Random Experiences

Trust

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 18:46:00 +0000

Trust is a very important ingredient in any relationship. It's slow in building, easy to break and an element in a relationship that people under value by yards.

The difficult thing about trust is, once it breaks it's difficult to rebuild. We can attempt to rebuild it; but no matter how hard we try, it remains like a knot in the relationship. Always visible and very difficult to smoothen.

Funny thing is, it's the ones closest to you who break it when it matters. I guess if someone who didn't matter to you broke it, you wouldn't care so it wouldn't matter anyways.

So that puts you in a bind - you care about the person but can no longer trust them. Trust them to do the right thing, trust them to understand you. It's a wretched situation to be in and no one is wiser at the end. Confronting it with the other also does not solve it - trust is something you can't just grow no matter how hard you try to let go.

Anyways, this is one of those days when I decided to go on a rant. A short one, but a rant nonetheless.

India lost the Battle of Balakot : Period

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Tue, 28 May 2019 01:20:00 +0000

Background
After the Pulwama attack by Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a retaliatory air strike against Pakistan. In any common sense seeking world, an objective assessment of the air strikes by India would show that it was a disaster of epic proportions by India.

This was retaliatory strikes by Modi were based on two faulty assessments/bravado :
- That the Indian Air Force was equipped
- That the Indian intelligence had all information at hand

Fact
Neither was the case. Indian intelligence took 12 full days to gather required intelligence on the place to attack! Balakot, by the way, is a known terrorist hide out that ideally should have already been under surveillance by RAW.

Attack Day
The day of the attack just showed how ill prepared Indian Air Force was. They had to send 12 fighter jets to hit a stationary target. Not only that, the 12 jets just fired 4 missiles - so it was not a capacity constraint. Practically even one Jaguar Fighter would have sufficed if just capacity is considered as a factor to fire 4 missiles.

That's not all, the fighter jets never crossed the LOC. These were fired from the Indian side so that the fighters did not have to take the risk of confronting the Pakistani fighters which were better equipped.

Finally, these fighters missed the target - was it deliberate or a genuine miss remains disputed, but fact is they missed. No amount of Modi speeches changesb this fact is the contrary without any ground evidence.

The counter attack by Pakistan
The Pakistanis knew they had technological superiority and way better intelligence. They retaliated the next day - during the day! Not even under the cover of darkness because they knew India could not stop Pakistani fighters. That points to a very good intelligence and good technical prowess.

They attacked Indian army HQ! That is an act of war and which should have been retaliated ideally! And F16s did not miss, it was a deliberate miss. Those missiles don't miss from so close.

Third, we lost a MiG. There are stories being put out that Abhinandan shot down an F16; but there is not a shred of evidence to that effect. We can blindly believe what BJP says; but I won't especially when it's a question of my nation's security.

Fourth, Pakistan played the Abhinandan card very well using social media. They built pressure on Indian government to back off using Wing Cmdr Abhinandans viral videos in captivity.

That all points to a military establishment on the Pakistani side that was well prepared and well oiled for such eventualities. It also points to a pathetic state of preparedness on the Indian side.

Finally, and the saddest part, we brought down our own helicopter and killed 6 of our own men under the garb of friendly fire. It's the saddest thing I heard during the entire Balakot conflict. That probably is the highest confirmed casualty figures of this conflict on any side.

The Aftermath
Indian public is fooled in many aspects by the ruling government. But the military generals in India know what happened in reality - and I hope they are brave enough to accept this and tell it to the ruling party. Indian military is not equipped to fight the Pakistanis. Not just militarily but even on the phycological warfare via Twitter and Facebook; Pakistanis won hands down.

Rafael jets is just a small piece of the puzzle that needs to be solved. I also noticed a spurt in modern equipment in the aftermath of Balakot. Purchase of Lapua Magnum guns under direct purchase route being one key one.

It's human to try and find a positive in the aftermath of a disaster - this was a disaster of epic proportions by India. The only positive is now the Indian generals know what they had already feared, Indian Air Force is technologically outmatched by Pakistan.

Sad day for me as an Indian.

Pulwama and Beyond : Taking Pakistan to the end

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 03:16:00 +0000

The most fundamental question that Indians need to ask today is why did Pakistan attack India by killing 44 CRPF Jawans in Pulwama. They could have carried out any different type of attack but why something at such a massive scale and why now? Terrorist attacks by Pakiatan are never random acts - every attack has a purpose; what was the aim in attacking Pulwama?

The answer may sound absurd but Pulwama was done because Pakistan wanted Modi to win. Sounds twisted, not entirely.

Background
Pakistani army runs Pakistan by building fear in the Pakistani population against *Hindu* India - the Pak army runs on this bigoted theory and fear in the Pakistani population that India is out to get them. By building this fear, Pak army is able to take 25-30% of annual Pakistani Budget for their expenses! That is the highest military allocation for any army globally.

Modi with his rightist views is the ideal candidate for this fear mongering from a Pakistani stand point. Even as I write this and as Wing Cmdr Abhinandan release is underway, Pakistani media is building fear against Hindu Modi and his aggression.

Uri terrorist attack taught the Pakistani army that if they attack the Indian armed forces, Indian public pressure to retaliate would be higher than if they attacked civilian targets like Mumbai. So if they wanted a response from India, they had to attack a military installation. More importantly, the target had to be something away from LOC as else Indians would accept it as collateral damage. However, attacking outside Kashmir would not go down well and escalate beyond limits. A CRPF convoy in Kashmir fit all these criterions; the fact that bomber was a Kashmiri was just icing on the cake.

Pakistan knew that if they carried out a major attack before Indian elections, Modi had to retaliate within a limited time frame. Their calculation was that India would carry out a surgical strike (ground assault into POK) like the last one as retaliation for Pulwama.

A ground assault was something Pakistani army could accept as reasonable and not retaliate. This would go down well with the Indian population and the hopes of a Modi win would increase. Classic example of state craft by Pakistan to manipulate Indian elections.

The miscalculation
Indian counter attack crossed the International Border.

What the Pakistanis did not expect is for the Indians to cross the international border when India retaliated. They always believed that threat of their nuclear weapons would deter India from attacking any place in mainland Pakistan. Any attack in POK would be acceptable.

When India did cross the IB, the game got a bit out of hand for the Pakistani army. Their reputation among the local population was hurt. Not the intended script by Pak army even though it would have ensured a Modi win at the cost of diminishing Pak army reputation (had it not gone any further).

Pakistani Counter over Nowshera/Rajouri sectors
To get the respect back, Pak army sent a few missiles over to the Indian side. Indians say, these missiles missed Indian military installations. These missiles don't miss - it was a deliberate act just to show the local Pakistani population that they were capable of attacking India at will.

Such are the vagaries of war that Wing Cmdr Abhinandan was shot down along with a Pak F16. The good news was that all pilots had survived so the population would accept that.

From a Pakistani Army stand point the even better news was that they had captured the Indian pilot. This gave the Pak army an option to win multiple brownie points.

Round One Ends
Clearly round one went to Pakistani army.

The reputation of Pak army among its population went up because it shot down an Indian MiG and even captured the pilot. The public videos of Wing Cmdr Abhinandan were part of psychological warfare to put pressure on the Indian govt by means of Indian people. It worked. The Indian govt had to back down in face of Indian populations pressure despite an act of war committed by Pakistan by attacking Indian installations.

But the main agenda(of Pak Army by attacking India) of a Modi win looked dicey if Indians felt that they had lost. To overcome this, they played/will play a very smart move. Send Wing Cmdr Abhinandan back to India across the Wagha Border to a heroes welcome. It could have been a quiet handover but making him a spectacle will make Indians feel that Modi had won the day. This will finally fulfill all the aims of the Pakistani army of a story they began by attacking Pulwama.

India also actually had multiple victories too - all subtle from a political stand point but militarily change the rules of the game. Indian fighters for the first time crossed the LOC. They even attacked into Pakistani territory. Above all, Pakistans threat of a nuclear attack was called out as a bluff.

What next
India and Pakistan have very experienced strategists and to predict is difficult. But India will up the diplomatic ante against Pakistan. Pakistan will go back to festering militancy in Kashmir for now - try and make it more organic. From the looks of it, the next major attack will be scheduled for just a few months after the elections to test the new prime minister.

Important Note
Please note, that no Terrorist attack by Pakistan is a random act. It's a calculated move to test India's threshold and to show the local population in Pakistan that their army can bleed India. That's the sole purpose of the Pakistani army thereby enabling them to control the government. Always use your brain(not heart) and cold strategic calculations when assessing why an attack happened.

The Evolving Thought Process

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sun, 05 Aug 2018 22:02:00 +0000

Blogs or personal diaries are a very important mirror into ones psyche. Especially to understand how a person psyche has evolved over time.

I love to go over my old blogs and reminiscence the days gone by. I read them and I smile - how naive was I back then I tell myself. That's the benefit of hindsight, your past thoughts and actions can be evaluated and criticised since now you know the outcomes of each thought and decision. Rarely have any decisions I've made panned out as expected.

Don't I wish that I had the benefit of hind sight for every decision I made. But then if every decision was perfect - without mistakes, life would be so boring. It may become efficient, but it will lose any ups and downs.

Life needs highs and lows. Some challenge to get you out of bed. Some sadness and a lot of happiness. Some crunch moments and a few relaxed eons. Some spice and tonnes of sugar. Else it becomes a humdrum monotony.

The people who make all this possible - your relatives and friends. They are the actors in your story called life. Each friend/relative has a very important part to play. They make you who you are - shape your thoughts. Some may only come for a brief moment, but might impact you for a lifetime while others may be with you for a lifetime but impact you only for a moment. It's the depth and connect that matters.

Most important, never lose these actors who made it to your story called life. You can be angry with them or not trust them, but never lose them as otherwise their part remains incomplete in your story. Sometimes it can be difficult, but should has to be done.

*Getting back on track* - I write my blog for myself and to reminisce my past. I have even written a blog that will publish 70 years from now if my blog survives that time. It's just to keep everything interesting.

One of those mornings

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 01:40:00 +0000

Today is one of those mornings when you wake up at 4 AM and can't go back to sleep.

It is actually a beautiful period when the day is yet to begin and everything is quiet. It's a time when I can roll in my bed without bothering about the time wasted. A time to reflect and think and just slow down. A wonderful time coz maybe early morning reminds me of childhood, of school, of cherished memories spent on beaches and chasing kites.

Of course in today's world reflection can mean a lot of things. For me it began as a humdrum activity of cleaning up photographs that have a propensity to accumulate over time.

Old photos bring up memories a fresh. Some make you smile, others make you cringe but they are happy memories. I guess in the hind sight, everything works out just as it was supposed to. There are always the could have and should have moments, but I like to tell myself that I took the best decisions possible back then (based on my intellect back then). Had I been a being of an higher IQ I may have done things differently but then that wouldn't have been me.

Anyways, getting my train of thought back on the loose track it has been today. The morning is quiet and all souls asleep. The river flows gently now that the rains have ebbed. It's tranquility that's much needed, much missed. Sigh - City Life.

This indeed is a random thought.

How to reach Rajmachi fort in Maharashtra from Lonavala

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 04:23:00 +0000

Recently, we visited Rajmachi Fort for a one day trek. I am sharing my experience with others in order to help them plan better. We had left from Pune, but even if you are coming from Bombay it'll be more or less similar. Just one request, its a beautiful place, PLEASE DO NOT THROW PLASTIC BOTTLES and spoil it for others.

Background
We were a 6 friends from Pune who wanted to go on a one day trek to Rajmachi Fort over a Sunday. Since we didn't have much idea we tried to google it but overall it wasn't much help. This blog is an

Rajmachi Fort

attempt to solve this problem for future trekkers.

Points to remember
Fansarai : A small hamlet between Lonavala & Fort Rajmachi with about 15 houses
Rajmachi Village : At the foothill of Rajmachi fort. Please remember there are 2 forts side by side.
Note : We were a group of 6 novice trekkers and were going there for fun. So we took a lot of breaks in our walks and the time taken by us including the breaks is mentioned. Seasoned trekkers could complete the trek in half the time.

Step 1 : Reaching Lonavala from Pune (90 mins by train)
If you plan to go by train, Lonavala is the closest train station. You can also take a bus to Lonavala. For us, we took the first local at 4:50 AM from Shivajinagar which took us to Lonavala station by around 6:30. The ride was pretty cold (as it was January and winter was in full flow), so please take appropriate clothes.

Tips

Take stuff to cover your ears from the cold wind if you plan to go in winter
You don't want to carry too much stuff; so pack clothes wisely
At 6:30 AM the Lonavala station is almost empty
Please use the washrooms on the station as you won't get any other washroom beyond that point

Step 2 : From Lonavala to Fansarai (40 mins by cab)

There are two options from Lonavala station. Either you take a cab directly to Rajmachi fort or take a cab till Fansarai and walk from there. Since we were in a mood to trek we decided to take a cab till Fanasrai and walk from there.

To get a cab early in the morning all you need to do is walk over to the parking lot and ask for a cab agent to the guy managing the parking. He will guide you to an agent who will arrange the cab. Even autos are available. We were met by an agent named Atul who got his cousin Shankar to take us to Fanasrai. The road is very very bad (video uploaded) so be ready for a few bumps.

How to arrange a cab at 6:30 AM

One way till Fanasarai from Lonavala by cab is Rs 900 and till Rajmachi is Rs 1200. Return is Rs 2000. You might have to negotiate a bit but should be manageable. I recommend booking a return trip but ensure you only pay half or lesser amount once the person drops you off. Also please see tips at the end of the blog for booking options.

Auto charges Rs 500 one way till Fanasrai.

Tips

Please take the drivers phone number so that you can call him
Phone network en route is sketchy so don't rely on it
To negotiate a discount, you can say that you have been referred by Gaurav who is a regular customer (got this from my friend who goes regularly) & they will give you a discount
Directly speak with the driver if possible instead of going through the agent to reduce prices

Step 3 : Walk from Fanasrai to Rajmachi Village (200 mins on foot with a lot of breaks for photos, snacks, time pass)

Rajmachi from Fanasrai

We reached Fanasrai by 7:30 and began our walk. The view in the morning there is breathtaking so do click as many photos as you can. You will hardly meet anyone on your walk. In the first one hour of our trek we only met one biker so don't worry if you don't see people and just trust google maps! The road is twisted (shaped like a 'C') so at one point you are walking towards Rajmachi and after a while away from it but don't bother.

You can use google maps to show you the way. Please note, that part of the road is classed as government owned forest area and part is non forest land. You may be fined if you set up a tent in forest land. It is almost impossible to figure out which area is forest land and which isn't so best talk with the locals before setting up your tents. Random walls and features demarcate forest and non forest areas.

Tips

Pee Bridges - Go under these to pee for sake of privacy

Toilets : Since there are no toilets this is of importance as we had a few girls with us. For boys, they can just go in the forest around the road but might not work for girls. There are 3 bridges enroute, we figured that going under the bridges to pee was the best private place away from any prying eyes. So note that girls! :) Only thing is, in monsoon when the rivers are flowing, it might not be possible.
Download offline version of google maps for that location, it works even if there is no network
There is a point where there are 2 roads (in case your map doesn't work & you can't figure out which road to take), take the road going left
Animals : There are 3 tigers in the forest around but don't worry. They stay away from people. You might get to see deer, wild boar, langur (monkey), wild roosters & a lot of birds

Photo spot along the trek

If you set up a tent by mistake in forest area and are caught, the bribe amount is Rs 500. Generally the forest officer comes after 10 AM to check for tents so even if you wrap up before that you should be good.

Step 4 : Rajmachi village to the the top of the fort (90 mins on foot)

The trek to the top is pretty easy as they have constructed steps. Part of it was still under construction when we were there but should be done in 6 months (i.e. by June of 2018) is my estimate. The climb up is steep so you might have to take a few breaks to catch your breaths.

Steps up the mountain

There are two forts side by side but Rajmachi is the better one and the taller one. In theory you could do both in a day but I will not recommend it if you have trekked from Fanasrai. Also, by the time we reached the top of the fort it was 12 noon and the hot sun was blazing on our heads. So we were in no mood to go climb the neighboring fort.

There are a few caves which are now filled with water, you can just have a peek in them and sing for fun (as the voice echoes) as you climb up the fort.

The view from here is mind blowing. Definitely worth a few 100 pics. Make sure you get a photo with you and valley in the backdrop - it looks great.

View from the top (3D so open in appropriate app)

Tips

You will get everything to eat in Rajmachi village and on top of the fort - everything includes lemonade, maggie noodles, balaji chips, bisleri water, fanta, sprite, etc. Only catch is, the price is 2 times the MRP (which is ok by my reckoning). I will recommend purchasing snacks from the lady who sits by the entrace of the fort, her food and water quality was better.

Step 5 : Rajmachi fort and down to Rajmachi Village (25 mins)

The walk down is pretty easy. The only enemy is the hot sun blazing down on you so try and cover you heads with something.

Step 6 : Rajmachi Village Lunch (90 mins)

We had lunch in Rajmachi village. There are a few homes which have transformed themselves to hotels. They serve good hot meals provided you reach there before 3 PM or inform them before going up the fort. The charges are nominal (Rs 120 for unlimited meals and Rs 80 for pithla bhakri (unlimited). I recommend the pithla bhakhari.

Tips

There are toilets in the village but you only get to use them if you order something from the hotel owner as they have the keys to the toilet

Step 7 : Rajmachi village to Lonavala stations (60 mins)

Our initial plan was to walk back to Fanasrai and take our return cab back. But since it was hot and people were tired we told our taxi guy that we wont be able to take the return trip and he needn't come to pick us at Fanasrai. He was fine with it.

Instead, we took a direct sumo from Rajmachi village to Lonavala station. The entire sumo cost us Rs 1200 (but you can negotiate it to Rs 1000)

Tips

Cover your noses with handkerchief as a lot dust flies around when driving down
The ride is very bumpy
There are 5 sumos in the village, so in case you plan to take one just check in case you spot one around and walk over to that sumo and ask
Hotel Atul is the center of the 10 house village (rajmachi)

Step 8 : Lonavala to Pune (90 mins)

We had planned to take the 4:45 local however it got cancelled. So we just sat in the general compartment of the next train that we got which was heading towards Pune.

Things to carry

Lots of water (2 litres per person minimum)
Power Bank for mobile charging
Match Stick (if it gets too cold for you in the morning)
Food items/fruits
Cap/Hat (even if going in winter - can be avoided in Monsoon)
You can call up Rajmachi fort small hotel owners and they arrange for pickup/drop from station. Round trip costs Rs1800 to Rs 2000

Contact Details (reference name Gaurav)

Akhil (Driver) : 9623150280

Hotel Atul (Small hotel at base of Fort offers rooms/tents/food/cabs/etc) : 9011564522 / 9881215091

Hotel Atul

Hinduism - A way of life

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 12:13:00 +0000

I have only written on religion once in the past. Its something I actively avoid as it is something that has the potential for being up taken wrongly. But today I happened to run into an interesting article that was showing the history of religions and that's what churned my thoughts on this topic.

Globally, all religions have been brought up by God-men - almost like a private enterprise. Today you have the Dell corporation and the Microsoft's of the world, earlier you had religions created in the same way. And when these religious corporations found out that Africa had no religions, missionaries were sent to get them converted. In today's parlance that would be called as expanding to newer geographies. Hinduism never had the need to do that.

Because Hinduism is not a religion, it is a way of life. It is not an enterprise with a CEO at the top, it is a set of guidelines on what a human in the society should do. The way it works is, you could technically be a Muslim Hindu!

It may sound radical, but it is not per say. Everyone has trouble understanding it because they try to fit in Hinduism under western understanding of religion. India was one of the cradles of civilization and for religion too. It is an irony that Western civilizations that came way later try to fit it in a template.

There are many ways Hinduism is not a religion. At the most superficial, other religions have a set of guidelines, a book, a God and a goal to achieve. Hinduism doesn't fit that template. It has tonnes of Gods, hundreds of books and a general to-do list at various stages of life. There is no Goal to be achieved but Moksha. Actually, Hinduism is a religion supermarket where you get a chance to choose your God, book, goal et all.

The fact that it is considered a religion is in itself a mistake. Yes even I say I am a Hindu, because somewhere in the history someone made a form and asked for religion to be entered at birth. That was the birthplace of this confusion to a point that now Hinduism is considered to be a religion.

There are some good things that Western civilizations can give us and should be emulated - first and foremost being cleanliness and hygiene today; however some need to be corrected. Hinduism is a way of life that promotes chaos - cosmic chaos and that's how it flourishes. The chaos builds diversity however its openess and flexibility generates unity.

Why otherwise, despite being so different and varied are all Indians forever referred to as a single country. For centuries, all outsiders accepted India was a land of many cultures, yet they agreed it was the same type of people and was the same country.

Unity in diversity at a different scale unimaginable in a world today due to the way of life called Hinduism.

Aadhar Linking last dates and deadlines

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 11:46:00 +0000

Below is the list of Aadhar linking deadline as communicated by Govt of India.

Function	Aadhar linking last date	Action if not linked by due date
PAN Card	No official last date	None. Needs to be linked when filing returns next. You can live without linking if you don't intend to file returns. Currently linked by only 39% of all PAN holders.
EPF Account	1-Oct-17	The deadline passed but there has been no impact
Bank Accounts	31-Dec-17	You will not be able to transact from that account if not linked (but will be able to view balance). To transact, you will need to link Aadhar. In case you don't intend to use the account, you don't need to link.
NSC / KVP / PPF Account	31-Dec-17	None specified for now. But in all likelyhood, Aadhar will need to be provided on day of redeeming policy.
Mutual Funds	31-Dec-17	Deadline assumed. In all likelyhood, people wont be able to transact if MF not linked to Aadhar.
Social Schemes	31-Dec-17	You will stop receiving benefits after 31st Dec if not linked.
Mobile Number	6-Feb-18	None specified for now. But this date will be extended given the hue & cry.
Insurance	Not specified	It has been made mandatory but no deadline has been specified.
License	Upcoming
Passport	Upcoming
Property	Upcoming
Voter ID	Unlikely

Note : ~88% of total population have Aadhar card as of Nov 2017

Been a while....

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 03:46:00 +0000

Its been quite a while since I wrote here. To think about it, its been long a while since I wrote anything for that matter. Of course I have written the occasional article on finance and the likes, but a genuine me article - that has been missing since a few years. That is why I started writing an almost anonymous blog in the first place - to write me articles.

Today, I began to wonder the reason for this break from writing - not because am feeling sad or bad but just as a random thought that decided to creep up today morning. The most obvious to blame regarding the break from honest blogging would be paucity of time. Busy lives, travel, friends and a general disposition to spend free time watching random forwarded videos can be attributed as a possible causes. The amount of crap you can learn online that seems interesting is simply endless. There was even a time when my colleagues started reading my blog which made even writing an aimed thing for a target audience. On the face of it, the reasons indeed look genuine.

But is it really worth it. Is the busy schedule really worth not finding time for your favorite hobby. I picked up writing for two reason - because I like language and because it is a good outlet for my reserved self. I am bad at venting out. However, here, I can be myself - no one to judge me here. Over time, I believe most have stopped following it.

Given that everything today needs to have an aim, doing something as aimless as writing an aimless blog is actually unnerving. It didn't use to be and doesn't need to be. Now its actually an interesting trip down my maturity lane reading through my old blogs (or at least what remain - I lost 5 years of blogs when my previous blog site journalspace collapsed a few years back). I carry very few regrets in life, losing journalspace is one of them.

So as I sit here in my balcony of my home on a pleasant misty morning (photo below) watching the ever expanding city I wonder, what indeed was the aim of this blog that made me happier today compared to the 10+ things with an aim that I will do through the day.

Funny world.

Demonetization 1.0 – A step in many critical steps

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 06:32:00 +0000

The below is solely meant to give a very objective and executional view on how the whole drive against black money will/should unfold in the coming months/years. This is purely based on calculated assumption which are stated below. It gives a very practical approach to how this was to be achieved.

Assumptions

PM Modi will have the gumption to drive his agenda till the end irrespective of the cost
He is following a funnel approach
The supreme court doesn’t put a spanner in his agenda
PM Modi knows the administration is corrupt and the best way to circumvent the administration is through structural measures with minimum administration involvement
Modi aims to achieve this by FY 2018-2019 before the election

Creating the Funnel

Trapping a mouse which has come into your house requires a trap and a few steps to channel the mouse into a trap. The first step is to funnel the mouse in a room so that you have limited area to follow the mouse. Once it’s in the room, the next step is to ensure it is blocked in a corner of the room. Once its trapped in a corner the final step is to swat it. Game over – that is what PM Modi hopes to do. The risk in this game is, in case there is a hole in the corner or for some reason you are unable to swat it, the mouse will escape. The mouse would have escaped and would have become more wiser and smarter in the process making it even more difficult to catch in the future. If the readers aren’t clear yet, the mouse signifies the black money hoarders.

Important Formula for beginners

• Income – Tax Paid = White Money

• Income (tax not paid despite being eligible to pay) = Black Money

*Black Money can be in cash or even in cheque – Demonetization only touched the cash part of it

The Beginning - Black Money in offshore accounts

This was the first step. Using the leaked Panama papers, help of the Swiss Government and host of other information agreement channels the list of possible hoarders was obtained and through active negotiations with respective countries these accounts were identified and details about them sought. As these cases come up for hearing in the Supreme court the BJP is selectively releasing the information collected depending on whether the person was in favor or out of favor of the Modi government.

However, there was a coordination delay between the different governmental agencies, as most of the black money came back to India through the Mauritius route and such similar tax havens that weren’t efficiently closed in time (including Singapore & Hawala). So, most of the black money abroad that wasn’t caught (which is most of it) reached India. This was an important lesson Modi learnt, the Indian tax evader is very quick and alert and any leeway given would be misused.

The proof that this money actually circled back to India was the fact that Indian farm output rose to 200 lakh crore in FY 2013-14 for no apparent reason. The government disputes the number as a clerical error, how this is due to the money in offshore accounts being shown as farm income. Effectively this has made a whole lot of money from black to white – tax free.

Key Steps Taken By Government to close round tripping of money

Mauritius route was closed Mauritius has negligible income tax and investments from Mauritius to India were tax free, so tax evaders used to route their money from Mauritius to India at minimal cost and make all their black money white (and legal).

Extradition treaties were signed with multiple countriesVijay Mallay a tax evader can’t be extradited to India given there is no treaty as such between India and the UK. To avoid such a scenario in the future extradition mechanism was (is being) strengthened. However, such treaties can take years to become operational – so its still some time away.

DTA were signed with a few countries to improve taxation provisionsDual Taxation Agreement basically clarifies the taxation rules between two countries in case an individual pays taxes/earns income in them and moves between these countries

Swiss government was actively chased to get details of account holdersSwiss bank accounts are an old demon that is a lame duck to chase. Most monies in these accounts has already left way back (including the money the Gandhi’s made from Bofors), however the government did chase to get as much detail as possible from the Swiss probably to close the loop.

India became FATCA compliant (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act)FATCA is basically an American concept. Its wider and applicable concept in India is called CRS (Common Reporting Standard). Basically, people misuse the fact that two different nations do not know about the taxation profile of a person in the other country. People exploit this fact in multiple ways – CRS aims to create a unique identity globally – or at least link the tax profiles present in two countries where the tax payer files his returns (i.e. pays taxes).

The Follow up - Black Money in India

In its drive to catch black money in offshore accounts, the government figured what they already knew. Most of the black money was in India or had already reached India. The government knew that some people were hoarding the money because some series of the currency notes printed long back never made it back to the RBI while other notes did. This indicated that some people were literally sitting on a pile of hard currency bank notes.

The stage was set up for demonetization. The tie up with various other countries ensured that this money was not to leave Indian shores without taxmans notice (also called CBDT – Central Bureau of Direct Taxation) in the future. And more importantly, in case it left Indian shores through Hawala, it couldn’t be rerouted to India easily again. It is a classic case of admission by the government that they cannot close down the Hawala (or angadia) channels effectively all by themselves given its vast network of unscrupulous agents.

The other problem the government found out was that it was impossible to individually search each household in India for bank notes and demonetization was an effective way to bring that about. However, there was a hitch when this was proposed, the hitch was Mr Rajan, RBI governor at that time who rejected the idea given the trouble it would cause to ordinary citizens. More importantly, as he correctly pointed out, there were more effective and less dramatic ways to reach the goal. However, the government was keen to go dramatic and thus was executed the much known ‘Demonetization’.

The Loop Holes

As is the case with most policies, the government left loopholes with the reason of doing public good. For example, petrol pumps could accept old notes, so were railways, municipalities and above all you could simply exchange the notes at the bank. When you are trying to catch thieves, leaving so many loopholes without proper safeguard is something that would question the actual intent of the whole exercise – this raises the question whether demonetization was a complete sham just to win vote?

Here are the detailed loops that were exploited by most and there is no practical way in which these people will be caught in the future. Any economist will tell you even before demonetization that the thieves will use it and there was little use of them for honest tax payers.

Gold/Diamond
Demonetization was announced on the 8th of November and the banks were closed for the next two days. Huge quantities of gold/diamonds were sold on these two days (with invoices of less than 200,000 Rs so that there was no PAN requirement). The jeweler just created back dated bills and deposited the old notes when the banks opened on the 3rd day showing it as sale for previous days. The actual physical delivery of the gold happened right upto December.
Train/Flight Tickets
Huge quantities of waitlisted tickets were purchased using old notes and then cancelled paying a small cancellation charge and getting new notes in return.
Exchange
Banks exchanged notes without the requirement of PAN. A random photo ID with no traceability sufficed to get the exchange done. As a matter of fact, some bank employees (primarily of Co Operative banks and in some cases Axis and other banks) used this window to exchange notes for a commission which ranged from 10% to 30%.
Laborer
India has a lot of people and quite a few of them have bank accounts given the governments push for accounts. Large land lords used it to their advantage and transferred amounts to them. There are reports of colleges giving faculty advance salaries for 12 months in old notes to deposit in their individual accounts.
Tax Officials
There were unconfirmed reports of CBDT professionals taking a flat 30% commission from people with black money to give them a clean chit.
Other
There were other channels used like buying FX, bribing RBI officials (it happens a lot), pay off old loans, multiple bank accounts among others.

All in all, if someone was really keen on saving his cash without getting noticed, all he had to do was follow one of the many loop holes that Modi and his team kept.

What Now?

Sadly, Modi lost a big opportunity to catch the mouse. Deliberately or inadvertently is a question no one will ever know. But there is no point crying over spilt milk. But the question is, how can he atleast salvage this situation. Ideally, some of the below steps should have been done before Demonetization had Modi been serious and it was these non intrusive, less dramatic, more effective steps that Rajan kept hinting about.

Make PAN mandatory for all bank accounts (already been done for new accounts)
Hire that big data analysis team that they keep talking about but never implement. Just pull up all account that had more than 2.5 L deposited and send them emails and chasers (partially underway)
Upgrade the IT infrastructure so that less and less number of corrupt CBDT people are required (not done)
Clean up the mess at co-operative banks. Their time has come, it’s time to start closing co-operative banks in case these do not come up the curve (not done)
For future returns/accounts opened, list of all accounts linked to a PAN should be provided on the tax website itself so that people are aware and don’t try to misuse this lack of centralization. It is better to warn tax evaders & make them pay taxes than catch them after they do wrong as most will go to courts and the cases will go on forever (partially underway)
Have a strict timeline for CBDT to close cases and it should not involve any visit to the premise as CBDT officials are corrupt
Start taxing farm income above a certain threshold on a single PAN. It is not a fool proof solution but is a start. (not done)
Incentive high tax payers – e.g. if I pay 30 lakh in tax (say), I should get atleast 1 medical check at hospital free every year (not done)
Make demonetization a 3 year affair i.e. after every 3 years demonetize high value currency notes. It might sound costly for the government, however for black money hoarders it will become too much of a pain to risk it. Automatically, it will act as a disincentive to carry cash. No need to make it sudden, announce it as a part of policy; you’ll be amazed to the effect it has. Holding 1 crore in 100 Rs notes is not practically possible (not done)

Other items

Remove PAN and just make everything Aadhar linked. Having PAN and Aadhar both is of no use
Improve tax department technology dramatically so that they can do the same amount of work in half their current strength
Speed up everything by executing multiple things simultaneously and not linearly as people will lose patience soon
Link all PAN and Aadhar cards if the government can’t do away with PAN cards
Maximum black money is with government officials who either buy property using it or keep it in cash – focus on them

What Next?

Demonetization will take its own course. It will have partial success and the tax officials will remain busy with it for the next 2 years. In the mean time there are other things that the government can and should start.

Benami Property

There are plans to freeze all property transactions till the property is not linked to an Aadhar card. It’s a good idea, but it should be implemented fast. Ideally, on 1st July 2017 when the last date to file returns for FY 16-17 ends. What this will effectively do is link all properties to a PAN card. Every Benami property owner knows that this is going to happen, so it’s better its done soon. Once all property has an idea, it can be easily tied back to the returns filed by the person over the years.

Bank Lockers

There is a lot of wealth in India which is in the form of gold. Gold carries a very high sentimental value in India but this has led to it becoming the defacto choice to hoard tremendous amount of black money. Most of this gold is kept in Bank Lockers.

Now this provides a tricky conundrum – touching a bank locker will be something the public will not take lightly to. But not doing anything about it will be dumb so to solve this Modi should start the next phase.

Link Bank Lockers with PAN card/Aadhar card. Again, I prefer having just the Aadhar card and doing away with the PAN card
Specify locker types (lockers to hold silver & gold) and other lockers

The Verdict On Demonetization

There are two possible verdicts:

Modi is not serious about cleaning India of black money and is just looking for dramatics which fool the ordinary people easily

OR

The people who advised Modi are dumb and do not know how business & black money in India works and that’s why there were so many loopholes

I just pray Modi is honest about cleaning black money and follows it up with concrete steps now that he has Uttar Pradesh in the bag. My hunch is, if the government actually does its job in catching the tax evaders, most will turn out to be government officials or people working in some capacity for the government.

But everyone should be ready for Demonetization 2.0 in November 2018

What's App launches Bold, Italics and Strikthrough features

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sun, 08 May 2016 04:13:00 +0000

What's App has released its latest feature today. Using this you can have Bold, Italics and Strikethrough in your comments. This is expected to add a new dimension to the way people communicate. Below is how it will work.

To highlight a word in Bold add an asterik (*) before an after the word/s without space
*Hello* will become Hello

To highlight a word in Italics add an underscore(_) before an after the word/s without space.
_Hello World_ will become Hello World

To strike through a word add a tilde(~) before an after the word/s without space.
~Hello~ will become ~~Hello~~

On the left is a screenshot of how it looks on mobile.

India is losing land to China & Pakistan in front our very own eyes!

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 14:58:00 +0000

I do not belong to any political part, cult or organization. Am just a true blue Indian concerned the way India is loosing its land. The worst part is, no one is raising it! The parties are busy discussing Rahul's IQ or Mr Modi's chest size - this is a more pressing matter and a loot that is happening in the front of our very own eyes.

The three maps of India above show the below three stages:

Left Map : The one of the left is the map I was taught when I was in school

Center Map : That is what you find most commonly on internet these days - part of J n K is with Pakistan

Right Map : Now the other half is with China (and Arunachal is disputed)

The first time I came to know about the revised map of India was a few years ago on some random website on the internet. I thought it might have been a mistake but slowly similar maps started popping up everywhere. It was alarming and more alarming was the fact that no one, not a single media house or political party raised it. It is like the elephant in the room, everyone knows about it but no one wants to discuss it.

I admit, that probably that piece of land was India's and we lost it because Pakistan occupied one part and China the other before we could act thanks to the useless bureaucracy that we have. So maybe these maps showing what they do is actually just the reflection of what the ground situation is.

It may not be in our favour and we are on the losing side, or so it may seem, but there needs to be a discussion that are we to accept the lost portion as lost. Or are we going to fight to get it back - not a war but you can fight at the UN. You can send ships to Vietnam and Japan and try to coax China. You can start disrupting the port at Karachi.

Annexation of land amounts to an act of war - I do not profess a war. But I definitely do profess some action for the country that we are losing to outsiders right in front of our very own eyes.

A rolling stone gathers no moss

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 14:55:00 +0000

Disclaimer : This blog is a random babble and does not have a head or a tail. Its occasions like these I miss the days when my blog was secret. But, I guess there are times when I'd like my blog to be read too. :)

Years ago, when I was in Kolkata I made a decision based on experience. Having lived in multiple cities in a short life span of 23 years I truly understood the proverb, "A rolling stone gathers no moss". It's a profound saying - few understand it, even fewer have experienced it.

I do not profess to be a teacher in the art of living and admit having had an imperfect life till date. Its been a life of majestic highs and disappointing lows. Though I do honestly admit to having had achieved a bunch of true friends from across the world. I can proudly say that as of today am in touch with all except one. I guess the exception of one just proves the point of an imperfect life and the roller coaster it has been. Its my experience that imperfections correct themselves over time - which is a story for a different blog itself.

Anyways, coming back to my initial topic - so years ago I decided to come to Pune. I would have preferred to go back to my small city called Bhavnagar but sadly that has not been possible to achieve, but someday I shall. Over the years in Pune I've made lots of friends, the funny thing about life is if you get stuck with a job, with a routine you stop meeting new people unless newer people meet you.

That's when I figured out the other side of the proverb, "A routined soul gathers no moss either" and so began my next quest to socialize. Its been an eventful journey for a person like me who takes time to trust but slowly and steadily it is happening. Of course a routined life lived efficiently leaves you with a lot of time too which helps in meeting newer people and more friends.

So as I continue on this journey I hope to be able to enhance even more on the proverb by the end of this year, "A routined rolling stone gathers no moss"

The Corporate Life - Changing jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 17:48:00 +0000

Currently I work in the KPO industry - its elongated as the Knowledge Process Outsourcing Industry. I believe this industry the greatest piece of dumb luck India has had after Independence.

Why So? Without it, India's burgeoning population wouldn't have had jobs or work to do. The amount of fresh grads this industry absorbs and trains is phenomenal. India's schools and colleges are mostly dismal in imparting education required for a guy from rural India to make it or be fit for any type of Corporate careers. These KPO and even BPO firms train such half trained kids and make them eligible for shot at a decent corporate career. The amount of employment and skill up gradation they provide is simply mind boggling. But that is not what this blog is about - its about changing jobs. An aspect of the KPO industry that is painful and very common with most KPO's running at a 35% annual attrition rate - what it basically means is that, 1/3rd of your team will leave within the year!

I have changed a few jobs and will agree that in India, the West and the South offers the best jobs. For technology companies, Hyderabad offers the best companies followed by Bangalore and then Mumbai and the rest. For KPO industry its a bit all over the place but primarily concentrated in certain pockets. What basically it means, that any person who changes a job has a reasonable chance of changing his city as the opportunities are spread around.

That brings me to the crux of my blog today, is changing city a good idea. I used to think if the money was worth it, yes it was! But as you mature, priorities and understanding of the world around you changes. I have started to believe that it may not be the smartest thing after a certain age. A rolling stone gathers no moss they say, it actually is a double edged sword. Imagine moss as intellect, friends, connections and family - if you move about too often you may not gather it.

My advice, finalize on a city in your career as soon as possible and build around it. A few years can be spent roaming about but always have it at the back of your mind. Build your network, your connections in that one city - it will help in very interesting ways. Yes, there may be occasions when you can definitely change and should change your city - but it today's world of flux and continual change, permanency is something that may just be the thing that actually sets you apart. Stick to a city - and as long as it has adequate opportunities and think medium term because in the long term we all are dead anyways.

Mumbai 26/11 returns as Paris 14/11 - Similarities between Mumbai and Paris attacks

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 13:51:00 +0000

The resemblance is uncanny - technically the Paris attack are a direct copy paste of the Mumbai attacks. Actually, the terrorist learned from their mistakes in Mumbai. It's ironic none of the international media is able to draw a parallel. They are drawing a parallel with a Charlie Hebdo attacks whereas instead the direct link needs to be Mumbai. Above all, the Paris Police need to quickly learn from the Indian authorities on how to investigate it correctly same way as the terrorist learnt how to improve such attacks.

Here are some very obvious parallels:

Simultaneous coordinated attacks over multiple locations
Low security targets attacked
Very well trained gunmen
They attacked at a time when these locations were crowded
The scale was mostly similar - one prime city in a country they wanted to terrorize
Cheap AK 47s and machine guns were used to make it a low cost mission
They had sufficient training to carry out such a mission

Now, the terrorist did some mistakes too when they attacked Mumbai.

In Mumbai, terrorist did not wear suicide belts

That was probably their biggest mistake and that is why Kasab was caught alive and the investigation got a head start - in Paris it was meant to be a suicide mission with suicide belts which were to be used when all the carnage was done

In Mumbai, terrorist called back home

Again it was a mistake as the phone conversations were intercepted and the link with Pakistan was established. I am ready to stick out my neck and say that the terrorist in Paris made sure they did not commit this mistake.

In Mumbai, terrorist carried food

In the hindsight, it was a waste of space as any which ways they were on a suicide mission. And they figured, food and water was something they could easily get from their targets
People may argue that they had planned a longer mission and hence the food inn Mumbai; the counter argument would be, it was just a simple miscalculation due to lack of experience as a protracted attack did not increase their hit rate in hindsight

If you objectively analyze it, the Paris attack were inspired by the Mumbai attacks. Someone, did a lot of research on the attacks in Mumbai, not to mention the fact that they may hired a consultant from Pakistan ISI to assist them in planning the attacks.

Of course the French did a lot of things better than Mumbai; above all the French media was much more responsible than the Indian media that made it a show to increase TRP. Also, the police acted as fast as they could and neutralized the threat.

Now the French (a first world country) may feel ashamed to admit that they had an attack similar to one in a third world country - but guess what, India managed to stop the attacks (Indian Mujaheddin attacks were stopped too). I would recommend the French authorities to contact their Indian counterparts and talk. Else, the French are going to have a tough time stopping such attacks as Indians were attacked just for the heck of it, but the folks attacking France have a bone to pick. And Indians have learnt over the years how to deal with such attacks thanks to Pakistan - for the Western world this may just be a start.

Back Link : http://routineblabber.blogspot.in/2015/11/mumbai-2611-returns-as-paris-1411.html

A true story

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 19:59:00 +0000

"Sir, I can't sleep, am worried if I calculated the amount correctly. I even see the amounts in my dreams", said Ram over the call.
"Don't worry tonight, you can't do much about it from home. Tomorrow when you reach office check it. Sleep tonight, I'll handle in case any issues come up - I am your manager and that's my job", said I trying to placate him and get done with the call.
"OK Sir, Good Night", said he and put down the call.

I sighed as I continued with my dinner in the office canteen. It was 4 AM on a cold November night in 2013 and I had been in office for over 16 hours now. The transition from UK to India was killing me and there was no end in sight. My team comprised fresh out of college grads and needed a lot of hand holding which was proving to be difficult. Above all, Ram had proved to be a challenge and training him was taking a toll on me.

Ram came from a small village near Belgaum. He had had a very humble beginning. His dad ran a small provision store that barely made 5000 Rs a month and he had 4 mouths to feed. The MBA degree that Ram had got from one of the hundreds of colleges that dotted the Indian landscape did not teach him much (or so thought I), but did set him back by 100,000 Rs not to mention the additional 30,000 loan he had taken from his friends to come to Pune and find a job.

I still remembered the first day when he had told me his calculation :
"Sir, I get 12,572 every month as salary in hand. I pay 2000 in rent and spend 900 on food. I come by bike on a sharing basis so it just costs me 600 Rs as otherwise the office cab would have costed me 1600 Rs! Additional expense come to about 1000 Rs every month. So in all I save 8072 a month. In case I skip lunch for a week, I may even save more that month", he told me with a grin.
I asked, "So for what are you saving the money for"
"Sir, my target is to save 100,000 by this year end and pay off most of my college loan. Then by the middle of next year I will pay off the rest of the loans and then start sending money home to help my dad pay off his debt"

So touched was I that I could only say, "Good" to that. As he walked by, I thought, 2 years of his life will be spent on saving every penny to pay off a debt that otherwise could be paid off in 2 months had he had a fair chance at opportunities that life offered well off kids in India. It was unfair, yet he was happy to have got a job after 4 month of searching.

As I sat there staring at my dinner I wondered what could be done with him as he was not performing well on the process. Other managers had suggested replacing him (i.e. firing him) with a newer resource who had better communication and was more skilled. But I had resisted. I felt that he deserved a chance at life. A chance to make him and his family debt free. The sacrifice needed was added attention and support that he would require - I was ready to do it. I felt I owed that much to a fellow human being. Above all, I saw that he was also eager to achieve that. That was all that I needed.

I took that decision 2 years back and it was a grueling journey for both of us. He was an epitome of being the most unfit candidate for the job. He had no communication skills and the job required that to the fore. Yet he persisted. Yet he tried. Not to mention so did I - to groom him.

Today as I look back at him I smile. He has grown as a person. Above all, he appreciates it. Its rare to find such employees these days. The humble beginnings definitely helped. Today he asks for extra salary and thinks of buying fancy gold rings. His demands have increased because he has been enabled to make that demand. It took a toll on me, but I know it was worth it.

As I see his family photos on facebook of a trip he went on, I come to realize how important and crucial those two years were for him and his family and what a transformation it has brought in his life.

Now he earns 20,000 a month. Still pittance compared to what others may, yet he is happy.

Finally, I guess, you should follow your heart - it normally points you in the right direction is what I feel.

To Ram.

*Name has been deliberately changed to conceal identity - but this is a true story of an employee who is a part of a team I manage and Ram continues to work in that team

Whats wrong with TinyOwl?

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 19:45:00 +0000

Maybe nothing as of now. TinyOwl's founders would have to be really dumb to have something wrong at their firm after raising 100 cr just 8 months back and having another 50 million USD lined up. Actually, TinyOwl may have become the victim of its own hype and the fact that people forgot that they are a start ups and allowed to do mistakes. I personally do not believe their current business practices are going to make them last long, but yes, as of today it should look like a perfectly healthy company to the outside world.

The important word here is Outside World. Now, a murmur has been going round in the investor community since the last year or so of the exorbitant funding/valuations start ups are receiving with no tangible value add to the customer beyond discounts. It is as if everyone knows about the elephant in the room but no one is talking about it. Take the example of Tiny Owl - they were founded in 2014 and received a funding for 100 cr by February on a base of almost no sales or traction to warrant this scale of investment. This level funding was based on two premise by investors :

A start up has to show traction, no matter how small - investors will put in money to fuel this
Registered users matter more than revenue

Because of these two premises we saw a trend towards getting more users registered at any cost. Tiny Owl offered 100% cash back at one point and Food Panda was not lagging at 80% discount. The aim - get more registered users. If you think about all the new apps you've used - PayTM, Swiggy, Myntra, etc - they all ask one thing in common, a customers email address and phone number. That's the thing that's going to get them the next round of funding, not the next sale. Its ironic how the priority turned the wrong way in no time.

So the question comes, weren't investors aware of this. Of course they were - but that's the thing with hype - when you are a part of it, you ignore the risks. The smart investors already reduced their investment portfolios in the last year into internet companies or took a really hard look before investing, but then there are always those who will just follow the herd b
lindly.

So what is in store? Well, actually its a good thing Tiny Owl's lay off got hyped up. These questions will now be asked more openly and hopefully we will have a soft landing to this investment boom based on crazy myths. Expect some metaphorical bloodbath as more of these startup's run into the proverbial trouble.

Finally, the few start ups that will survive will be the ones that offer true value add to the customers. Value adds that go beyond discounts as discounts are not sustainable. Here's my bet in the food industry - FoodPanda, TinyOwl are going to disappear, Swiggy may just prove to be the winner given the investment its putting into its value chain. 2016 shall tell.

I am no poet

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 19:48:00 +0000

My Wife

Twinkling and Winking, she wakes me up Thinking;

Hugging and Whispering, she starts the day very Pleasing;

She is my beautiful morning alarm.

Rambling and Dancing, she goes around Prancing;

Mumbling and Grumbling, she does it with Fumbling;

She is my go to office charm.

Energizing and Strengthening, she bonds like Gluing;

Laughing and Helping, she is a Friendling;

She is my awesome social bond.

Analyzing and planning, she goes on manning;

Huffing and Puffing, she like being the homeling;

She is my baby mom.

Cooking and Serving, she is very caring;

Slicing and Dicing, she is a chefling;

She is my 'fatten him up' tom.

Calling and talking, she goes on babbling;

Smiling and Beaming, she is very happening;

She is my energy song.

Ordering and executing, she is very leading;

Tiring and hardworking, she goes on multitasking;

She is my manager all along.

Laughing and bumping, she returns home jumping;

Shopping and eating, she is well knowing;

She is my grey eyed prom.

Patting and cuddling, she begins sleeping;

Humming and dreaming, she starts dozing;

She is my loving wife lifelong.

How to reissue your passport in India

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sun, 19 Apr 2015 09:36:00 +0000

I recently had my passport reissued and it was a very tedious experience given the nature of the process and since we have a very horrible and corrupt police verification system.

Re-Issue your passport

Below are the steps that a person can take if he wants his passport reissued.

Location : Hyderabad

Background : I live in Hyderabad for my work but am from a different state so my permanent and temporary address were different.

Step 1 : Fill in the online Passport Application form

It all begins with filling in a form online and making the payment on the passport website here. You can save the form and keep editing it till you don't make the payment but please note that you cannot edit the City from where you want your passport reissued - so it's best to think out where that will be. The validity of the online form is one month, so you will need to make the payment and submit it before that.

Also another important thing to take care of is to ensure that you have the correct Police station selected as you can't change it later.

Step 2 : Make payment & book an Appointment at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK)

Once you are sure you have made all the changes, you are ready to make the payment for 1500 Rs for regular passport (for 60 pages booklet it was 2000 Rs - no use if you don't travel out of India much). Make sure you opt for the SMS service as it can prove to be very helpful and convenient. Also in case you do not opt for it, you will be able to view the status of your application online.

As soon as you make the payment, you will get an option to Pick a Date for your appointment at the PSK. In Hyderabad, the earliest date available for a regular appointment was 2 months away - I chose one that was the most convenient for me. However, do not waste time on selecting a date and chose one as quickly as you can as in some cases the dates may get full and you may have to wait another day.

Also, keep the printer handy as you will be given a confirmation receipt when you pick a date that you will have to print. You can even print the same at a later date if you so wish.

Step 3 : Appointment at the PSK

The PSK is managed by TCS and compared to other government organizations it's pretty well managed. You will only be allowed to enter the premise 15 minutes prior to your scheduled time, so just plan accordingly. There is no point reaching there very early as you will not be allowed to enter.

The PSK in Hyderbad have paid parking space nearby so finding parking space is not a problem if you are planning to drive down like me.

Documents required for Passport

The list of documents required for the passport are given here.

Please note that the passport office are very firm in terms of the required documents and will not accept any lapse. However, the good thing is, in case you do not have a document they give a few days to procure them.

In my case, since I did not have a few documents, I was given 3 weeks to procure the document and come again next time with the required documents. There is no need to reschedule your appointment or pay extra which was a relief for me.

Step 4 : Appointment at the Passport Seva Kendra - Window A

On the day of your appointment, if you have all the required documents, you will fist have to go to Window A (at least in Hyderabad). Your documents are verified and they are put in a folder by the person present there. Normally, the process works this way:
- You give the person the documents
- He asks you to wait at the side for sometime
- He files them in a folder and then shouts out your name in about 10/15 minutes
- He will give you the folder and ask you to move on to the next section

Step 5 : Photograph

Once you complete Step 4, you will be given a token number. This number will flash on the screens that are put up along with the window number you need to go to for further processing.
Normally, this is the next room that you need to enter after going through a turnstile. In this section, all your originals entered in the folder by the previous section are verified again and then they take a photograph using a webcam.

Personally, I felt that using a WebCam gave them a very poor quality/low resolution photograph but it is what it is and you can't do much about it. Please note that this photo will be the one that will come on your passport.

Also, in case you have registered for SMS services, you will need to pay 45 Rs (~~30 Rs 3 years ago)~~ here for the facility. Note that they will ask for change so make sure you carry that.

Step 6 : Previous records

Then you move to the next section where any history associated with your Passport is verified and they inform you if you will require police verification or not.

I was pretty impressed by the fact that they were able to pull up an ECNR request I had filed 8 years ago from Kolkatta - the fact that surprised and impressed me was that even at that time these records were maintained (or alternatively, these records had now been digitized).

The lady there confirmed to me that I'd require a police verification as my previous passport was issued in Gujarat and there was an address change compared to my previous passport.

Also in this section, they stamp your old passport with a stamp that says, Cancelled and give it back to you.

TIP : In case you are reissuing your passport, always use the same address you had as on the earlier passport. If you do that, you get exempted from police verification. It will save you the trouble of having to go to the police station - the most corrupt and rude office in the whole process.

Step 7 : Exit from the Passport Seva Kendra

You will need to fill in an exit form which asks for feedback on any of the steps you found to be a hassle or in case any employee was rude. This is a good exercise as it helps to provide authentic feedback - does TCS action it or not is a question I have till date.

Step 8 : Police verification

This is the most corrupt and problematic section of the whole process. I had police verification post issuance, so I got my passport within 15 days from my request, however I still had to go for police verification as I had a change in address vis a vis my previous passport.

I got a call from the police station mentioning the time when I had to visit. I will write a separate blog on the same, however for issue free verification below are the general rates and threats the police guy will make (over and above the insulting way they talk).
- In case all documents are present : Pay 100-300 Rs as processing charges (else we will visit your home for verification at the time you are not at home and send a Police Verification Failed Report)
- In case a document is missing : Pay 3000 Rs or more (no need to submit documents - we will manage it at our end is what the police officer will tell you)

As a hint, in all probability, you will be asked to pay a bribe pretty blatantly if you are a bachelor. They are more lenient with families. Always negotiate on the bribe amount asked. I saw quite a few people successfully negotiating the amount to half or more.

Overall Feedback

If you have all the required documents as mentioned in the list, the process is very easy at the PSK. The staff is generally helpful and a welcome relief from the otherwise impossible to deal with government departments.

The police verification piece is pretty nasty - be ready to be insulted there and get vague answers. In case you don't have any document required, don't bother about procuring it, it would work out to be cheaper bribing the police guy than trying to get the document. There are instances when some good officers may not take bribe, but those are very rare. On the day I went for verification, everyone was asked to pay up pretty blatantly (100 Rs to 5000 Rs).

As always, police are the biggest crooks and thieves in India. After this experience, I understood why its best to have the police under some political control - in case they create a lot of nuisance, you can always complain to the local Corporator and the things will get sorted.

SMS Service
In case you subscribe to the SMS Service, you'll get some of the below messages. Some are difficult to understand so below is the interpretation.

SMS Messages and their interpretation

Message 1 : Thanks for opting Passport Seva SMS Services. You will receive updates on your File No. BN071268435013 through SMS

Interpretation 1 : Your have successfully registered for the SMS service. And the file number is for tracking purposes - you can use it on the website to track your application.

Message 2 : Passport printing inititiated for your File No. BN071268435013. You will receive SMS once your passport is printed.

Interpretation 2 : You will receive this message a few days after you have submitted the documents at the PSK. Since, mine was reissue, I got the passport before the police verification was done. Please note that for re-issue, you will have post verification, what that means is passport will be dispatched irrespective of whether your verification is done or not.

Message 3 : Passport printed for your File No. BN071268435013. You will receive SMS once it is dispatched by speed post.

Interpretation 3 : As the message says, the passport is printed and ready for dispatch. Please note, in case of urgent requirement, you can directly collect the passport from the PSK at this stage.

Message 4 : Passport No R1323432 dispatched on 07/01/2015 and can be tracked using Speed Post Tracking No. RA9454354IN

Interpretation 4 : As the message says, that the passport has been dispatched. It will take a day or two to reach your home. Please note that in case you miss the delivery the speed post guy will take the passport back to his regional head office and you need to go there and collect it within 5 days. In case you miss to collect it, it will be sent back to the PSK! Then it becomes a big nuisance as then you will have to pay bribes to retrieve it. So please make sure you don't miss it.

Message 5 : Police Verification initiated. Contact Nampally Thana, if not done in 3 weeks

Interpretation 5 : What it means is that your file has been sent to the local police station. Please note that normally the police Thana official will give you a call and ask you to come to the station in a week or two from this message. They will give you the time when you need to come on the call itself. Alternatively, you can visit the Thana in case of urgency - but be ready to bribe them to speed up your case. The police station is the most corrupt place in the whole system and the best way to deal with it is be patient. If you show urgency, they will fleece you. Police might threaten that they will send negative report, but it is very rare that they send a negative report - it is a pressure tactic.

Message 6 : Police Report not yet finalized by Commissioner of Police, Dist Hyderabad City. Contact Police for details

Interpretation 6 : This is a very misleading message and confuses a lot of people. The police and the PSK have an understanding that the police need to submit the report to the PSK within 30 days. Since police are very lazy, they do not submit the report to the PSK in 30 days and that's why we get this automated message from the PSK. You should not worry about it as normally in two weeks (depending on how quickly police complete the formalities) from this message you will get confirmation stating that your verification is completed.

I even went to the Commissioners office when I got this message, they told me that my application was still being processed and this was an automated message. There was a delay in processing the files as the person responsible was on vacation and it will be cleared once he is back.

Message 7 : Police has submitted Clear report for your current address

Interpretation 7 : Yippie. You are done. You have a clear report on your passport.

Practical Tips

At times getting a the appointment date for the PSK can have some wait period (of over 1 month in some cases). So its better to book an appointment ASAP.
The PSK (Passport Seva Kendra) normally has a customer query window that is helpful. If you have questions its best to pay them a visit beforehand.
If you are renewing/reissuing your passport it is to keep the address same as the previous address (even if you have moved to a different address). If the address is same as previous, there will be no police verification if the address is same. However please note that the passport will be sent by speed post to that address. So someone should be there to collect it.
In case you miss to collect the speedpost, the post man will normally keep a note on the door mentioning your courier id. You need to visit the local post office in your area within 7 days with the ID to collect it. In case you fail to do so, it will be sent back to the PSK.
The best way to deal with the police is be fearless & very patient. Make them feel that you are not bothered and not in a hurry to get the passport - they can't go against the law if you submit all the documents and they can't sit on your file forever. I have friends (who had done everything as per procedure) you told the police officer that they could send negative report and they didn't care & wont pay a bribe - a few days after that conversation, the police themselves called to inform that they had given a clear report.

Also in case you have any more questions, please add them in the comments below and I will be happy to answer them.

POTUS In India

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 05:25:00 +0000

The Beast lands, Air Force 1 is prepped up, Sheraton has 157 rooms as POTUS is coming to India. For some reason, the whole theme of the Obama visit and the jargon that goes with it sounds as if we just found Santa Claus and are bringing him to India.

Agreed, Barack Obama is the President of the Unites States of America (POTUS) and technically the most important person the earth has to offer, but purely in terms of achievements a single visit can only do as much. Democracies unlike Autocracies have a long decision making process and a single visit by the president is just a large step in million other smaller steps. In terms of timeline, a Obama visit with some definite agenda and action points tomorrow will achieve tangible benefits after 1 year!

I do not blame the media from hyping it up - there isn't any other Islamic bomber around currently blowing up things so they need to hype it up. Lost for any tangible things to speak on, the focus is on Obama's car (The Beast), his hotel (The Sheraton), his sniffer dogs, the number of security cameras and his loo timings not to mention Michelle Obama and daughters.

At this point I can be assured that both the leaders will say the meetings were very successful (at the end of the trip). They will say a lot has been achieved and we are all positive and gung ho about it, but purely from an engagement exercise, this visit will achieve more symbolically than much in terms of tangible benefits. I am more than inclined to ask Mr Obama to pitch in with Amitabh Bachhan in the 'Come to Gujarat' advertisement. Obama can definitely be a better tourist puller globally than Mr Bacchan.

So as things stand, Air Force One is ready for departure in 11 hours from now. Mr Obama has a long flight to India with a stop over in Germany landing in India at 10 AM on Sunday which I believe will be shown live on TV.

My 2 cents, Mr Obama, please pack warm clothes - its pretty cold in Delhi and the parade starts early :)

Maggu's life till now

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 01:04:00 +0000

Its been over 6 months since I last wrote here - but I have a very good reason for it. Profound changes

Where Was I?

were happening in my life in the last 6 month : Maggu found Maggie and married her. <>

So, how did the story unfold. Well it began like how most arranged marriages would - the first date over coffee initiated by our parents. We talked a lot of nonsense over the date, but somewhere deep down you connect - you know it the moment you are done with the meeting and depart. You know it because you haven't felt this feeling earlier. You know it because you think about it. There are a billion reasons why you know it, but you do. On the other side of the fence, I thought it would be very difficult to find someone like me through 'arranged marriage', but well, turned out actually it wasn't so difficult. The only thing you need to be ready for - a long tedious process of meeting a hell lot of girl (honestly, speaking when you think of it, its something that should promising for any self respecting guy).

Once Maggu found Maggie, the story began. Late night coffee and drives through the deserted streets of Pune. A drive into the mountains just for the lack of a good place to chat. Even a visit home and to the beaches and long winding roads it had to offer - it was a very fruitful courtship period at the end of it all.

And that's where Maggu (that's me), been busy. Courting Maggie. Setting up their new Nest as one of his cousins pointed out. Of course, now as the dust settles, Maggu got time to revive his art of writing. In the days to come, I plan to write of the journey it has been till now and the journey that is called The Indian Wedding.

The first separation

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 19:33:00 +0000

'What are you doing' asked Maggie over phone on a Friday afternoon.
'Just got off a call and will be dialing into the next one in a moment' said I as I scanned a management report on my desk sitting in office.
'Oh OK. Get done with your work. I am coming to meet you at your office' she said excitedly.
I just have a nervous giggle and said, 'Sure'.
I looked at my watch, it was 2:30 pm and Maggie would be coming over in 30 minutes. That meant I had very little time to finish off the report. I quickly jotted down a few To Do items, rescheduled the call, assigned a few tasks to my team and almost jogged downstairs to meet Maggie in the cafeteria.

Now as long as I have known her, Maggie has always had a cheerful smile on her face but today was different. She was sitting on a table and just staring at her fruit plate. I strode over to her and said :
'Hey, what's up'
'Hey, how are you' said she with a sad watery smile.
'What's wrong?' I asked very concerned.
'You know, I'll be going home this weekend. This is the first time I'll be leaving you' saying so a tear rolled down her cheek.
Then I understood what it was all about and was overcome with emotion. I just stood there with a smile on my face and gave her a pat on her shoulder and said, 'Don't worry it'll be fine. I'll call you regularly'
She looked at me and with a watery smile and said 'I know this looks stupid and it's just three days but I will miss you and that's making me cry. Will you miss me?'
'Heck I will. I'll be in touch every day and make sure you don't miss me'
She wiped off her tears, gave a brighter smile and said 'I guess it's best to start our snacks. But before we do that I want to tell you again Maggu, I love you too much'

5 steps to get investors for your startup

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 19:39:00 +0000

Get Funded

Having been associated with a many software start ups across India, I have noticed a recurring issue that most start ups face - how to get angel funding. Based on the experience garnered through various pitch events, competitions and preparing countless PPTs, below is the collated list of the experiences garnered.

Having a great concept, great product or even a great idea is not enough if you are not able to sell it - so read on.

Friends and Family
This has to be the first place you look for funding. This is the safest and the most reliable bet when raising funds. Dig through your relatives and close friends, try to find that rich uncle in your family and see what he can offer. In all my years of experience, I have noticed that it is the most easiest way to raise funds for any start up - not only that, it is the most safest in terms of any legal aspects if your business goes sideways. Best of all, you don't need to give guarantees and do a tonne of paperwork - your word will suffice.
Commercial Investors
What if you can't find a family member to fund your dream project - in that case you need to reach out to the investor community at large - Mumbai Angels, Sequoia Capital, IAN, etc to name a few in India. The question is, how do you convert a potential investor into an actual one.

Persistence
Persistence no doubt is the single most important factor. You need to identify the point man for any investor group and start following up with him. Investors are humans and like attention - give it to them. Contact them and develop a personal relationship. Getting the first meeting is the most important and persistence is the key to that. Get a meeting and 50% of the battle is won.
Great User Interface
Once you have your first meeting scheduled, what next? Well, its very simple actually. Investors go through 100s of pitch presentations monthly and rarely have time to go over the details. They rarely look at the working model of the product - the first thing(and in quite a few cases the only thing) that attracts them is a great UI (User Interface). It is paramount that you get that right - a few bugs in the actual product is acceptable but a flawed UI will be reject outright. Get it right and 90% of your battle is won.
Prototype
Nothing attracts an investors as much as a profitable prototype. If you have a small prototype - show it to them. It may be small in scale, all you need to show them is that it works and is profitable by itself. If you can convince them of this, your battle is won. The cheque is in hand with one last question - entry barriers.
Know the entry barrier to your business
The biggest fear any investor has are other investors! What if another investor with deeper pockets starts a similar business - how will you beat him? You need to know the entry barriers to your business that can prevent competition from stopping you (atleast in the initial few years). If you can convince your investor on this final piece, you will have the cheque in hand.

Crowd Funding
If the above two options don't work for you another option to raise funds is to opt for Crowd Funding. Though personally I would advise against it especially if you are raising funds for projects in India because most people are not keen to crowd fund projects in India. Still if you have the time (as crowd funding can take over a few years) and are keen on trying, this is another option to consider to raise funds.
Event Participation
This is the last option that can help you raise funds if the ones above don't work. It is not actually an investment strategy but is more of a survival strategy (which seems to have worked for a few start ups). All you need to do is participate and win events for start ups. There is Nasscom's 10,000 start ups challenge, Microsoft Bizspark, Microsoft Code for Honour and many others which are starting to form a part of the annual calendar with handsome cash prizes. Nominate yourself in these and see if you can win the cash which can act as a great survival strategy.

Finally, a word of advise, don't make raising funds the sole aim of your life but make your product the most important piece of your life. If your start up is profitable by itself, it can bootstrap itself with no funding required. It is difficult, but will give you the maximum satisfaction. And finally, if you do get funded, remember - 2% of something is far more greater than 100% of nothing.

Back Link : http://routioneblabber.blogspot.com

Glass paininting and a flying dragon

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 15:47:00 +0000

Maggu's Color pallete

It was turning out to be a usual Saturday for Maggu and Maggie(Maggu's fiancée). They had gone out to meet a cousin in the morning then had done grocery shopping and finally some window shopping late into the afternoon.

Snack Time - Maggu's Prep

As the sun began its decent into a pleasant evening a tiny thought crossed Maggie's mind - let's do a glass painting.

Now Maggu is no expert at painting but he knew Maggie was and was keen to see how she painted so he was all for it. And so began the 'Glass Painting'.

Maggie's Color Pallette

As Maggie toiled though the evening on the piece of glass, Maggu watched in awe as a masterpiece was created out of a piece of glass and some colours. Of course this meant that he had to do all the household chores like getting the evening snack ready.

Maggu's Masterpiece

For reasons unknown looking at Maggie paint Maggu got tempted to paint his own masterpiece late into the evening. With limited skill set, a large heart and basic water colours Maggu began his own creation - a dragon.

Maggie's Masterpiece

To cut the story short, in about an hours time and just before it was time for Maggie to depart the two masterpieces were ready. Till date Maggu can't stop admiring his masterpiece and finding ways to sell Maggie's art. **wicked grin**

PS : In Maggu's defence, my imagination should be credited and the fact that now kids can know how clouds are created. Additionally, Maggu had far lesser colors to choose from compared to Maggie, so his lack of perfection and choice of colors should be excused.

How to get your electricity connection reconnected

noreply@blogger.com (Everything) — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 07:20:00 +0000

Everyone at some point or time in their life would have had to face this predicament. The wireman comes to your door step one fine morning and announces that he is going to disconnect your electricity connection for non payment of bills.

I recently had such an experience. I was pretty alarmed by the prospect as any interaction with any government entity is fraught with touts which extract a hell lot of money from you. But I went ahead and ultimately it turned out to be fairly simple. So I just decided to jot down the steps for anyone who needs to re connect their electricity connection.

Step 1: Pay the outstanding bill at the nearest MSEB office. Note that you will not be able to pay the outstanding bill online as MSEB does not have that provision. Also keep the receipt of payment handy.

Step 2: The same office should provide you a re connection form. Go to the relevant department, show them that you have paid the outstanding bill and fill in the reconnection chalan.

Step 3: Take the chalan, go to the accounts section (that will be the same where you paid the bill) and pay the fine of 100 Rs.

Step 4: Then photo copy (Xerox) the 4 documents (i.e. bill, receipt of payment of bill, chalan, receipt of payment of chalan) and take it to the substation office where your home lies in.

Step 5: Submit photo copy to the substation office and you are done. The person will come and reconnect the connection in a few hours.

TIPS
- In case the wireman disconnects the connection in front of you try coaxing him into not doing it and pay the bill
- Always take the Wireman's phone number so it's easier for follow up
- There is a possibility that you may need to visit more than one office if different departments are in different locations. Be ready to travel a bit. Ideally they would be in a 3 km radius
- In case you don't have the physical copy of your electricity bill, you can take a print out online