Thursday, July 1, 2010

{SamsoNgroup} FAQ - India

FAQ - India

India holds a certain sense of mystery for the world outside its borders. Read on to find how curious foreigners are about India and its ways or rather read on to find out how dumb and ignorant they are about our beautiful country. This was taken from a tourism blog where people could post queries if they were planning on making a trip to India.
The answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who demonstrate tolerance and excellent sense of humor.

Q : Does it ever get windy in India ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? ( UK ).

Q : Will I be able to see elephants in the street? ( USA )
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Delhi to Goa - can I follow the railroad tracks? ( Sweden )
A: Sure, it's only three thousand kms, take lots of water.

Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in India? (Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Q: Are there any ATMs India ? Can you send me a list of them in Delhi , Chennai, Calcutta and Bangalore?(UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in India ? ( USA )
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe . In-di-a is that big triangle in the middle of the Pacific & Indian Ocean which does not.. oh forget it. ...... Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Goa . Come naked.

Q: Which direction is North in India ? ( USA )

Q: Can I bring cutlery into India ? ( UK )
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q: Can you send me the Indiana Pacers matches schedule? ( France )
A: Indiana is a state in the Unites States of...oh forget it. Sure, the Indiana Pacers matches are played every Tues day night in Goa , straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
Q: Can I wear high heels in India ? ( UK )
A: You're a British politician, right?

Q: Are there supermarkets in Bangalore , and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in India who can dispense rattlesnake serum. ( USA )
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Indian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.

Q: Do you have perfume in India ? ( France )
A: No, WE don't stink in India.

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in India ? (USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in India ? (France)
A: Only at Christmas.

A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first
Q: Can I see Taj Mahal anytime? (Italy)
A: As long as you are not blind, you can see it anytime day and night.

Q: Do you have Toilet paper? (USA)
A: No, we use sand paper. (we have different grades)

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FYI Bangaloreans.

You are in a hurry to catch the train. You pack all your stuff and frantically run out in the hope of catching an auto. You come out and see 5 autos standing at the corner. You thank God and ask them - "Majestic chaloge kya??" The Answer is "Rs 200 hoga!!". "Kya?? It just cost Rs 100 till Majestic". "Bahut rush hai sir!!". You move on to the next auto, to try your luck and surprisingly, you have the same conversation "Bahut rush hai sir!!". Finally you give up and bargain the price to Rs 170 and hope you don't miss your train.

Sounds more than familiar??

You stand on the road and keep on asking the passing autos for a ride to your destination - if it's not your day, the autos will not even bother to stop; if you're a bit lucky they might actually slow down to hear your destination's name and think for a second( i always wonder if they are calculating their net profit) and then speed away. However if you are more lucky, the auto guy might actually quote you an exorbitant price and then speed away. But if it's your extremely lucky hour of the day, you might end up getting an auto which is ready to take you to the destination at meter price.

In my six years of existence in Bengaluru, these experiences have been really instrumental in teaching me great virtues - Patience and Tolerance. But at what price??? exorbitant rates, extremely rude behavior and what not ......
After years of feeling used, i set out to find the answer for this misery - was there no government system that could bring these auto guys to justice? As a citizen, how can i express my concern?

This search took me to the Koramangala RTO office (BDA complex) and to my surprise i found that there did exist a government system which i believe 99.99% of Bengaluru is unaware of !! 
The System
Note the vehicle number (KA-XX-YY-ZZZZ) and email the details to Based on the prefix XX (for example KA-01), complaint will be sent to one of the ten RTO offices in Bangalore and adjacent taluk areas.
Alternatively, one can also call these offices at the number given below based on the vehicle number prefix and directly lodge a complaint.

Vehicle Prefix (KA-XX) Bangalore location Phone number
KA-01 Koramangala 080-25533525 
KA-02 Rajajinagar 080-23324104 
KA-03 Indiranagar 080-25254310 
KA-04 Yeshwantpur 080-23376039 
KA-05 Jayanagar 080-26630989 
KA-41 Gyanabharthi 080-28602833 
KA-50 Yelahanka 080-28561366 
KA-51 Electronic City 080-25735522 
KA-52 NeelaMangala 08234-285598 
KA-53 KR Puram 080-25617951 
Once the complaint is received at the corresponding office, a notice is issued to the address of the vehicle's registered owner, requiring him/her to turn up at the RTO office within 7 working days. Every RTO has about 10 IMV's (Inspector of Motor Vehicles) who seize the vehicles which don't report to the RTO.

The penalty levied from the auto-waalas is rs.100 under section 200.

The various offences among others for which one can lodge a complaint
Refusal to come to destination (Any destination!!!) 
Demanding excess fare 
Using rough language 
Cheat the public, for e.g. taking longer routes. 
Faulty Meter 
There is also a helpline number - 080-22353785 available Monday – Saturday from 10:00 am - 5:30 pm on which one can call to lodge complaints.

The numbers speak for itself
I was shocked when I found that the Koramangala RTO office received only 5 complaints a month. With over 1,00,000 autos plying on Bangalore roads, shouldn't it be like 5 complaints a minute?
So, will our impatience always have to take a backseat? Can something be done to improve/compliment the system to make it more effective? Will we get a better platform to raise our voices democratically?

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""Don't be afraid to be amazing."

Face it... Fight it

شمشون; SAMSON :-)

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Stop throwing money away

Throwing money away 

There's no question that disposable items can be incredibly convenient sometimes. But if you stop and think about it, they're not all they're cracked up to be.

While it might be quicker to throw something in the trash when you're done using it than washing it and putting it away, you do have to have to spend time going to the store and buying the same products all over again. The costs for buying products again and again can really add up.

Plus you're not only throwing away your hard earned money. You're also disposing of the resources used to make the throwaway products and unnecessarily sending things to the landfill.

No one is suggesting that you stop using disposables altogether, just that you give it a little more thought. Some disposables are hard to live without (such as diapers), but the items on the list below will be barely noticeable once you change a few habits. You'll need to spend a little money up front to save down the line.

A family of four can save $3,164 a year by cutting back or eliminating the items listed below. Of course, the final savings ultimately depends on what you use now, how much you cut back, and local prices. No matter the exact total, wouldn't you rather spend money on a family vacation instead of disposable junk?


Paper napkins

Use cloth napkins instead. Worried about the laundry piling up? Assign a different color napkin to each family member (or try this fun DIY napkin project). The idea is that if the same person uses the same napkin at every meal, you can wash napkins less often.

Potential savings: Count on saving around $57 a year if everyone in your family uses one napkin at every meal. You'll also save 4,368 paper napkins from being tossed in the landfill each year.


Paper towels

Wipe up spills with cloth towels. Use rags for cleaning. You can make your own by cutting up old sheets, T-shirts, towels, etc., or buy microfiber towels. For windows try crumpling up old newspapers.

Potential savings: If your household uses one roll of paper towels each week, you can save around $83 a year.


Resealable, plastic storage bags

Reuse them by washing them out and letting air dry. (It's not a good idea to reuse bags that were used to store raw meat.) There are now several kinds of reusable sandwich and snack bags that are widely available. Store leftovers in plastic or glass reusable containers.

Potential savings: You'll save around $78 a year if you stop using throwaway plastic bags for weekday lunches and storing leftovers.


Paper coffee filters

Try a reusable coffee filter or make coffee in a French press, which doesn't require a filter. 

Potential savings: About $15 a year if you make one pot of coffee every day.


Single-serve bottled drinks

Carry a reusable stainless-steel bottle to transport water and other drinks when you're on the go.

Potential savings: About $2,187 if each member of your family consumers one bottled beverage a day. 


Aluminum foil

Save leftovers in reusable plastic or glass containers. Avoid using foil to line baking sheets.

Potential savings: Around $64 a year if you use six rolls of foil (200 square feet each).


Single-use batteries

It's much easier to use rechargeable batteries than you think. Rechargeable AA batteries and chargers, ubiquitous for TV and gaming remotes and kids' toys, are widely available. An added bonus: You don't have to run to the store when your remote runs out of juice. Just recharge the batteries and you're good to go.

Potential savings: If you use around 25 AA batteries a year, you'll save around $28 a year. You can also feel good about not unnecessarily sending batteries to the landfill.


Disposable razors blades

Use an electric razor instead. 

Potential savings: About $122 a year if your household uses 54 razor blades a year.


Paper publications

Read your favorite newspapers and magazines online instead of letting the paper pile up at home. You'll find a lot of interesting content for free online, but even if you have to pay to read articles you'll still come out ahead.

For example, subscribing to the electronic edition of the New York Times costs $29.95 a month. Compare that to the $769.60 price tag for seven-day home delivery (It's $608.40 if you live in the Tri-State area.)

Potential savings: Depending on where you live, you'll either save $530 or $369 a year.


Previous Emails on SamsoNGroup? :: Check here

""Don't be afraid to be amazing."

Face it... Fight it

شمشون; SAMSON :-)

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Letting you know where we stand :-)

TCS CEO Chandrasekaran
NEW DELHI: Directors at India's largest technology services company, Tata Consultancy Services, received commissions four times their salaries, making them some of the highest paid in the IT industry. Executive directors at TCS were paid commissions ranging from Rs 95 lakh to a whopping Rs 2.5 crore, leading to a rise in their gross compensation package. 

Comparisons on a total salary basis reveal that TCS CEO earned almost thrice his counterpart at Infosys. For example, for the last fiscal, N Chandrasekaran earned Rs 2 crore as commission — as a board member — against a salary of Rs 46 lakh and Rs 51.1 lakh of perquisites, taking his annual salary to almost Rs 3 crore. 

On the other hand, Infosys' MD and CEO S Gopalakrishnan earned Rs 1.01 crore as annual compensation for the fiscal to March 31, 2010. This included an annual salary of Rs 32 lakh, perks and incentives of Rs 61 lakh, apart from contribution to provident and other funds of just Rs 8 lakh. Of course, Infosys CEO also holds a stake in the company, being a founder. 

While CFOs received almost the same amount, the packages were structured differently. TCS CFO S Mahalingam earns Rs 43.8 lakh as salary but Rs 1.5 crore as commission and Rs 42.2 lakh as perks, taking the total compensation to over Rs 2.36 crore. Infosys CFO V Balakrishnan earns almost 2.44 crore, with almost Rs 2 crore as incentive. 

Average commissions for non-executive directors at Infosys board was between Rs 49 lakh and Rs 65 lakh while the same for TCS had a higher upper limit of Rs 85 lakh. Interestingly, compensation as a proportion of total profit was almost the same at both the firms. TCS doled out Rs 15.2 crore as managerial remuneration on a profit of Rs 7,000 crore. While, Infosys gave Rs 16 crore as managerial remuneration, on a profit base of Rs 6,266 crore. 

While TV Mohandas Pai was also one of the highest paid at Infosys at Rs 3.13-crore annual package, non-executive director and Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy earned just Rs 57 lakh. At TCS, head of global corporate affairs and executive director, Phiroz Vandrevala, earned an annual package of Rs 1.69 crore. 

The highest earning executive at Infosys last year was Ashok Vemuri, who heads Infosys' US business. He earned almost Rs 4.88 crore, with an incentive of Rs 2.79 crore. BG Srinivas, head of European business at Infosys, who was last year top grosser is now relinquished to second spot with annual earnings of Rs 4.56 crore. HR experts explain the large difference in salaries of some executives. 

"There is a variable element in most compensation structures whose benchmarks are the profits. But in the case of Infosys and TCS, size of the businesses vary at different divisions, so its not quantifiable," says Sudhakar Balakrishnan, CEO, Adecco India. Of course, salaries in offshore locations can't be compared to onshore because of different living standards. Says Kunal Banerjie: CEO, Absolute HR international: "The ratio of variable salary of top executives may range from 50% to almost 90% in many cases."

Previous Emails on SamsoNGroup? :: Check here

""Don't be afraid to be amazing."

Face it... Fight it

شمشون; SAMSON :-)

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