me and my computer..the journey from 2001 to 2009

My hands are tempting to write something...after such a long interactions with computer, my fingers have fallen in love with the keyboard.. always want to write..to browse..to push the keys..they are so immersed in this love that they don't need much help of my eyes to the keys...sometimes i feel as fingertips have some memory. my fingers......all of them..are just always ready to touch their beloved (keyboard).

i remember in college days we used to dream that when will it happen when we would be able to type without looking on to keyboard like a typical software geek :-o . now that day is here... it had been 8 years of using the computers ...how much it has changed...from a bulky P3 with win98 to a small laptop with vista! but the funny thing is that in 2001-02, that 256MB RAM 4 GB HDD 800MHz PC was worth 35-40K and this 2GB RAM, 2Ghz, 80GB HDD laptop is cheaper than that!! and imagine the value of Rs40k then and now. And the irony is that , the old big box was faster than this hi-fi laptop! I don't know how is this happening ...we are having faster technology but still slower PC...we are having faster RAM but a heavy OS which eats up all of it!
there was no single PC in hostel which could bear me..as soon i start working on it, it used to hang ..and unfortunately i have yet not found a fast enough!
computers has become a part of an average family in India....i am so much used to of doing everything online...from booking of movie and travel tickets to bill payments and banking...everything! without internet, a computer is a soul without body (or vice versa). and now this has changed the way we live...out community is now ONLINE..we meet friends online...talk on video chat to friends and family on skype ..and can't complete without mentioning orkut..that enable us to keep our social circle alive!
we are living in virtual world!!
so lets get real.... go out of the door and meet the real people there :-)

RTI : bringing accountability in the Government

We are all used to of two things about Indian political system and Bureaucracy: "chalta hai" and "kuchh nahi ho sakta" . By these two we all accept them as they are. We dream of an accountable and honest system but don't bother how it will come!! Right to Information Act 2005 is one of the biggest achievement of a government and people of India. Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) deserve a big applause for its effort.
Now BIG problem is that people don't know about it. The good things is that address of all public information officers are available online. So here we all ..people of internet word..who care a lot about the world but feel helpless against the system can make a big difference . in RTI you can send application about any thing happening ( or not happening) anywhere in india. You don't need to even tell the reason. So if a particular got office is not working properly, you can ask them why..or can even visit their office to see how they work. RTI is properly utilized have empowered citizen.
So now we all should start a RTI campaign. Whenever you see a problem, right an application and send it. This is bare minimum we all can do..and here is how to do it:

1. Find out the address of PIO from internet or directly from the office against which you want to send RTI Application
2. Write application on a plain paper with all the questions and information you want to seek.
3. provide your complete address and contact number on the application.
4. Get a Indian Postal Order of Rs 10 from any post office and make it payable to the account officer of that organisation. Check the website or inquire in the office directly. Otherwise just write
"Account officer," e.g. Account officer, Department of Heath & Family welfare".
5. keep a copy of application and IPO number with you.
6. send the application only by registered post of speed post . Keep safely the receipt of your post. Do not send by normal post of courier.
If you submit application personally, take receiving on its copy with stamp of that office.

Withing 1-2 week you will see action on this. And if you dont get anything in a month complaint about that PIO to appellate authority.
You will find all the required information here
http://www.rti.gov.in/

you can also join
http://www.rtiindia.org/forum/

I would say just start sending RTI to all places you see corruption , unaccountability or harassment of public. If a good officer is transferred, send an RTI application with question why he/she got transferred. If a bad officer is still not handled, send a RTI asking why. If there are path-holes in your road, send RTI to municipality asking why. Just go on..wake up.and ask..why Public Department dont work for public. Just start it.. believe me...you will see the change!!

e-filling of ITR

E filing of Income tax return
I wanted to share my beautiful experience filling return online again this year.

In case you are not aware or skeptic about e-filling , let me tell you, its so easy that it took just 10-15 minutes!!

This is for AY 2009.

For latest see http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/home.asp

Here are the details of how to do this:

https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/howToEFile.do

How to do:

Just go to IT dept website

http://incometaxindia.gov.in/

Click on income tax return

https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/index.jsp

Download return calculation software

https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/downloads09-10/itr/ITR1_2009_10_R1e.zip

https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/downloads09-10/Instructions/Instructions%20ITR-1.zip

Read the instructions and fill the form. Then create an account on https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/index.jsp using your PAN number as user name.

Upload the xml generated.

https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/uploadXML.do?assyr=2009

Take the print of the acknowledgment and sent it using ordinary post to the Bangalore office as specified on the acknowledgment. I got the receipt of my acknowledgment in a week. :-)

Here are the details of how to do this"

https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/howToEFile.do

Its so easy!!

And Yes, you can contact our call center Aayakar Sampark Kendra (ASK) on phone number 0124-2438000 for assistance.
https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/faq_process.do

and those who need PAN related help can see these links

For online application of reprint of PAN or any change in PAN data

http://www.tin-nsdl.com/default.asp

https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/pan/index.html

please visit http://incometaxindia.gov.in/ and https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/index.jsp and appreciate the govt initiate to ease out this annual ritual!

NPTEL : Online enginnering courses by IITs

The IITs have taken up an initiative of starting online teaching and thus have started offering course materials online for every engineering stream.

Many professors from all the IITs have provided course materials for each chapter and each subject..
Every Chapter has been described with diagrams and charts. Please spread this message to everyone, as many can benefit from this program taken up by the government and IIT.
1] Type the following address on internet explorer http://www.nptel.iitm.ac.in
2] Click on Courses http://www.nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses.php
The video courses are available on you tube http://youtube.com/iit
Please spread the word, so that this initiative benefits as many students as possible.
Its good to see such initiatives coming in India. MIT has a very good online course material website
http://www.nptel.iitm.ac.in/index.php
"Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow."

Black Money:The dark cognate of money

Black Money: a money for which you have not paid tax, money of people stolen either from government or directly from us! Whenever we don't take a bill for our grocery purchase, or pay a bribe to some babu(clerk) or mamu (traffic police), or buy pirated CD, download pirated songs/movie/software, we are contributing to the realm of the black money.
Its kind of fascinating that as there is "matter and anti matter" , we have "money and Black money". Both were created at the "moment of creation" (of course their individual creation).
They coexist, with out interfering to each other. But there is one thing very different about this cognate of money with that of matter. Matter cannot be converted to Antimatter but money can!
Its like playing the role of its cognate twin.

I believe that e-money or plastic money is a good solution to this twin brother devil. Once, while getting my CNG car refulled, the man at the gas station gave a very fantastic pragmatic idea of dealing with balck money problem. That was "sare currency note badal ke naye chhaapo to sara kala dhan, jo bekar pada hai, ekdam khatam". The government should cancel all the old notes and issue a new currency. They should slowly replace the existing currency and support e-money and plastic money. This will reduce the value of all those crores of rupees of black money to a pile of scrap (raddi). And then , at least that heap of black money cant be used to fertilize the corrupt business practices and also the crime and terrorism. but as most of the black money is with the poerfull businessmen or Netas(politicians), this kind of change has to come with a very string political will to fight against black money!
Till than,dont pay bribe, dont buy pirated CDs, and use your debit/credit card instead of paying cash or take a billl (pakka bill..not just a rough paper).