Saturday, August 14, 2010

Privatization of India's most valuable sector

You could blame this blog to my work conditions but I believe this could be a winning formula to make use of India most expensive and important resource i.e HUMAN BEINGS

Has any one taken a trip out of station or may be to the outskirts of your city... any thing you find in common... Nah I am not talking about the poverty or the hopeless roads that is like a story that may last for eternity... ( I so hope that I am wrong)... I am talking about all those banner of various institutions that have opened up all across the country... The roads are filled with banner, posters, holding of education societies and institutions all over the length breadth of the country (I can vouch for 5 states myself).

This is India's current fastest and biggest Money Making Machine, but then let me tell you the views of our constitution over Education - Education has to be a service which has to be selfless and without a profitable motive so basically a philanthropic initiative from someone who cares for the society at large, way to go with the idealism of the Indian Constitution, I dont know who put this in the constitution but I mean how in the world can you expect someone trying to teach 1.2 billion people that too for free (Educational Institutions can be only opened by Philanthropic Trust and not as Business Houses) But then to work around rules and regulation is like a cake walk for the people in power and solution is - you have the a education society in the name of every god that ever existed in India by a politician or a Industrialist(society can be registered at any of the district courts). The most secure way to convert all your BLACK MONEY and make it a long term business as well ... A corrupt politician or Industrialist could not have asked for more.... ..

But then let me share my views on how education system should be created for the overall benefit of the society.... For long we have heard everyone shouting out on the top of their voices - the best way to growth is to privatize it,growth and prosperity will follow... That is exactly what the India Government has done, privatized the most important segment for growth, before that let me help bifurcate education types, I believe we need 2 kind of education...
  1. Education that breed Innovation
  2. Education for the masses
The first Type 'INNOVATION', I can include all the IITs, BITs, and a few private Institutes where we can breed Innovation, new products something that would transform the way we live or the world, today one of the most important assets a country can have are PATENTs that is like the Holy grail of wealth in today world. It is important to invest in talent that can help create technological breakthrough in all segment.I hope they can concentrate on these institutions when they don't have to bother about lakhs of others whose education is taken care by all these education trusts.

The second type 'MASSES', something that help raise the overall standard of people and create jobs to mass produce these innovation and take it to the world, something that China has done very successful, but then hopeless that our government is to take education to the masses... (out of 100 people doing their HSC only 11 go for graduation)... so the government allows non-government to participate in education activities and here we see colleges propping up in every part of the corner.. A brilliant strategy according to me

College being a business machine need to be profitable so they spend money in the right direction without the hassles of bureaucracy( A Vice Chancellor of a college has to wait for over 1 year to get a official car for himself forget about improving education) and promote themselves (in turn promoting education) .... so all those people who were thinking of education are sold education by all these colleges and make them understand the importance of education...

I agree we don't have college with huge campuses(you could start a college with about 5 acres of land) or awesome facilities but then this is India we can have only what is necessary..... All these campuses dream of being Deemed universities some day and make them selves research hubs even if 10 % succeed the job should be considered JOB well done. They are busy marketing themselves(whether it is add on prime time channels, airports, metros) and trying to prove themselves better than the other in the essence improving education overall and creating a competitive environment. All we need to do to make this a grand success is to make some robust guideline with are not fiddled with and let these institutions have flexibility and pro-activeness to be in line with the fast changing education of the country at large.May we have great Innovation in the near future... Cheers to India's frugal Education system and Innovation hubs

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Finally got a driving license in Bangalore

Yes finally I am a holder of an Indian Driving License, did it and did it the right way some might say the miser way but never the less thought it was worth sharing this experience of mine and would be of value to quite a lot of people. I got my driving license done in Bangalore. Guess what paid a mere 315 for a driving license and transfer of vehicle. Awesome for me 'a penny saved is a penny earned'. The best thing is there is still hope with the India bureaucracy.

As we all know the recent past has been tough, recession and stuff, but for guys like me it was a time of abundance and since I lost my last fake/illegal License during a pockettheft had little choice but to get a new one. Checked with a couple of friends who had got it done in near past and was told straight away. That is one hell of messed up work get an agent pay him a Rs 1000 and you shall have it conveniently. Ideally would have done exactly as they told after listening but since the RTO was en route to my office decided to go there once and check it out myself. Did a bit of googling "driving license in Bangalore India " and like we know the google as the god of information a list of various driving schools sites popped up.Went through the couple of them, 20 min of reading and felt I was ready to give the test for the Learner's. You might wanna check out this blog helped me a lot and actually made be believe that I could get it done myself without a lot of mess and ya off course save some money as well check this link the link http://biturl.net/?3cgeyg (The miser in me got excited...:))

All you need to do is postpone the office till12 noon and reach there by about 10am. A simple form which on a higher probability would be in Kannada. The people there were more than helpful to help me fill it up within 20 min I had filled up the form and was standing in a que. Another 15 min wait and I was led to a classroom like setup. A laminated paper was thrust into my hand with a blank sheet numbered 1-15. Well my reading had helped so did my common sense. Another 10 min I was done, handed over the paper he looked it and said you have passed come in the evening and collect your learner. I was like that's it nothing else he looked me up with irritated eyes picked up my bag and was out of there. Ya one more thing collect your learner btw 4-5 in the evening or go on a working Saturday. Yuppie Level 1 cleared.

Post 30 days you can apply for a permanent driving license, paid the chalan of 250 including the fees and the smart card, reached there just as the first time around 10, got it signed by some gov official and was given a date 15 days ahead as they were packed.. 15 days reached there driving testing center. A Service lane next to park not too far from the Jayanager police station. One trip on the 2 wheeler around the park and you are done, for a guy giving the test he did not even drive just stood there as people crowded around the desk of the checking inspector. And here I was a proud owner of a driving licence.

In a similar fashion changed the ownership of the vehicle to my name as I had bought second hand piece. You will be amazed that it just takes Rs 35 to change the ownership of the vehicle. Some agents could charge you as high as Rs 600.

All I had to do was be punctual early on good terms with my boss and ya less work and ready to work a bit late to complete the stipulated hours.People are helpful but if someone is trying to be too helpful just check if he is not an agent might demand money later for doing nothing. Dont forget to take the following
  1. Photos
  2. Address Proof
  3. Age Proof
  4. Glue, fevistick, stapler
Once you have all these and you follow all the rules there is not much in getting a license. Just to give you a few figures the agents earn as high as Rs 500 per person and there are about 300 licenses getting done everyday at a single RTO. Keeping 24 working days in month 500*300*24 that is like 36 lakh a month and when we take all the RTO in Bangalore it could well be over 5 Cr a month. For the whole state and then the country you do the math.

A business opportunity in the unorganized sector still to be tapped !!!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Amir Khan Movies.. and the message they carry..

It is been a while I sat down to jot down how I feel about things, has been long but as you say it is never too late... Have had ample time in the recent past and could not help but see a lot of movies and TV serials. Just recently watched Amir Khan latest movies back to back and suddenly a strange truth or say philosophy dawned on me... the moves being Taare Zameene Par and 3 idiots, it was like my whole life passed in front of eyes...

Could not help but notice how beautifully Amir has been able to portray life of middle class Indians. No wonder all his movies are super duper hits after all any movie which can exhibit reality with a bit of masala and hope is bound to be a hit.

A small inference of a child or human being life in India is as follows. A small kid is born and it is time for a celebration in the house,the first 6-11 months of his/her life are the best, do any thing you like kick up in the air, take a leak anywhere anytime and no one complains. everyone come to you with a smile or is busy making you smile.... what a life!!!. But like all good things this does not last too long.

The day you speak out your first words of your native language is when the trouble begins. Shortly you will have the education system taking the grip of your life 'A is for apple and B is for bat or ball which ever is easier to speak' and we have another martyr to the Indian education system. Parent start nurturing a secret desire of what they want their children to become or lets put it this way, what they could not but want their children to do it for them or something that the society thinks is WOW.. I mean for god sake ask the child what he wants isn't it that we live in a democratic country, the right to expression and action.. but then how can the child know what shithole he is being put into, they have given us birth so they know best. who better than parents to guide in our adolescence days And we are not small to make out that we are acting in wake of the society definition of fruitful and honorable life.

Story continues the child is pulled apart in two different directions one what he likes and what the society wants him to do. Go to school mug up all the poems twinkle twinkle little star etc etc.. and then the life long activity of getting report cards and unhappy parents begins..TZPe you know what I m talking about , agreed we may not be suffering from a disease like that but then are state is not too diff.... may be if your parents supportive you might land up learning a few extra curricular activities or may be a few sports if you were in the right school but then we are not talking about exception...

First 16 years they just want to have good report cards so that family's social status is maintained but then after the secret dreams of our parents surface that they have been nurturing and it becomes are mission and the only meaning of our life... doc engineer and so forth... The next step a hard working horse who is just able to see the path ahead shown to him. beginning of a long long journey of hurried lunches, sleepless nights and tuitions (the girls we meet at tuitions seem to be a bonus :) )

And the next part is what is truly described by 3 Idiots, engineering/medicals colleges mug the books, bookworm getting better marks and teachers saying more than often ' I will get back to you on this' and post the questions you are topping his hate list of annoying students. You can explain what you understand better than the bookworm but he gets better marks cause cause he photocopies the book on to the answer sheets kudos to his memory but pity on his short term memory as he does not remembers any thing the next day....

I wonder sometime are we humans or a machine which can at times feel emotions... we are born and the rest is already decided, you learn to walk when you are 1, school at 3, coll at 17, job at 21 marriage at 27 and reproduction at 29 and the cycle repeats it self.... is this not mechanical and are we are not machines....

"Give me some sunshine give me some rain give me another chance to grow up once again..."