think loud

Monday, December 13, 2010

Anthology of Carnatic Music

This is a combination of more or less "who is who" of Carnatic music. There may be some omissions. But certainly some artists whose songs you may not have heard, are here. If you find some such rare artist's collections, please forward the links to include here for the benefit of rasikas.

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Dear Sir, 100% as Bhaskaran Sir said - There is going to be a raid. Thanks and Regards

December 13, 2010 11:22 PM

r b subramanian said...: Dear Sri Hariharan, Item No.6 is not downloadable. Can You please check it up? Regards RBS

December 18, 2010 6:23 AM

hvaidya said...

Dear RBS,

There appears to be a server problem at present. Already this song is downloaded by more than 40 persons. Let us wait and see. If the problem persists, I will upload fresh. As long as Mediafire says" the file is removed or not available" it has got a chance of revival.

December 18, 2010 9:35 AM

BALAJI K said...
Hats off to you Sir, for all these songs! It won't be an exaggeration if I say that you are doing a GREAT SERVICE to Music Lovers! Thank you so much! - K.Balaji

December 28, 2010 11:34 PM

Lakku said...: Of late, I could trace this site. Very nice. Thank you. Lakshmi Kottayam Kerala a.lakshmi29@gmail.com

February 24, 2011 7:56 AM

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Laugh: It is good for health

Let my friends from other sex excuse me !

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/808/25291566.jpg

Poor Husbands

Position of a Husband Is just like a Split AC
No matter however Loud he is in the Outdoor
He is designed to remain Silent indoor...

"Husband is one who is the head of the family,
but his wife is the neck, and whichever way she turns, he goes."

A man in Hell asked Devil:
Can I make a call to my Wife?
After making call he asked how much to pay.
Devil : Nothing, Hell to hell is Free.

Husband: Do you know the meaning of WIFE?
It means, Without Information, Fighting Everytime!
Wife: No darling, it means - With Idiot For Ever

Wife: I wish I was a newspaper,
So I'd be in your hands all day.
Husband: I too wish that you were a newspaper,
So I could have a new one every day.

Doctor: Your husband needs rest and peace. Here are some sleeping Pills.
Wife: When must I give them to him?
Doctor: They are for you

Wife: I had to marry you to find out how stupid you are..
Husband: You should have known it the minute I asked you to marry me.

Wife: What will you give me if I climb the great Mount Everest ?
Husband: A lovely Push...!

sury said...
funny but
a lot realistic too.
The last but one I heard like this:

WIFE: YOU ARE A FOOL !
HUSBAND: I KNEW IT THE VERY DAY I MARRIED U.

SUBBU RATHINAM.
SUBBU THATHA GAANA SABHA
http://movieraghas.blogspot.com

December 13, 2010 8:40 AM

PERSPECTIVE CONFUSION.........

The photos in this post will have you wondering what’s wrong with your eyes. The physical objects in the photos appear to be bigger or smaller than they really are. The result is a visual illusion. That’s why it’s perspective confusion. ( After the invention of photoshop, we are not able to believe these are genuine photography. May be these are also photoshop works)

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SARAVANA PRAKASH said...: In Psychology, I had learnt the phenomenon as depth perception. That is, when we make perception of 3D real world objects in our 2D retinal images, we use certain cues out of the pictures to perceive depth. But, I think those cues are intentionally avoided to give illusion.
December 12, 2010 10:22 PM

Visakha Hari - Raadha Kalyaanam

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Download RADHAKALYANAM-1.mp3
Download RADHAKALYANAM-2.mp3
Download RADHAKALYANAM-3.mp3
Download RADHAKALYANAM-4.mp3
Download RADHAKALYANAM-5.mp3
Download RADHAKALYANAM-6.mp3
Download RADHAKALYANAM-7.mp3
Download RADHAKALYANAM-8.mp3
Download RADHAKALYANAM-9.mp3
Download RADHAKALYANAM-10.mp3
Download RADHAKALYANAM-11.mp3
Download RADHAKALYANAM-12.mp3
Download RADHAKALYANAM-13.mp3

Contributed by Mr. Srinivasaraghavan

Hemalatha said...: Dear Sir, Thanks for sharing the nice discourse. Regards

December 14, 2010 10:58 PM

Sharada Ramesh said...: Sir, Thanks for these wonderful uploads. File 9 is showing as page not displayed. Can you please correct it. Thanks. Sharada Ramesh

March 1, 2011 10:27 AM
hvaidya said...: Dear Ms. Sharada Ramesh, It is opening. Please try again. If you still have problem please let me know

March 1, 2011 10:44 PM

Sharada Ramesh said...: Sir, I have tried again today . It still doesnt open. It displays HTTP:403 Forbidden. Can you please help. Thanks

March 4, 2011 7:23 AM

hvaidya said...
I really do not understand why do you get this error. Are you referring the file No 9 in Raadha Kalyaanam? This file is opening and so far 223 persons have downloaded it.

Since this comment came to me under this label, I verified it again. Are you sure you are referring the same?

If you have no objection in sending me your e mail id, I will send you the link separately. My e mail id is hariharan.vaidayanathan@gmail.com

March 4, 2011 3:00 PM

Ramya Paarthasarathy said...

Dear Sir,

The link for part 11 of radha kalyanam leads to "invalid/deleted file" page. can you please check and confirm the link ?

thanks,
Ramya

November 11, 2011 7:22 PM

Ramya Paarthasarathy said...

Sir,
I tried multiple times to download the part 11 of radha kalyanam . but i couldn't download the file. the link still leads to the "invalid file" page. requesting you to please repost the link.

Thanks in advance & thanks a ton for such wonderful uploads,
Ramya

November 15, 2011 9:03 PM

hvaidya said...

Dear Ms. Ramya Parthasartathy,

Sorry for not attending to your request immediately. Now I have uploaded it. Please confirm having downloaded it

November 16, 2011 11:53 AM

Friday, December 10, 2010

Divine Rhythm

In one of the concerts, somebody asked Mr. Umayalpuram Sivaraman, whether what he plays on mrudhangam has got any connection to the Raaga played by singer. He replied, "Yes. it does. Otherwise how do you think they are able to join with us when we finish "thani" in concerts?"

Download 01. Raga Atana, Adi Thalam.mp3
Download 02. Raga Sahana, Roopaka Chapu Thalam.mp3
Download 03. Raga Darbar, Misra Chapu Thalam.mp3
Download 04. Raga Bilahari, Khanda Chapu Thalam.mp3

N said...: Dear Sir, No.3(durbar-MisraChapu) is repeated at No.4. Thanks for this new Percussion Lebel Rgds Ramaswamy

December 11, 2010 10:56 AM
guru said...: Dear Sir, Thank you very much for the upload of Umayalpuram Sivaraman Thani. Of the four I have downloaded first three, when I was downloading the last one Bilahari, the earlier piece of Darbar is getting downloaded. Kindly clarify Yours Gurumoorthy

December 11, 2010 2:40 PM
hvaidya said...: Thanks for pointing out the error. I have corrected. I am sorry for my carelessness

December 11, 2010 8:30 PM

Do not skip this

Some times even the worst Prime Ministers do some thing good without their knowledge (!). One such thing was Mr. Rajiv Gandhi bringing Mr Sam Pitroda into Governemt. The next best was Mr. Manmohan singh drafting Mr. Nandan Nilekani. Thanks a million to Mr. Vivek Vaideeswaran for sending this article and I could not wait even for a minute without sharing with you all. This article not only says about the UID project, but gives lot of food for thought on various angles.

The incredible story of the UID project

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When Ranjana Sonawane, a 30-year-old housewife from Tembhli, a tribal village in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra was allotted the UID number 7824-7431-7884, the team at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) would have been quite justified in feeling a little pleased with themselves. A small team - 160 people - had achieved the first milestone of a very ambitious project in a very short time.

The UIDAI is a government body mandated with the task of assigning every single one of India's 1.2 billion citizens a Unique Identity (UID) number.

If you're beginning to wonder what the big deal really is, consider this: By 2014, the government wants half of India's population to be allotted UID numbers. To do that, the Authority will photograph a staggering 600 million Indians, scan 1.2 billion irises, collect six billion fingerprints and record 600 million addresses.

Let's put this simply. No system in the world has handled anything on this scale. Period.

Think about it.

When the 600 millionth person is assigned a unique 12-digit UID, the system that generates it will have to compare it against 599,999,999 photographs, 1,199,999,998 irises and 12,999,999,990 fingerprints to ensure the number is indeed unique.

By the time the system reaches out to cover every Indian resident, the complexity, well, doubles. When in full flow, the system will be adding a million names to its database every single day until the task is complete.

Now, here's the question: There's nobody in the world who's handled anything like this. Because it is government-owned, there are no private profits or stock options to be had for cracking the problem. In fact, if the current government loses at the next polls, there is a chance the next one may think the idea a waste of time and money and simply disband the project, and the team may lose five years of their lives.

Assuming for a moment all goes well, the only tangible gain most of the team on the project will have is the pleasure of knowing they worked on the most complex data management problem the world has ever known. And perhaps the warm glow that comes with knowing they tried to change the world. After which, they will go back to wherever it is they came from. How many people do you know who'd have the spunk to be in full-time on an assignment like this?

When Raj Mashruwala heard that the PM had parachuted in Nandan Nilekani to head UIDAI, he immediately sent him a congratulatory note and offered to assist. Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, was Mashruwala's junior at IIT Bombay. Mashruwala, 58, now an investor and mentor to a few companies in Silicon Valley, had first moved to the US in 1976 to pursue a Masters in engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He stayed on, founded a few companies in the manufacturing software space and did well for himself. Nilekani wrote back right away and asked Mashruwala to join him and an assorted bunch of people from various parts of the world to discuss a broad framework for the project.

The two had a common friend: Srikanth Nadhamuni, an engineer from the University of Mysore who, like Mashruwala, had pursued a Masters in the US and had put in 15 years in Silicon Valley. In 2003, Nilekani and Nadhamuni co-founded eGovernments Foundation, a non-profit organisation to help municipalities deliver better services to citizens using IT. When Nilekani left Infosys to head the UID project, he invited Nadhamuni to head the technology centre.

At Nilekani's invitation, Mashruwala flew down to Bangalore in July last year, to attend a conference organised by the UIDAI. In the room, there were bankers, professors from Ivy League colleges, technology professionals, people from NGOs, even representatives from the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). And of course Nilekani's many friends and acquaintances, such as Nachiket Mor, co-President, ICICI Foundation.

The diversity floored Mashruwala.

Ram Sevak Sharma, the designated CEO - or the Director General as he is called at the UIDAI - graduated with a masters in mathematics from IIT Kanpur in 1976. He went on to join the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) in 1978. Sharma was perhaps the first officer in Bihar to introduce a DCM 10-D computer (in Begu Sarai where he was the district magistrate). He computerised, in succession, the treasury department in Purnia district, Bihar's public grievance system and the National Rural Employment Program. His passion for technology pushed him to take a sabbatical from the IAS in 2000 and pursue a degree in computer science at the University of California, Riverside.

Then there was K. Ganga, from Indian Audit and Accounts Services, who among other assignments had served as financial advisor to the President of India. When Nilekani, who was introduced to her through a mutual friend, asked her if she could give five years of her life to the project as deputy director general (DDG) in charge of finance, Ganga agreed, but with one caveat. She didn't want her role to be limited to handling finances. She wanted to be part of the team that created the project ground up. She got her way.

Michael Foley, the celebrated Bangalore-based designer who created the baton for the Commonwealth Games 2010, was in too. As design head of Titan, he had created watches (among them, the Titan Edge, the world's slimmest watch), sunglasses and other lifestyle products. He subsequently founded FoleyDesigns where, among other things, he works on lighting systems and waste disposal. Foley went on to design a portable kit for the UID project that houses a laptop, camera and iris- and fingerprint-scanners.

Sanjay Swamy, CEO of mCheck, had written an email to Nilekani on how the project ought to evolve; then he realised he didn't know what the email ID was. So he posted it on a blog instead, which caught Nilekani's eye. When they finally touched base, Nilekani told him, "Before you get on to your next venture, spend some time to help us with the micropayments module."

Over the next 12 months, the diversity only grew.

A young lawyer working in Brussels and a Harvard graduate volunteered for the communications team; an executive with just about a year under his belt at McKinsey signed up to work on processes and operations; a chartered accountant with 21 years at Infosys UK behind him came in on the project management unit; an IIM Ahmedabad graduate who'd put in 11 years at GE and Genpact wanted in on the Human Resources team.

It wasn't just folks from the private sector, though. Nilekani and Sharma cast their net wide within sarkari circle and got in people from the government's various departments: The railways, postal services, income tax, audit & accounts, even BSNL.

Two problems existed though. First, they could only look at people eligible for central government postings. Second, bureaucrats aren't interviewed for assignments. Ashok Pal Singh, DDG - Logistics in the UIDAI, explains that this is because in government, the basic premise is that one person is as good as another. But Nilekani and Sharma not only conducted extensive interviews, they made background checks and even collected references before appointing people.

"In terms of perks, privileges and pay, this place has nothing more to offer than any other job in government. In many respects, it is worse off," says Singh, an alumnus of St Stephen's, Delhi and Mayo, Ajmer. "And yet everyone is here because they want to be." He was Deputy Director General in the Department of Posts, where he had nurtured the dream of getting every Indian a bank account and an email ID. When the project was announced, he sought a meeting with Nilekani and Sharma to discuss how the UID project could fulfil those two objectives. They ended up hiring him for the project, to drive financial inclusion.

The signals weren't lost on Mashruwala. He originally thought he'd go back to California and coordinate volunteers from there. At best, he reckoned, he'd be needed for three months. But 10 days after he left, Mashruwalla was back to Bangalore with no house or plan. He ended up renting an apartment in the city, not far from the houses of Nadhamuni and Pramod Varma (an old Infosys hand who was on the project as its chief software architect). That house also doubled up as UID's tech centre in the early days. They now operate out of their official premises on Sarjapur Ring Road in Bangalore.

Govindraj Ethiraj is your dyed-in-the-wool veteran journalist who's done time with big name brands like the Economic Times, CNBC-TV18 and Bloomberg-UTV (where he was editor) before he took over as Head, Industry Outreach at UIDAI. Over an informal chat with a colleague of ours in Mumbai two weeks ago, Ethiraj told of a unique culture evolving within the UIDAI.

On the one hand, there are those who live in the black-and-white world of the government, with comforting, unchanging hierarchies and systems, away from the chaos of the private sector. On the other, you have white-collar executives with their own notions of who is blue-blooded, plus a deep distrust of red tape. Put that together and you have an environment ripe for mistrust and conflict.

Nilekani, says Ethiraj, has worked hard at convincing colleagues from both sides to let go of notions they've nurtured and, instead, learn to collaborate.

He put down a simple guideline: No silos. How they would operate now, Nilekani told the team, is their problem, not his. So far, they seem to have done just fine. Consider, for instance, the kind of team that has come into place to drive financial inclusion, which is arguably one of the most important objectives of the project.

Barely 20 percent of Indians have bank accounts. Problem is, to open a bank account you need proof of identity, something millions of Indians just don't have. But if banks start to accept the UID numbers - which capture most of the information required - it becomes easier, and cheaper, to open an account.

Ashok Pal Singh drives that initiative at the UIDAI, with a team drawn from both the public and private sector. Rajesh Bansal brings in the regulator's perspective (he came in from the Reserve Bank of India). Viral Shah, a PhD in Computer Science from Santa Barbara, is an expert in Financial Economics. Pavan Sachdeva, an investment banker with 19 years of experience, volunteered for few months before returning to Singapore; Charu Anchlia, interned with UIDAI for two months, and is now doing her Master's in Public Administration from Harvard. Swamy of mChek came in as an expert in mobile payments. "This imparts speed and quality to the project. Because you are not grappling in the dark, you hit the right solution quickly," says Singh.

UIDAI's headquarters is in Jeevan Bharati, a building, in Connaught Place, Delhi; that's where all the policy decisions are taken. The technology backbone of the project is in Bangalore. The contrast between the two is dramatic.

The Delhi office is a traditional government setup. Officers sit in large rooms separated by plywood partitions. Nameplates on the doors display their designations. Peons and assistants move files between different officers and usher in visitors. Hand-towels protect chair upholstery. Conversations are largely in Hindi and work gets conducted in a polite, orderly way. People are addressed and referred to by their titles: "Chairman, I need your approval" or "DDG said…" for instance.

At the tech centre at Bangalore, the doors and partitions are gleaming glass. People rush around energetically. Even at 8 p.m. lights blaze, visitors stream in, and impromptu meetings are place in the corridors. English is the default language, everybody is on a first-name terms and the ambience is collegial.

It is this irreverence that first bothered, then fascinated and now amuses the bureaucrats in Delhi. "Our bosses will never praise us in public," says K. Ganga, "But our colleagues in the private sector openly praise each other and give credit. I think we ought to adopt that culture."

Other things still bother the bureaucrats.

Hierarchy, seniority; these are the very fabric of government life. Private sector people don't seem to respect that. How, for instance, can a junior recruit directly address Nilekani or Sharma when they don't report directly to them?

Anil Khachi who joined as a DDG earlier in April this year, says he is surprised how casually Nilekani, a cabinet minister, comes into his room for a chat or stops him in the corridor to get an update. It isn't something that happens routinely in government circles. "I insist they don't behave like me," says Singh. "People in the government call me Sir, but people from the private sector call me Ashok, and I am okay with that. Twenty years I worked with people of the same kind. I am enjoying this diversity."

Then there is the cult of email. Government decisions are conveyed by files, which always move in a certain order: Bottom to top and then the same way back. As K. Ganga says, "We only talk through files and files don't have names and faces. I am just a designation." People from the private sector perceive this as a rabid fixation with maintaining a paper trail about everything.

In the early days at Bangalore for instance, meetings usually happened either at Mashruwalla's apartment, or if it was a bigger, more formal meeting, Varma would tap his friends at various companies to lend him a conference room. Delhi, however, would insist on getting an estimate of the number of cups of coffee served at these meetings, the cost of lunch and the mode of transportation participants would need. From a bureaucrat's point of view, a record of all expenses is important because it is taxpayer money being spent, and they are accountable for every paisa. As cabinet minister in charge of this project, Nilekani can be asked questions in parliament if any norm is violated. "We are covered by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the Right to Information (RTI) Act," says K. Ganga, explaining why every decision made at the UIDAI has to be documented. "If an Infosys engineer wrote a program for Burger King, he isn't answerable to the public. I, on the other hand, have to answer parliamentary questions. And I keep reminding everybody of this."

To keep track of the pulls and pressures this hybrid culture places on the system, Sharma meets his six deputies informally every Tuesday. After working together for a year, both sides have come to respect each other.

The bureaucrats admire the private sector for their speed and polish; the corporate volunteers are awed by the number of people a government office reaches and the impact an official can create. And they have quickly figured out they are dealing with some remarkably smart people. Samant Veer Kakkar, a young volunteer on the communications team, who gave up his legal career to work on the project, says every stereotype that he had of a bureaucrat has been busted ever since he started work at the UIDAI. The engineers from MindTree, the Bangalore-based IT firm which created the enrollment application for UIDAI, are constantly amazed that even at 4 a.m., Director General Sharma personally reviews their software code.

Since the time the project was announced 16 months ago, the UIDAI has received 1,000 applications from people across the world. From these, 23 have come in as unpaid volunteers, 14 have taken sabbaticals from their jobs, and 23 took massive pay cuts to join the Project Management Unit (PMU) for the UIDAI set up by the National Institute of Smart Government. The tenure of volunteers ranges from a few months to a year; those in the PMU stay longer. (The added advantage of working with volunteers and people on sabbaticals was that because there were no salaries to be paid, the project got off to a start even before the budgets had been sanctioned.) Another 140 others have been drawn from the government.

The core is managed by civil servants, heading all departments and taking all the policy decisions. They are aided by experts from the private sector, lending their services to the project in various ways.

In hindsight, the only way that the project stood a chance of working was this new organisational model, which the government hadn't attempted until then. While the government has used volunteers in, for example, the Planning Commission, they are limited to a handful; not the kind of numbers that are in UIDAI.

The team includes some of the fine minds in the world, from academic institutions, the private sector, and hand-picked candidates from the government who've done remarkably well for themselves, entrepreneurs who can build business applications around the UID number so that it evolves into a viable, self sustaining model. They deal with complex technical problems, biometrics, models of financial inclusion, privacy laws and communication. At various times, different roles took priority. In the run up to the project, it was the technologists. Once enrolment picks up steam, it will need people to work with regulators and businesses to find ways in which the UID number can be used.

Whether it's Nilekani's persuasive skills or Sharma's insider knowledge and experience of government systems or Manmohan Singh’s seeing merit in the argument and clearing the way for it, the truth is that the UIDAI has come a significant distance with the project. When the first UID number was allotted, the 160-strong team was just 40 percent of the 384 people the UIDAI is allowed to hire. Definitely worth a round of applause, even from hardened critics.

But it would be premature, even naïve, to hail the project as a total success already.

The complexities that it must still deal with are remarkable, not just in terms of scale or the massive challenge of assembling a capable team and keeping it together but in the sheer audacity of its objectives.

At just the government level, the project is expected to check corruption and stem leakages from government remittances, while simultaneously meeting developmental goals like financial inclusion. Beyond that, UID numbers could be used, for instance, by telecom and insurance companies to offer their products to people. Then there are issues from concerned bodies around privacy and security of data to contend with, valid concerns in this day and age.

Whatever the final outcome, the UIDAI has convincingly demonstrated there is an outstanding case for public-private partnership models. And that if the intent is clear, people will come, no matter what the constraints.

This article appeared in Forbes India Magazine of 03 December, 2010

SARAVANA PRAKASH said...: Remarkable contribution. I am preparing for Civil Services. Definitely, the article fetch vital information, "how the bureaucracy differs from private environment. How competitive it will be." The drive of UIDAI group for Aadhaar Scheme seems to provide India with some world-class technology. "A shift from brain-drain to brain-gain." With no doubt, their hard work won't go waste. It will be bring out long lasting benefit and with it, every poor Indian will eat food with dignity and thanking them daily for it.
December 10, 2010 10:32 PM

rashid1891 said...: its amazing site;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
December 11, 2010 9:39 AM
aoldeva said...: What do you mean by 'one such thing, Rajiv Gandhi....' Do you mean to say that he was the worst prime minsister. In my opinion, Rajiv Gandhi may be termed as inexperienced prime minister, but not certainly worst prime minister. However, he learnt from his mistakes and was about to start the start innings. But, the unfortunate and unpardonable incident occurred. (This was the comment made by me on the article as soon as I read the second line, like interrupting while talking. So, my opinion should be viewed from that angle.) Devarajan MK
December 11, 2010 11:12 AM
hvaidya said...: Dear Mr. Devarajan "However, he learnt from his mistakes and was about to start the start innings" Your own statement confirms that he was committing blunders and was only learning. When he was about to start the innings he passed away. So, when do you think he would have done something good. And history can never pardon him for starting the corruption in the country, in big scale. Bofors is the beginning to 2G spectrum.
December 11, 2010 8:39 PM

Concert - Radha Jayalakshmi

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http://www.mediafire.com/?nnenvyalf9gstdk Sri Raghukula - Hamsadhwani
http://www.mediafire.com/?53053frc1viccnv Kanta judumi - Vaachaspathi
http://www.mediafire.com/?8mq8j0jdjr8qc7o Nee paadame gathi - Nalinakanthi
http://www.mediafire.com/?n3q9cvz2a2k09aj Vinayakuni valanu - Madhyamavathi
http://www.mediafire.com/?agq2c3fj9i31dx2 Vaasudevaayani - Kalyaani
http://www.mediafire.com/?ac6oukxmxdco5bm Emani pogadutura - Veeravasantham
http://www.mediafire.com/?1nm1xez95qxg6z2 RTP - Saaveri
http://www.mediafire.com/?htyx3c39fd17mam Naan oru vilaiyaattu- Navarasa kannada
http://www.mediafire.com/?s54bf93ff4ik336 Emandu ne muddu - Mukhari
http://www.mediafire.com/?9obkh6mq2wbdmkk Bhajan
http://www.mediafire.com/?rta91h9lc3cd6sh Thalarupa - Aanandhabairavi
http://www.mediafire.com/?l7vjce5k8a43ol1 Taraka bindage - Tilang
http://www.mediafire.com/?ypqsr11c811897x Mangalam

Each spiritual journey begins with a step forward—the moment when you realize that there's more to life than you've been living.

I really don't know ! Do you? ( If you are senior citizen)

Benefits, Concessions and Schemes for Senior Citizens in India

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Updated on 6th December, 2009
Government of India has earmarked special benefits and concessions for Senior Citizens of India. Here is a brief compilation of same for your ready reference :
(1) Court cases involving senior citizens

The Chief Justice of India has advised Chief Justices of all High Courts to accord priority to cases involving older persons and ensure their expeditious disposal. [vide letter of Government of India, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (SD Section), New Delhi, F. No. 20-76/99-SD dated 03.11.1999]

(2) RTI Act (Right to Information Act)

Second appeals filed by senior citizens and differently abled persons under the Right to Information Act (RTI) are taken on a high priority basis, according to a directive of the Central Information Commission (CIC).

For, senior citizens and physically challenged if appeals are already pending with the CIC/SCIC, they should write to the CIC/SCIC about their status.

(3) Health Care

(a) There is provision for separate queues for senior citizens at hospitals and health care centres when they visit for any health related concerns or clinical examinations. In Central Government Hospitals located in Delhi, namely, Safdarjung, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College & associated Hospitals, separate registration counters/windows/rows are provided for senior citizens in OPDs to avoid standing in long queue.

(b) Assistance like wheelchairs/trolleys are also provided for senior citizens in OPDs of Dr. RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital, where they are attended on a priority basis.

(d) There is a weekly geriatric OPD in Dr. RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital. At All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), preference is given to Senior citizens with regard to OPD consultation, emergency management as well as hospitalization.

(e) At Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi 104 beds are reserved for senior citizens. In other Hospitals including AIIMS, although there is no special reservation of beds for senior citizens, preference is given to them in admission and bed is allowed to them on priority.

(4) Finance & Taxation

(a) You are advised to refer to the Indian Income Tax Department for the current slabs of Income Tax including rebate admissible to senior citizens. As per recent finance budget 2009-10 (presented on 6th July, 2009) the threshold income when you start paying tax stands at Rs. 2.40 lakh per annum for senior citizens. In this case the qualifying age as specified by Income Tax Department is 65 years.

(b) The benefit of Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961 has been extended to the investments made under 5-Year Post Office Time Deposits Account and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, with effect from 01.04.2007.

(5) Banking

(a) Government also gives a higher rate of interest to senior citizens on certain Savings schemes which it runs through its large network of Post Offices (Senior Citizens Savings Scheme) and Public sector Banks. For further details you are advised to contact your nearest Bank or local Post Office.

(b) Some banks like State Bank of India charge only 50% of the applicable prescribed charges in respect of following services:

i) Issue of duplicate passbook/statement of account
ii) Issue of cheque books,
iii) Noting of standing instructions,
iv) Stop payment instructions,
v) Charges of non maintenance of minimum balance,
vi) Issue of balance certificate,
vii) Signature verification,
viii) Ledger folio charges
ix) Minimum balance requirement is also 50% for these class of customers.

Please check with your nearest Bank on what special facilities exist for Senior Citizens and Pensioners.

(6) Telecommunications

(a) Department of Telecommunications has made special provisions for senior citizens who apply for a new telephone connection. The department has earmarked separate priority category for senior citizens wherein they can apply for registration.

(b) In case of any complaint or fault with the telephone a senior citizen’s complaint is redressed on a priority basis.

(c) MTNL (Delhi) gives 25% discount in rentals (Tariff Plan-250 only) and installation to Senior Citizens who are 65 years or above in age. Please submit proof of age when applying to MTNL for availing this concession. Application form for a new connection (MTNL Delhi) in senior citizen category is available here.

(d) MTNL (Mumbai) has a Non-OYT-Special category for Senior Citizens aged 65 years or above. To apply for a new connection in Mumbai, senior citizens can fill this application form. Whereas to avail senior citizen concession on an already existing telephone connection (MTNL Mumbai) this application form needs to be filled in.

Kindly note that these filled in forms are to be submitted to the MTNL offices in your city or sanchar haat. In case of any specific query you may also call toll free MTNL Help line 1500 from any MTNL number.

(e) BSNL: I did not find any scheme with BSNL where concessions were admissible to senior citizens. I hope BSNL would consider such rebates soon.

(7) Travel by Indian Railways

(a) Travel by Indian Railways is 30% cheaper for all Senior Citizens who are 60 years in age or above, while women aged 60 years or above are entitled to 50% concession in fare. Indian Railways provides this fare concession to elderlies in all its trains including Shatabdi, Rajdhani and Jan Shatabdi trains. Kindly note that while travelling all Senior Citizens need to carry proof of their Date of Birth / Age with a Photo ID Card.

(b) There are separate Counters / Queues for Senior Citizens at all Railway Stations for purchase, booking or cancellation of tickets.

(c) Lower Berths: In trains having reserved accommodation, a combined quota of two lower berths per coach has been earmarked in Sleeper, AC 3 tier and AC 2 tier classes for Senior Citizens, Female passenger who is 45 years of age and above and Pregnant women.

(d) In the Computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS), there is a provision to allot lower berths automatically to male passengers of 60 years and above and female passengers of 45 years and above subject to the availability of lower berths at the time of booking of tickets.

(e) After departure of the train, if there are vacant lower berths available in the train, and if any senior citizen who has been allotted upper/middle berth, approaches for allotment of vacant lower berths, the Conductor/Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) has been authorized to allot the vacant lower berth to them after making necessary entries in the chart.

(f) Special arrangements are available for those who find it difficult to walk or move on their own. Wheel Chairs are available at all major junctions, District Headquarters and other important Railway stations for the convenience of Senior citizens and also for those who are in need.

(g) Indian Railways have recently introduced specially designed coaches which have provisions for hand rails and specially designed toilets for handicapped persons. These coaches also have space for wheel chairs.

(8) Travel by Airlines

(a) Senior Citizens are entitled to 50% discount on Economy Class fares on all flights of Indian Airlines subject to certain conditions.

(b) Air India gives 45% discount in economy class on domestic sectors to senior citizens (women aged 63+ and men aged 65+).

(c) Other Airlines operating in India also offer discounts to senior citizens. It is advisable to check with them before you plan your travel.

(9) Travel by Roadways (state transport)

(a) State Road Transport Undertakings have made provision for senior citizens for reservation of 2 seats in the front row of all buses.

(b) Some state governments also give concessions (in fare) to senior citizens, while some also have specially modelled buses for the elderlies.

(10) Law (Legislations)

(a) Maintenance & Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens
Indian Government has recently enacted a law for welfare of elderlies (senior citizens and parents). This law creates provisions for maintenance, protection and security of elders.
Download a copy of the Act
What was the need for this law ? (Statement of Objects and Reasons)

(b) Maintenance Tribunals for Parents and Senior Citizens in Delhi

(11) Old Age Homes and Recreation Centres for Senior Citizens

(a) Old Age Homes in India

(b) Recreation Centres for Senior Citizens in India

Thanks to Bhaskaran Sivaraman

Ajit Kumar L said...
Also, while applying for passport, senior citizens do not require police verification process if any of their children are already having a passport.

Further, in the passport office, there is minimal queue for senior citizens.

December 11, 2010 9:34 PM

Concert - Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/3379/latmbalamurlikri140124f.jpg

http://www.mediafire.com/?r6txz2x4j73dcmi Sri Ganapathinee - Sourashtram
http://www.mediafire.com/?nch6w655cmy5834 Palukavemi - Poornachandrika
http://www.mediafire.com/?2i61ufxoe4njdx1 Varanaaradha - Vijayasri
http://www.mediafire.com/?k34oaf89j48e8me Saamaja varagamana - Hindolam
http://www.mediafire.com/?041lj84rbama1wx Enthamudhdho - Bindumalini
http://www.mediafire.com/?puc1ig3mf0zpm56 Anuraagamuleni - Saraswathi
http://www.mediafire.com/?eoqqcmbylbjysth Budhdhiraadhu - Sankarabaranam
http://www.mediafire.com/?7o47hf8ax2pl31l Slokam Vyasonaika
http://www.mediafire.com/?wi1t7ylybdddo0h Varaleela gaana - Sankarabaranam
http://www.mediafire.com/?ks37ke6dbz1bap4 Ksheerasaagara vihara - Aanandhabairavi
http://www.mediafire.com/?jacu8ndlvunfhxk Seethaa kalyaana - Sankarabaranam
http://www.mediafire.com/?4avcrosz0a5687r Shyamalaambike - Maayamalavagowla
http://www.mediafire.com/?i09n7x1d7pb2x2d Girijapathe - Chakravaagam
http://www.mediafire.com/?czzqstzzxhftdlr Karuninchira - Suryakantham

A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.
~Mahatma Gandhi

Thursday, December 9, 2010

How to reduce Bribe Taxation by using Technology

Contributed By Mr. R. Vaidyanathan, Professor of Finance

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In India, the index of middle class misery can be measured by adding the tax rate, the inflation rate, and the corruption rate. The last one is not discussed in open forums by experts since they are worried about the next round. Of course, there is a conspiracy of silence among political leaders, since they are the Gangotri of this malaise. There are three types of corruption: retail, wholesale, and stashing of illegal wealth abroad. We call corruption at government offices as a bribe tax since it is imposed on us by the employees of various government organs rather than directly by the government. Here are some examples.

1. Identity establishment: Birth and death certificates/ration cards/passports/caste certificates. The tax varies from Rs200 to Rs1,000 per person per try, depending on bargaining power and urgency. Minimum tax is Rs200.

2 Carrying on trade/business: The smaller the business, the larger the tax. Retail level push-cart vendors pay the police or their agents Rs20-30 a day from daily earnings of Rs100-500. Fast food restaurants pay Rs500-1,000 a week to health inspectors. All retail shops pay bribe taxes varying from Rs500-2,000 a month. Truck/bus operators pay taxes as high as Rs50,000-1,00,000 annually.

3 Utilising services: Government hospitals, schools, electricity boards, water works, RTOs. The bribe tax varies from Rs10 for a bedpan at a hospital to Rs1,000 for power connections to Rs10, 000-40,000 for vehicle fitness inspection certificates. We are not counting the bribes paid for obtaining driving licences. The driving schools take care of that.

4 Turning a blind eye: Traffic violations, illegal construction, use of basement parking as shops, illegal connections, violations of labour law, import of foreign goods beyond limits, raising cattle in the city, felling public trees. The amount is negotiable with a minimum Rs100. For building deviations, it can run into thousands.

5 Reducing waiting time: All government activities. The percentage varies from 2-20% with a minimum bribe tax of Rs200-300.

6 Social sector payments: In case of old age pension, free credit from government schemes, land compensation, riot compensation the tax is 2-50% of the amount. In many situations, the tax is charged after delivery, like American ambulance chasers who collect a percentage as fees after winning a case.

7 Acquiring assets: Land, houses, cars, scooters. These are paid as ‘service charges’ through the society, dealers, etc. The tax can be 10-25% of the actual tax. Any asset acquired by a citizen entails the payment of bribes if it is to be recognised through registration.

8 Acquiring contracts: For road works, water pipes, cables, bridges, flyovers, houses for low income groups, stadia and parks. The bribe tax varies from 3-5% of the project cost.

9 Large-scale: Corruption in government contracts, defence purchases, export-import deals, and land allotments.

10 Tax havens: Accumulation of illegal wealth in tax havens.

We find that the first five items are part of retail corruption which affects ordinary citizens on a regular basis and can be reduced by technology. Anyone who has travelled in trains in the past will recollect the ubiquitous ticket examiner who was the ultimate arbiter to provide seats or berths — at a price. I was told by a retired railway official that in those days recommendations to appoint a particular person as ticket examiner at major stations used to sometimes come from cabinet ministers in Delhi because it was a ‘lucrative’ position. But after the computerisation of rail bookings, the role of railway minions has become minimal since even wait-listed tickets are upgraded through the system.

It is interesting that the IT biggies were not the ones who undertook the task of computerising railway reservations. It was done by CMC, which was then a public sector company. The IT biggies were looking at lucrative US and European markets. But the recession in the west altered the picture. Today we find Infosys involved with computerisation of many aspects of income tax, and TCS with passport offices and Wipro with the Employees State Insurance Corporation.

The Bangalore Municipal Corporation has provided facilities to people to pay their house taxes using the internet. You fill in the details of the area of the plot, built-in area, type of construction, etc, and the system shows the tax to be paid. You can pay through your credit card. Earlier, in order to pay the house tax, one needed to bribe officials. India is one of the few countries where you pay bribes to pay your taxes to the government. Clearly, retail corruption can be reduced by technology. In other words, relationship-based transactions are becoming rule-based. Of course, rule-based technology has its limitations in dealing with wholesale corruption, as in defense contracts.

For that we need a transparent regulatory framework and a speedy justice system to punish the crooks.