Getting Your License Done -- the Proper Way

Let me ask you a question: How hard do you think it is to get a driving license done in India by following the proper process, i.e. by not using the help of driving schools, agents and middlemen?

1 - cakewalk ... 10 - impossible

Of course, I am assuming that you satisfy the necessary legal requirement for holding a driving license in the first place, i.e. you are an adult who knows how to drive, and doesn't suffer from any of the listed health conditions which debar you from driving.

I have waited for this day with bated breath for three months so that I could share with you my answer to the above question. Today, I want to share with you all that I have got my driving license issued from the RTO, Electronics City, Bangalore -- all using legitimate methods. And, in my estimate, I would place the difficulty level somewhere in the middle of the bar (between 4 and 6).

Last evening, when I finally got sure that my license is indeed done, I shared the news with many of my friends, assuming that this achievement was one of its kind. What I came to know is that there are many amongst my own friends who have been there done that before me. Instead of dampening my exhilaration, it only strengthened my conviction that this piece ought to be written. There are many who have been getting their license done without resorting to curved paths (or short cuts): driving schools, agents, or blatant bribing. It's possible go straight for it and get it. People have been doing it successfully.

And this positive fact needs to be talked about as much as the issues of the system. One of the reasons corruption and inefficiency sinks into the DNA of a system is because citizens lose hope and stop trying to use it in the legitimate way. Only the negative aspects get talked about, and the positive instances, which are probably already in minority, get ignored. Eventually, a public opinion that 'nothing works here' gets entrenched in the public psyche. Therefore, if there are positive instances, they should definitely find mention, so that the vicious cycle of cynicism and despondency can be broken.

So, that's the first reason I write this article: to spread a message of hope and positivity, and encourage people to try going the legit way. It was indeed an eye-opener for me to learn that so many of my friends had actually successfully got their DL through legitimate method. Had I known this before I embarked on my journey to get my license, it wouldn't have appeared so perilous and daunting to me.

Following are the other reasons for writing this article:

1. I wish to share my experience of wading through the process with those who would like to try getting their driving license done using legitimate means. Hope it helps them.
   
2. I would like to share some observations regarding why might the citizens' current experience with the RTO not be as pleasant as it should be, and what could be done to improve it. I would like to assume that someone out there is listening, who has it in his hands to bring out positive changes in the system.

How to Get Your License Done

Well, the process is all out there on the Internet I think. Yet, following it isn't all that straightforward. There are bells-and-whistles, pitfalls and caveats, which can cause the whole thing to become disproportionately complicated.

One more point. While much of the following information should apply nationwide with minimal modifications, there are details specific to Electronics City RTO too.

Another point. These instructions are as per how things stand at present. By the time you are reading it, things may change: the process, the website design etc.

One final point. A disclaimer. These are not official instructions, just what I am able to recollect from memory, which already is beginning to gather dust due to the passage of several months since I went through it myself. But, I am confident that I will say nothing that will misguide you.

1. Learner's License

1.1 Get written test appointment (online). Your first point of stop is this. This is Parivahan site, courtesy GoI. Select your state. And you land with many choices. The first of them (as per the layout while I write this) is Apply for Learner's License. Go ahead, click it!

The list of things you would do here will appear. The online wizard will help you go through the process. If I remember correctly, at some point, you would need to upload a photograph. The photograph file is required to be very small, probably < 200KB.

You would need to pay up the charges for the online test. Note that the online test isn't completely online. It's more a computer-based test. To take this, you have to visit the RTO on the day you select as a part of the above process.

1.2 Appear for test (RTO)

You reach the RTO on the designated date at the designated time. But as per my observation, its complete chaos at the venue. You stand in a long queue. You pay up your fees at the cash counter. Your name gets called, and you have to strain not to miss that. If you do catch your name called, you get into this room with 10-15 computer terminals. You go sit on one of them, and start your test. It's a computer based quiz consisting of 15-20 multiple choice questions. If you know the answers, you get done within a matter of minutes. If you pass, you will immediately be notified. You receive a link in SMS later that day or may be the next from which you can download the soft copy of your learner's license.

2. Permanent License

2.1 Get driving test appointment (online)

Your learner's license is valid for 6 months after which it lapses. The permanent license must be obtained within that period. You can apply for a permanent license only when you have a valid learner's license.

2.2 Appear for test (RTO)

Here's where I saw a lot of confusion, not just among the applicants, but also among people inside the system, including RTO employees. Remember this: All tests happen in the testing tracks around RTO Electronics City (and I am being specific here only for applications for this RTO). There are many there who will tell you that you have to go to the testing tracks near Huskur Gate to appear for your tests. That's a misinformation. All driving tests for LMVs and two-wheelers happen right there, near the RTO. Tests for applications coming via driving schools are taken in a different track -- about 300-400 metres south west of the RTO building, while tests for individual applications, which comprise of a small minority of all applications, happens almost right outside the RTO gate. It's an ad-hoc arrangement; no designated track or anything. The inspector stands in some corner and asks you to take rounds in the midst of general traffic. It's anybody's guess as to how closely he examines you when there are multiple applicants driving their vehicles in the midst of a sea of general traffic. But let's not get into cynical thoughts.

Another important practical insight is that the appointed date of your test may be of consequence, but the precise timing is not. You may take the first slot in the morning intending to get done and save the rest of your day for something else. No! The time at which your test will take place depends on the availability of the inspector, and the crowd that day. We have two instances to quote. In both cases, the tests happened around midday. But, I wouldn't advise you to take a morning appointment and arrive around midday. It's better to arrive on time and be mentally prepared to wait till noon.

Yet another thing to remember. If you have applied for multiple vehicles, e.g. LMV and MCWG, please either take two appointments one for each so that you can go with your car and motorcycle separately. Another alternative is to take a companion so that you have both your vehicles with you. Yet another alternative is to find someone and borrow his vehicle (of course, I consider this a very precarious way of doing things). In other words, it's essential to have handy a vehicle one which you would appear for your test. Common sense!

2.3 Document verification (RTO)

If you clear your test, you proceed to counter number 9, first floor (again, this is an information specific to RTO, Electronics City). There, you stand in a long queue. When your turn comes, you get a retina scan and a signature, and thumbprint done. You pay some extra fees (around Rs. 60/-) there.

That's it. You are done. You can go home. If things work well, you will get your DL through speed post delivered at your address, typically within a week, but sometimes within a month (caveats apply -- see below).

Suggestions to RTO

The declared process really has only two steps: LL and DL. That's it. But in reality, it turns out more winded than that -- all due to unnecessary things. By recounting my actual experience of following the process, let me see if I can bring out where the system suffers inefficiencies which can be dispensed with. 

Help desk

I felt I wasted the greatest amount of time in trying to figure out what to do next. There is one Sakal counter where there sits an official whose mannerisms, when he is there, aren't inviting enough to make you feel like asking for guidance from him. In short, it's an ineffective contraption -- that Sakal counter. In fact, to minimise the time wasted by the applicants in muddling around in the RTO, a good helpdesk is critical. It should be the single point of entry and should have enough width to be able to handle to peak load gracefully. Right there, all document verification, payment, and any other paperwork should be gotten out of your way. If you get past the helpdesk, all probability of your failing due to process hurdles should be eliminated.

 

Make it Transparent

A sheet charting out the steps to be followed by the applicant should be handed over to the applicant after the verification gets done at the help desk. When the applicant gets past any desk, the official there should provide his signature and seal as an acknowledgement of how far the applicant has gone through. Any paper needed for progress should be managed internally. Token system should be followed to manage the queue at any counter to manage crowding and ensure fairness. 

A number of shops have mushroomed around the area who provide services the need of which really exists because the RTO makes no attempt to provide you with assistance. These people should be brought into the folds of RTO, given employment there.

Revamp the Website

The website is terrible ... terrible! It's designed to make you make mistakes which will cost you time, money and cause a lot of frustration. Again, I am getting rusty with the details. I made a number of mistakes while using the website. This, when I reached the RTO, put me at the mercy of an agent who fleeced me for my services.

Fix the Delivery Process

The DL, once printed, is supposed to be delivered to you via speed post. Mine never arrived. Attempts to follow-up turned out futile. So, what am celebrating about then? Basically, I could download an electronic copy of my DL in my Digilocker app. So, I consider this done and dusted.

But the point is: why are we forced to go back home and wait for our license to arrive via the very unreliable medium mode of Indian Post (sorry, another instance of that pervasive cynicism!)? If we choose, we are happy to come to RTO and collect it from there. Or give us the option of receiving it through some other private courier service. Whatever!

Oppressors and Common People

What enables oppressors to show such unity? Look at mafia, terrorists, smugglers, corrupt politicians, businessmen, imperialists. They all are hand-in-glove when involved in something vile. Somehow, their teams are extremely strong, despite being much smaller than the number of people they oppress. It's got to do with the common urges which drive them to do what they do. Greed, ambition, anger, fear, ego, vanity etc. are very potent motivators and unifiers.

On the other hand, common people never seem to come together? Because most people are cowards. They would rather hide behind their busy life etc. than come out in the open and speak out. They fear unpleasantness and messing it up with the 'important' and 'influential'. They would sometimes even turn against the very people who are trying to stand for them, just to avoid being marked as an agent of change in the existing social order. And agents of change are a set of creatures oppressors hate the most, and go to any length to get them out of their way.

The dominating emotion among the masses is fear. And here's another way fear works: as a paralyser, which is exactly the opposite of how it works on the oppressors. 

The oppressors often hold positions of influence, and once in a while do their bit to keep the system going. This could easily be construed as a service to the common man. But it's a delusion. A parasite needs the host to remain alive to be able to suck its blood. An intelligent parasite will go to the extreme of helping its host survive when it's about to die, because if the host dies, the parasite can't survive either. An intelligent parasite will also want to keep its victim deluded that it is actually a helpful guest, who should be allowed to suck its host's blood once in a while as a payback for its services. British, when they were here, also built bridges and buildings, apart from looting the people in immeasurable proportions. And even to this day, we punish ourselves by saying that their coming to our land did us a lot of good, whereas the reality is they kept sucking our lifeblood for two centuries, and left us scarred for centuries to come.

The common man -- lazy, ignorant, fearful -- is happy to lead a subjugated life as long as the oppressors keep them away from the need to understand things and take things in their own hands. They are afraid to take responsibility, to fail, to deal with the discomfort of understanding and learning. When the common man stands up to say something, he cowers back down after seeing the menacing look in the eyes of the oppressor which seems to say: 'Speak, and I will drop everything.'

An oppressor -- a social parasite -- will do everything in his means to keep the masses deluded about the true nature of its relation with the oppressor. One of the most potent ways to do this is to keep the masses divided. Mass ignorance is a great ally of the oppressor. People who are divided can easily be dealt with by a handful of oppressors. When the voices of the people come together, it is a beacon of death for the oppressors. Hence, it's a universal characteristic of the oppressor to try and kill communication. A group of sufferers is a formidable force. A lonely sufferer is puny in comparison. He is so afraid and lacking in confidence that his voice can be silenced for ever with a rap on his knuckles.

I now gradually realise why Netaji and Gandhiji were such great leaders. Because they could make millions of cowards come out on the streets and take up a gun or fill jails. Respect!

The Grand Unifying Theory of Crime and Punishment

A 23 year old girl was gang raped this Sunday night in Delhi. She was brutally beaten and thrown off the bus, in which 6 people raped her. She was brought to the Safdarjang Hospital in a critical state where her condition has deteriorated since then. She has been in coma. Her infected intestines have been all but removed through surgery. There are speculations as to whether she'll survive. Probably, we don't even dare to start speculating how her life will be if she survives.

India is enraged. There are demonstrations. There's a flurry of activity on the Web condemning the heinous act, demanding strict punishment to the perpetrators. Blogs. Facebook posts. Petitions. Demands: Fast track court. Extended sentence. Death by hanging. Death by starving...

Since a day or two, I have got entangled in a discussion (on facebook) where, in the current state, I am shamefully defending myself against rude remarks by one of the members in the discussion. Reason: she thinks that such harsh punishments as castration, gallows etc. should be meted out to the perpetrators. I expressed my disagreement, though only after ample expression to my own agony about whatever has happened, whatever is happening. I had to face the charge of sharing a camaraderie with the criminals. What a shame! I want to join hands with everyone in the world to express my disgust and anger about how we treat our women. But look at what I am wasting my energies in: in refuting comments from another person agonised like me, the harshness towards me that shows in her comments towards me being entirely founded on a genuine distress. A distress we all feel. Equally!

Rather accidentally, this very thing probably summarises what I came here to say. Whenever something disturbing happens, we get enraged. We start throwing our rage about. We, the perennial idol worshippers, catch someone to empty our rage on, an effigy to burn. When there's a bomb-blast, we want to throw out all Muslims from India. For increasing crimes in South India, South Indians want to bash up North Indians. When there's rampant corruption, we point our fingers at politicians. There's a technical name of this behaviour: Racism!

When the fact that women aren't treated well in our country reveals through such horrendous incidents, we quickly find another race to persecute: Males.

Nothing happens. Terrorists keep bombing our cities. Muggers keep making our streets less and less safe to walk on. Our women keep getting treated worse and worse. After a few days, we forget. We move on. A bit more benumbed. A bit more de-sensitised. A bit more cynical and hopeless.

Nothing will happen. Keep thrashing about. Keep screaming at the top of your voice. Keep calling any person with any single attribute matching the perpetrator, a traitor and an accomplice. Spend yourself out. Appease your conscience that you did your bit. But nothing will happen.

Nothing will help. But through a process that entails the realisation that criminals grow from amongst us. They are dangerously similar to us. We create them. We feed them. They breed from amongst us.

That criminal is in us. That part of us which makes us first think of nipping away our yet unborn girl-child. It's that person in us which takes the morsel out from our daughter's mouth -- the pencil out from our girl's hand -- and gives it to the son. The criminals takes birth, grows stronger, when we attribute someone's lack in mathematical aptitude to her being a girl. It happens when women think that having food after their husband is what exemplifies their womanhood. It happens when a woman finds it beyond her will and ability to hold meaningful conversations, solve hard problems, build things. It happens when a dad demands dowry for his son's marriage, and another dad agrees to give dowry for his daughter's marriage. It happens when a man finds it OK to screw around with various women before marriage -- and sometimes after marriage -- and wishes to marry a village virgin who remains oblivious of his escapades, and true to him. It happens when a woman thinks that it's unwomanly for her to talk and care about anything beyond the subjects of her family, apparels and accessories, or it's her prerogative to talk depravingly about her mom-in-law or daughter-in-law. It happens when curves of the body of a stranger women we see in the bus, train, office or market, look more interesting to us than the expression of purpose, ambition, worry, attachment, and every other human emotion that shows on her face. It happens every time anyone -- a man or a woman -- does anything to put the fact of someone's being a man or a woman before that of their being a human being.

Sorry. But nothing will happen. Not at least today. nor tomorrow. Human civilisation wasn't built in a day. Nothing of consequence and beauty has ever been erected in a day. A safe and secure society, where the beasts in our minds have been carefully bound and leashed, and only the elevated, intellectual aspects of us find open expression -- a society of that kind is a thing of beauty. It's not a natural phenomenon; in fact far far from it. It's that one tiny little point of stability that lies hidden between an infinite space of instability. It can't exist by itself. It has to be imaginatively dreamt, creatively conceptualised, carefully built, patiently maintained over hot, blazing days, and has to be watched over through long wakeful nights. And if we allow ourselves to pass into a slumber, to gradually drift away from that point of stability -- the way we seem to have done today -- we can't wake up one day and wish away the reality with a loud roar of rage. Our rage can't warp the space. It can't blow away, like a mist, the night we spent sleeping. 

We have only one choice: to start walking back. A step at a time. Slowly. Without protest. Saving our energies to make good the resurrection of the old order, and not squander it in beating our fists on our chests like frustrated apes. And one input that we can't avoid giving to this only restorative act: time.

We can leave the question of whether noodles cause promiscuity to qualified medical researchers. We can allow our psychologists to deal with the grand issue of whether excessive fraternisation between the sexes instigates criminal thoughts. We, the ordinary mortals, the dull-wits of highest order, aren't capable of dealing with such technical topics. We should just try to educate ourselves of one single, simple rule. A rule that is agnostic to the concept of sexes and sexual crimes, about races and racism, about economies and class conflicts, about nations and wars. A rule that is the constituent atom of every man-made structure that has stood against the dissipative forces of nature. That rule is the rule of respecting each other's right to live with respect. There's but one rule here. Only one rule to be followed. Only one rule that can ever be broken. All crimes in this world are instances of this one rule being broken: taking bribes, breaking a traffic law, teasing a woman, or littering the public places, or polluting the environment.

A man who will refrain from attacking a woman from the fear of castration or lynching can't be stopped from going back home and abusing his wife or daughter who, he is sure, will keep quiet because they love him. But a man -- or a woman -- who passes each act of his or her through the acid test of respect and justice will create a more beautiful world with every thought articulated, every word spoken, every move made.

I, the non-specialist in rape-cases, the one born to the cursed race of males -- I, the idiot who has nothing but his little common-sense to hang on to in this age of chaos, rage, cynicism and hopelessness -- I, the poor human being, rest my case.

Related:

With All Respect, No Apologies!

The Hunger-Strike Approach

Baba Ramdeo's decision to go for hunger-strike against corruption and the Government's unprompt response to the resolutions made following the Anna Hazare strike is ... well ... striking!

I definitely appreciate the Yoga guru's concern to contribute in yet another way to the society's ills apart from bodily or mental ones. Probably, lots of people have pointed fingers at him on the point that his trying to change his role like this is uncalled for. While I would say that the point shouldn't be ignored, I feel it's someone's fundamental right to decide to do whatever he wishes within the limits of Law.

However, there's a deeper, more long term, concern. What is corruption for these people? Black money in Swiss Banks? Politicians misusing their powers? Bureaucrats taking bribes? What will happen if these instances of corruption are removed overnight? Nothing! Thousands others will come to take their places.

Corruption, like education, poverty, unemployment, is a deep rooted social disease which can't be solved with a revolution. It will require a deep, sustained process of cleansing that has to happen over a protracted period of time. Oversimplifying it and presenting it to the community as if it's something outside them is misleading. I don't even know if it will result in more harm than good.

One point in favour of this is, of course, if the initiators realise that these revolutionary events may mark a start of a national movement. May be, it will awaken the people to stand up when they see corruption being practiced in their field of vision. Hope it happens.

Meanwhile, I would plainly say that I find it unbecoming of Baba Ramdeo talking of gallows for corrupt politicians.

Reply; Don't Forward

I don't ever forward chain mails. I delete most of them. To some, which have meaningful contents, I find replying to the sender a more meaningful thing to do, than forwarding it to many. Some reasons are:
- Down the recipient tree, the seriousness of the thought about the issue discussed in the mail is diluted to near zero-concentration.
- I think, getting a reply to a casually sent mail suddenly makes you take the contents more seriously. Particularly, it's a prove that someone read the mail seriously.
- Throwing the matter back up into the recipient tree has a larger chance of meeting more sincere audience than down below.

An Example
Please read on for an example of a reply I wrote to a problem we all feel about.

For a change I pressed the reply button.

I agree with the idea of this mail, i.e. stopping the squandering of public money would help. But, I do wish to add a bit to this view. Even if the figures are authentic, saying that all this money would make the life livable for crores of poor people may be over-optimistic. Poverty and deprivation aren't mere lack of material resources. They are more deep rooted. Merely by diverting money from the plentiful to the deprived is not a solution to this problem. It won't take any time to turn those crores into worse demons than our few thousand politicians are if only they had money and power.

I feel, there's no evil in providing good facilities to public servants, provided they do their job. If they misuse the resources, it's a pity and they should be prevented from doing so. Not so much to save those resources (or money) but because that money symbolises the trust and respect that public places on these people. These people must exhibit very high work ethics so this trust is justified. But the problem of low work ethic is not limited to only politicians. It's a larger problem which pervades the society. Merely by replacing a person in a position of power and influence is not a solution; nor will diverting resources to other sectors of the population answer this huge issue.

Very unfortunately, problems of ethical poverty are deep rooted, probably a consequence of centuries of oppression. They have taken time to set in. They will most probably take time to go away. Probably, we may have to wait until the complete generation infected with this virus fades away giving place to a newer, more ethical, generation. I am rather doubtful about how much success, attempts to accelerate the pace of this social reformation will meet.

To end this, I want to thank you for the mail. I don't find forwarding it to an endless number of thoughtless, emotional junta (almost all of whom will probably rid themselves of their responsibility by forwarding it to some more people) of much use. Instead, replying to the more thoughtful audience in this group, along with my 2 paisa thoughts will probably matter more.

Thanks and regards,
Sujit

- Hide quoted text -

On 19 August 2010 12:17, ... wrote:

Politician's drama mail of the week… Natak Mr. Rahul Gandhi do this work just for an hour....without media. Then tell us what you got... If you really want to Change our India....No need to show us..... We will follow you......Definitely. “Karunaa”Nidhi Fasting First time in the world history fasting only 4 hours and that too with an AC ……. This is the comedy of the year 2009….Fastingstarts after breakfast and ending before lunch. Interesting one!! Dont forget to forward this mail, We have to show these type of drama's to everyone

stop this....................grow up to be an indian

Govt. Concessions for a Member of Parliament (MP) Monthly Salary : 12,000 Expense for Constitution per month : 10,000 Office expenditure per month : 14,000 Traveling concession (Rs. 8 per km) : 48,000 ( eg.For a visit from kerala to Delhi & return: 6000 km) Daily DA TA during parliament meets :500/day Charge for 1 class (A/C) in train: Free (For any number of times) (All over India ) Charge for Business Class in flights : Free for 40 trips / year (With wife or P.A .) Rent for MP hostel at Delhi : Free Electricity costs at home : Free up to 50,000 units Local phone call charge : Free up to 1 ,70,000 calls. TOTAL expense for a MP [having no qualification] per year : 32,00,000 [ i.e. 2.66 lakh/month] TOTAL expense for 5 years : 1,60,00,000 For 534 MPs, the expense for 5 years : 8,54,40,00,000 (nearly 855 crores) AND THE PRIME MINISTER IS ASKING THE HIGHLY QUALIFIED, OUT PERFORMING CEOs TO CUT DOWN THEIR SALARIES..... This is how all our tax money is been swallowed and price hike on our regular commodities....... And this is the present condition of our country: 855 crores could make their life livable !! Think of the great democracy we have............. PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO ALL REAL CITIZENS OF INDIA ..... but, STILL Proud to be INDIAN I know hitting a delete button is easier..........bt.......try 2 press fwd button 2 make people aware of it!

Sarkari and Private

In a recent discussion with some of my socially enthusiastic friends in IISc (not a rarity there), we were lamenting in a usual manner about how things are with the administration of IISc. IISc remains the same old, with its administration being extremely high-nosed and unfriendly in general with the students. I have come across many less efficient government departments. But, having spent a really long time in IISc, the level of inefficiency in many things are quite an eyesore. Particularly because IISc can't complain of lack of resources to be the reason of whatever inefficiency there is.

I had a recent bitter experience with the finance department when I felt extremely harrassed while trying to get my no-dues from there. In IISc, students pay their tuition fees through the bank in the beginning of the semesters. When we are a few semesters old in the Institute, and have already paid our tuition fees many times, we learn that while leaving the Institute, we need to take no-dues from the finance department. To get the no-dues certificate it's necessary to produce the counterfoil receipts of all the semester tuition fees. If we don't, the clerk will go through a clumsy process of trying to figure out if we have indeed paid our fees for all the semesters, which includes manually sifting through a large number of files. If she doesn't find any of the entries, either due to gross error which is quite probable in such a task, or due to the very fact that she doesn't like you for a reason only she knows, then the fines due to late payment are daunting. Rs. 20 per week from the due date. I ended up paying Rs. 13,000/- approximately, out of which around Rs. 5,000/- went as fines. Thank God it was because some fees I allegedly hadn't paid in my 5th year, and not in my first.

This clumsiness is quite inexplicable. Why can't this process be completely automated? How is it possible that the accounts section doesn't maintain a strong report of when and how much tuition fees a student is paying? A degree of automation was introduced since 2005. Till then, all accounts were maintained in some sort of paper files. Accounting and book keeping is an ancient business. I don't think, maintenance of foolproof records of financial transactions have ever critically depended on computers, especially when the bank where the fees are being paid and the account section are within a kilometre (within the campus) of each other. Then why are students harrassed like this? The only record of our having paid the fees is in the bank challans! How ridiculous! And if it's really that important, why aren't the students explicitly directed to preserve their bank challans right when they join the Institute? Regarding late payment of fees,
if there are defaulters, why aren't they intimated through an automated mail? Why isn't there any broadcast mail reminding students to pay their fees?

Another example. It's been a prolonged debate between the administration and the students about how the scholarship renewal process be handled. Students are supposed to initiate this process by themselves. Each and every student in the Institute has to apply for scholarship renewal every year. And yet, the only way a student has a chance of doing it in time is if he remembers it himself which the admin would ideally have him do, or his guide or the Departmental Curriculum committee reminds him. The admin, as ever, will not ask for it. The penalty for failing to apply for scholarship renewal is quite substantial: You lose your scholarship! The money -- tens of thousands of rupees -- simply vanishes into thin air. The worst part is that if you fail to apply for scholarship renewal during the stipulated period, most likely, you won't remember to do so till the next year, or when you finally notice that your scholarships have stopped getting credited to your account. If you are one of those geeky kinds who don't look at their bank-balance until there's no money in your account (and there are quite expectedly many of this type in IISc), you will most probably realise your mistake when it's too late. One of my labmates lost close to Rs. 150,000/-. By any standards, that's a lot of money. No amount of begging or fighting got him back his money. The administration didn't just refuse to help him, but humiliated him when he approached them. Our professor and the Director refused to act on it, and took the side of the admin at all crucial points. I know of many such instances, which means that this is not a rare event. Still, the admin insists on sticking to this archaic process. The process of scholarship renewal can be automated. Or, at least, it can be transformed into a pull model wherein the admin reaches out to the students to fill their scholarship renewal. A broadcast mail can be sent. The possible defaulters can be personally contacted. I don't think, it's asking for too much. The administration works through its various branches in each department. The load on these offices is not overwhelming. If there are maximum 10 defaulters in a department on an average, they can be reached out personally. This exercise, done once every year, doesn't add to their workload by any unreasonable degree. It's quite atrocious to set the penalty of being absent-minded and forgetful at such a high mark.

The opacity of administrative processes is the bane of IISc life. It's a well-known fact that corruption abounds in mess, hostel, estate, and every conceivable administrative department. There have been instances of workers being caught smuggling material out of the messes by students. Such stories don't go a long way. They die out of the public memory after causing a temporary sensation. Malpractices are common and are the prime reason for systems not working in favour of the students. Students are usually too oblivious to notice the leaks in the services supposed to be there for them. For them, their research is a hard enough problem to solve. Meanwhile, corrupt official are enjoying unprecedented freedom to indulge in all sorts of malpractices, ranging from callousness, laziness and corruption.

On the other hand, I have a good experience in private corporate organisations like Philips and TCS. They aren't so complex and huge as IISc. But the reason that things work here is not their small size but the agility with which the facilities, administration, accounts and finance departments work. Automation is brought in aggressively, wherever applicable. Things are clean, transparent and paperless.

Why can't many things be automated in IISc? One of my friends had a simple answer: IISc is a government organisation. More than serving the declared purpose, it also implicitly must provide employment to a certain number of government employees. The day automation is put in place, all these buggers will be out of their jobs. On the other hand, private corporate organisations work on fear. One does his job well, or loses his job. Unlike a government organisation, there's no place for laziness and non-performance.

Our country is inhabited by a series of generations who are just garbage due to centuries of dependence and complacence. The current government (which of course is constituted of members of that garbage generation) is doomed to feed this generation until they die their natural death. I am afraid that these issues won't go with a generation or two. We carry those genes which have expressed and purified over hundreds of years. It will take a comparable time to get rid of those genes I am sure.


Was just trying to remove dust off my pen. :)

Related post: Automation for IISc