passport.gov.in/pms/Information.jsp .

When we start entering it online it also tells you the date
on which you need to be in person at the office & also the time slot..cool na.We reached early morning at 8 am the next day only to find out that there is a huge line already …mind you the office actually starts only at 10 am ..still. Now there are many lines all leading to just one narrow door . What I wonder is…with developments happening all over ..huge new buildings all over the places in Pune …the government cant build a good building with sufficient parking space & required ammenties for a passport office !!! It is really pathetic !!


Everyone will be allowed inside once it is 10 am. In the mean time we manage to find out which line is ours. Yes, there is a separate line for people who have filled it online . Now note- the online forms are only for applying FRESH passports.

It’s been 2 hrs we have been waiting in the hot sun …& its 10 am …now…people are all ready to charge in …people with kids ..kids crying ..all commotion happening . Actually ,there is no need to bring in your children .the father & mother with their passports is enough with all relevant certificates . Its 10 .15 am …now people get really desperate.. …& if in the middle of this if somebody tries to get into the the line or something …he/she had it then…The day we went it was a she …:)


Finally we mange to get into the office & there are counters for each one.
We stood at the online counter & we realized that if we have all the necessary documents ,its done .we had to read all the instructions carefully & carry all of them …that’s it..There is absolutely no need to get it through an agent . They charge heavily & it is not required at all. Even in some cases the affidavits are not required , they are there available online with the ashoka stamp & yu just need to take out a print of it . So no need of getting it done through a laywer for which charges are extra . It would have been better if xeroxes are done before you reach the passport office. These are also charged more in the vicinity .
It is we who have to change things . Online forms is really a good step
to curb corruption.

Lets stop corruption guys !! It is we who have to & not them !!!!

Ok…I forgot…if you are wondering who this WE are …it was me & my wife..:) . We are getting the passports tomorrow for my kids . Yes , in just one months time .This time need to stand in a different line ..hope the line tomorrow is not long enough .


The key areas of improvements required are :

• A building with all required amenities .

• The time slots provided on the online forms to be adhered to strictly to avoid long lines.

• Online forms to be facilitated for all other requirements other than just fresh passports.

• Increase the number of counters so that the processing is faster.


You could add on to this list ..I know you must be having your own piece of experience.

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Should men stay alone after marriage???

Looks like all the women are here to know...hello there ..:)

After boarding the flight from Mumbai ...alone...of course

on a project deputation abroad...was feeling so disappointed

..did not put on the TV screen the entire flight... was

continuously thinking about whatever I have left behind...

the most important being my family !!! feeling very disturbed

..was it a right decision to take this call. well I had no choice

either... At home used to take things for granted ....when they

are away one really feels the pinch .

Emotionally I feel men are not that strong as the women .....no...

it is not home sickness.. it is that feeling of having people

whom you love being around you ..without which there is a sense

of emptiness within you ..I think men feel it more compared to

the women .. its always said that the men are stronger than the

women ..however it does not seem so .

Men i think are lazy home ..however when they the alone...

they are 10 out of 10 ..:) ..So i feel men should stay alone

for some time to realize it . However a very difficult way for

the men ...:)...poor thing..:)

anyways 3 weeks here ...first time into the kitchen !!!..

expert in making dal , chicken, rice kicdhi & the list goes on...

what say ? do post in your comments....

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Manufacturing v/s Software

I started working for a manufacturing firm & have worked in companies like Greaves, Intervalve,Forbes Marshall . I spent around 8 yrs in the industry . The longest stint for me
being with Forbes for 6 yrs....no dont misunderstand..not the Forbes which lists out the fortune 500 companies or even Eureka Forbes. Forbes Marshall is an engineering company with a 100 to 110 crores turnover in Pune. These 8 yrs I have slogged & found that the jobs I have handled were pretty challenging. It would be either getting a work piece in time from the vendor or it could be just struggling to match a component in the aasembly line( I not being in assembly line however I being resposible for the component bought) .Along with me is the vendor who I am continously blasting at for the component not made to specification ...and loads of other tensions like cost reduction,six sigma to name a few. I used to get frustrated that I am not being paid for what I am doing but at the end of day I used to be satisfied that I have done something worthwhile. I always used to return home dead tired after I have walked the entire shop floor countless times . Even after returning home I used to get a call from my boss that a part was missing ( My mistake ..I must not have even planned for it ...:( ) .There were days when I have gone out at night & stayed back the whole night in the company to manufacture a missing part which is required since the assembly has to be shipped the next day...:) .All said & done each day
used be exciting & I used to wait for it to take on the challenge . However I used be very cool & I never used to show it on my face ,although I was pretty disturbed inside .My boss Sanjeev used to scream at me "How can you be so cool " .Since he was very short tempered ..:) ..He must have cooled down after I left..:) .
At home I used to vent out my frustration ,with my wife being in software & she sharing how things were in software industry , I felt I should be there. I always to keep abreast with the latest happenings in business . I knew I would not be able to code however the ERP buzz had
hit me before it hit the market in the late 90's. I was keen to get into this . However never could . Finally I managed to ...ahhh.. land into SAP( Number 1 ERP package) ..it was like a dream come true for me !! After 3 years in the industry & worked with top notch Indian & MNC software companies ,I sometimes wonder how the software industry runs. Are the software companies really making money ?...yes , it is defintely.But am i satisfied ...its a big NO as of now. As far as money yes ,it does really pay well. But as far as work is concerned it is not . Is it the Project Manager to blame or myself I still need to figure out .It is exactly the reverse of I used to feel during my manufacturing days. Nine hrs continously in front of the box..sorry it was a box in my earlier company ..today I use a thin sleek desktop ...feeling shit cold in an AC hall.. !! Work I have handled is all in bits in pieces ,there is nothing I feel that I own . Worked on so called implementation projects but really did not map a single business process in the last project I worked ..at the end of day ...not satisfied .When will India focus on developing products..like i-Flex for its Flex-cube & Finacle for Infy & yes one more which I know Ramco for its ERP package which is in the doldrums now . Well am i drifting away from the topic... Support projects in ERP are nothing but a little better than a call centre job. What I really intend here is what value have I added to the client or myself .Am I really adding value ? I must be adding value right ...not sure really ! or is it too early to comment ...maybe 3 yrs is not much time..for people calculating it is 11 yrs of total work ex .....anyways I have started blogging now...:)

Chill