Allotment of Government residential accomodation

Automatic Computerised Allotment of Government General pool residential accomodation

Automatic Computerised Allotment of Government In order to ensure complete transparency in allotment of General Pool residential accommodation, faster rotation of housing stock and to provide more convenience to the applicants, an Automated System of Allotment (ASA) has been launched by the Directorate of Estates. Allotments as per this system would be fully automated, online and based on the preferences for specific houses indicated by the applicants.

The Secretary, Urban Development Dr. M.Ramachandran made the first allotted of houses in Type VI (A) (C-II) through the Automated System here today in a function held at Nirman Bhawan. Launching the new system, Dr.Ramachandran said it is a milestone initiative to bring transparency and best practices in the official working.

The Directorate of Estates would introduce Automated System of Allotment for other type of houses in phases. Allotment of Type V (B) (D-I) will be introduced by July and Types V (A) (D-II) & IV (Spl.) houses by August this year. Schedule for implementation of ASA in respect of other types of houses will be finalized soon.

HOW AUTOMATED SYSTEM OF ALLOTMENT OPERATES

All applications for allotment of houses will be accepted “on-line” only. For this purpose every applicant will have to create his/her account and fill up the required application form by following the instructions on the screen.

After completing the process on-line, the applicant will have to take a printout of his/her application along with account details etc. and get it officially forwarded from his/her office to the Directorate of Estates for activation of his/her account.

On receipt of the paper application duly forwarded by the controlling office of the applicant, his/her account will be activated by sending him/her a Registration Number (which will work as his/her ID) and a pass-word through SMS and/or e-mail.

Once the applicant has received his/her registration number and Login password through SMS/e-mail, then he/she will be able to operate his/her account and make required changes in his/her preferences/ choices etc. as and when required on-line.

All the existing applicants will also be sent their Login ID and password through SMS/e-mail to enable them to operate their accounts on-line. Both existing applicants as well as new applicants will have to indicate their choices/preferences for houses as per the drop-down menu on the screen.

All the houses falling vacant during the month i.e. till 30th/31st of the month would be displayed category-wise and pool-wise on the website of the Directorate of Estates (www.estates.nic.in) for allotment in the subsequent months.

The list of vacant houses available for allotment as well as the Waiting List as on the last day of the month will remain frozen during the period from 1st to 9th of the month.

Applicants have to make one of the following three options from 1st to 9th of the month:- - To choose particular house(s) in order of applicant’s preference, out of the list of houses available for allotment as listed in the website. No need to restrict the preference to the localities/floors restricted earlier for allotment. - To give option for allotment of any house as per the localities/floors restricted earlier for allotment.

The localities/floors can also be modified. - To exercise the option of “not interested in any house currently available for allotment”. (This would also be the default choice in case applicant does not give any choice). Choice of specific houses can be made or modified from 9.00 a.m. on the 1st of the month to 5.00 p.m. on 9th of the month.

Allotment of houses as per choices/preferences of applicant will be made on 10th of each month only for those applicants whose accounts have been activated in the preceding or earlier months. An applicant will be allotted a particular house chosen by him if nobody senior to him in the waiting list has opted for the same. The concept of technical acceptance will be done away with.

Applicants will not be eligible for more than two allotments in each category of house. After having opted for a particular house and having been allotted the same, the applicant will have to necessarily accept the allotment. In the event of non-acceptance, the applicant will be debarred for further allotment for a period of one year.

Arranged marriages

Arranged marriages,
According to trend expert Marian Salzman, will get more popular in the west. This is what she said in her book, Next Now:

…arranged marriage makes sense in a world in which the search for “the one” has disappointed so many people.”

I wonder if she is implying that arranged marriages are more stable and do not disappoint. There are others who are propagating this. One of them is Reva Seth who recently wrote First Comes Marriage in which she presents the argument that arranged marriages are better than love marriage and likely to be more successful.

Are people in arranged marriages happier?
I do not believe that arranged marriages are happier than love marriages or vice versa (when I say arranged it does not mean forced as in the India I grew up in, girls and boys are eager to marry the arranged way and would feel upset if their parents abdicated the responsibility). If there is evidence that arranged marriages last longer it has more to do with the kind of people who enter them. It is quite possible that the majority of those who opt for an arranged marriage come from traditional societies where the idea is to compromise, and sometimes people compromise to an extreme degree just to keep the marriage together as society disapproves of divorces. This does not mean that arranged marriages are loveless or that they are unhappy, but if they are unhappy, there could well be a reluctance to divorce.

Another reason why there is less divorce in arranged marriages is that people entering arranged marriages want to marry, are ready to marry. This factor should never be underestimated in the success of a marriage as people who want marriage are more likely to work at it. In a love marriage on the other hand, both the partners may not be equally eager to marry, and may not even be mentally ready to have children. If there are such differences in attitudes amongst the two, the chances of divorce increase.

Different reasons for unhappiness
But as I said, it’s not the kind of marriage per se that is critical to a couple’s happiness, it’s the kind of people who enter it and their mindset at the time of marriage. However, I always did wonder if the kind of marriage (arranged or love) has a bearing on the reasons for divorce.

From my own subjective viewpoint I can’t help feeling that people who marry for love are more like to be unhappy if their partner’s behavior is perceived to change after marriage…in other words personality differences which can arise once the initial flush of physical love starts to wane. Most people assume that love marriages get into trouble because people from different backgrounds marry and cannot adjust but I don’t think this is the main reason because when two people fall in love they already know that they are from different backgrounds. Generally they feel their love can surmount anything and everything…they have great hopes from each other and they expect unquestioning love and support from their partners. This kind of support may not be forthcoming.

In an arranged marriage, two people even if they have chemistry with each other and are half in love, do not really know each other that well and therefore their expectation levels are lower. If things go wrong in their relationship, it could be because they have been lied to by the other party. This can happen in an arranged match as the prospective bride/groom already knows what the other is looking for.

Things can also go wrong in an arranged marriage when couples imagine that a common background, similar interests and lifestyle also translates into common values. Nothing is further from the truth! A common background can never assure anyone of common values as one’s background has too many variables. People are not the stereotypes that we imagine them to be from their resume! Huge mistakes can be made if there is no attempt to get into the details. And if one prospective partner is bent on fooling another, no amount of “meetings” can help. Sure, this kind of subterfuge can happen in a love marriage too, but the chances are lower if one gets to know the loved one’s friends and family. In an arranged marriage on the other hand, the prospective partner could well deny you access to anyone he/she finds inconvenient.

What’s best, love or arranged?
Maybe it could have been arranged…if life was like it was then…when arranged marriages happened only between families that knew each other, where the couple knew of each other through common friends and acquaintances. When I was growing up this was how marriages were arranged. Even if one picked up a name from a newspaper there was a huge army of people in the family who started to make enquiries and tried to find common acquaintances and friends. As there was no question of marrying into an unknown family, it ensured a certain degree of safety.Today, not only are enquiries superficial, the kind of benevolent family network that existed a few decades ago does not exist.

So the only thing left is to extend the courting period as much as possible and ask direct questions to the other party. At times there is no attempt to fool another, but wrong assumptions can be made. Also, attempts should be made to contact as many friends, relatives and acquaintances of the family as possible. Finding a not very friendly relative always helps. It is my belief that that if a family has little or no contact with relatives, a red flag should go up (in the Indian context).

Whether an arranged match or a love match is better also depends a great deal on the personality of the individual. People brought up on a diet of love and romance will never feel comfortable with an arranged match, however many arguments are presented in its favour. And then there are those who feel it is demeaning to flirt and try to get a partner that way. In any case, some people from traditional societies just don’t know how and often make the wrong choice. Girls and boys in western countries are used to dating from a young age and by the time they are in their mid twenties have developed some sort of antenna to find a suitable partner but a person from a traditional society who is not exposed to the opposite sex could make a grave mistake.

Those who have a long list of dos and don’ts about their future partners are unlikely to find someone in their social circle and an arranged marraige may be suitable for them. For example, if a person is rigid about aspects like religion, or say veganism, or wants to marry a scientologist, then it’s best to try the matrimonial columns/website. But they could also look into themselves and see whether their rigidity simply means that they want a submissive partner. I personally believe that it is possible to be happy even if one’s food habits are different as long as one does not expect the other to share them. Same way, it is possible for two people from different religions to be happy as long as they give each other the space.

Overall I think there are no rules and I personally feel that it’s best to keep an open mind about both kinds of unions. It does seem impossible to say whether arranged marriages are happier or love marriages. Perhaps if people in the west start taking to arranged marriages in a big way then we might find out whether arranged matches make for longer lasting unions because it will be easier to compare arranged marriages with love marriages. To make a sensible comparison one needs plenty of people from a society which accepts divorcees and a society where there is some measure of gender equality.

(Please note that I am not an expert on these issues and these are my personal views.)

when a soldier cries

When a Soldier Cries - wonderfully expressed - this should be read by our officer cadre & all our friends in civvy street. So true.

When a Soldier Cries Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD The profession of arms is all about management of violence, destruction and death. As it is not easy to muster courage and nerve to kill other human beings, soldiers are trained to acquire a streak of raw ruthlessness and brutality. Consequently, according to common perception, soldiers are supposed to be cold-hearted and unsentimental fighters, totally impervious to emotional weaknesses. It is just not ‘soldierly’ to cry and shed tears like other mortals. But then as Voltaire said, “Tears are the silent language of grief”. Grief is a fundamental sentiment. It spares no one and soldiers are no exception. Soldiers by nature are highly sensitive to the environment and its responses. However, soldiers do not grieve through wailing, howling, weeping and even sobbing. Their grief finds expression not through tears but through their silent anguish. Here are five triggers that overwhelm soldiers’ hearts and make them cringe with pain. When he loses in battle Soldiering is not a profession. It is a commitment that every soldier undertakes with missionary zeal to defend his country. It stretches much beyond the normal call of duty as is commonly understood. It is a matter of honour for a soldier to fight and win, whatever be the challenges and cost. It is a trait that becomes an inalienable part of every soldier’s character and provides motivational sustenance. Soldiers see themselves as the sole guardians of national security. Being the last bastion of the state, the military is fully aware of the fact that it cannot fail the nation, whatever may be the odds. Memories of reverses suffered during the Chinese aggression of 1962 still cause immense pain. Despite the fact that the soldiers were ill-equipped and ill-clothed to fight in snow-bound areas, their devotion and valour were in the highest traditions of the services. Soldiers were not to blame for the failure, yet they felt that they had let the nation down. Scars of retreat in the face of the Chinese onslaught continue to haunt to date. Inability to dominate and crush forces inimical to national interests makes soldiers miserable. They become restless for an opportunity to redeem their lost honour. When he loses a mate Self preservation is a strong natural instinct and subordination of personal interests to group interests is against normal human psyche. However, military life is all about camaraderie and group cohesion. Indian military thrives on shared commitment among soldiers to achieving the assigned goal. Shared commitment flows from cohesion developed through rigorous training, caring and emotional bonding. It is not uncommon to see soldiers risk their lives for their colleagues. Soldiers are neither reckless nor impulsive. They are fully aware of the trauma and privations their families would have to suffer should they die in the call of duty. Their inexplicable behavior is purely due to intense attachment and loyalty to their colleagues and the group. The worst thing for a soldier is to lose a ‘buddy’. Poignant notes of the ‘Last Post’ send shivers down the toughest of soldiers’ backs. Tears shed in the memory of a fallen comrade are invariably accompanied by a sense of guilt and helplessness. Many tend to blame themselves for their failure to save their colleague’s life. This is the reasons why arms are reversed while bidding final farewell to a friend. When his leaders let him down Military as an institution sustains itself on the trust-loyalty equation existing between the leadership and the rank and file. To be trusted is the greatest compliment that a leader can earn. Trust is the expectancy that the followers can rely on a leader’s immaculate personal conduct and professional competence. It flourishes on the credibility that a leader enjoys in his command. Soldiers willingly repose faith in a leader in the belief that he would remain incorruptible and morally upright. When military leaders indulge in land grabbing, sale of liquor or fake encounters, soldiers start wondering whether such leaders deserve their trust and confidence. They get disillusioned as their faith in the uprightness and integrity of the leadership gets shaken. They feel let down by the leadership that they had trusted unquestioningly. Worse, loss of credibility makes soldiers doubt their military competence and worthiness. They cry out in anguish as they find that their icons of morality are unworthy of their trust. When countrymen fail to understand him Soldiers’ dedication to duty, loyalty to the nation and willingness for the supreme sacrifice are driven less by material considerations and more by an overwhelming urge to earn love and respect of their countrymen. As the soldiers know that their image in the society is dependent on media projections, they tend to be very sensitive to adverse publicity and undue criticism. They feel betrayed that their national media ignores their contribution and highlights a few aberrations. Soldiers do not question subjecting the military to public scrutiny. However, they want it to be done in an objective and balanced manner. For example, quite unfairly, in the recent case pertaining to Adarsh Housing Society, the media has twisted the facts so blatantly to make it appear to be a scam perpetrated exclusively by the service officers. Worse, Army’s prompt action against transgressing officers is never recognized. Further, it is most demoralizing when a few self-proclaimed chair-bound activists make their living through regular military-bashing. According to them, anti-national crowds can throw stones at uniformed persons and maim them, but return fire in self-defence is not acceptable. It is unfair to expect that there would be no aberrations in a 1.3 million strong force. However, it must be appreciated that 90 percent of the troops are deployed on borders or in counter-insurgency operations. Soldiers doing duty in remote and uncongenial areas feel terribly pained when a few acts of misdemeanour and indiscretion are cited to paint a negative picture of the services as a whole. They wonder if the countrymen understand their trials and tribulations. They cry for the nation’s empathy and recognition. When the government shows apathy A supportive government’s compassion acts as a major motivator for the soldiers. It is not a question of financial remunerations alone. It is the way a government treats and values its soldiers that matter.Except for token inanities on Independence Day, the Government has singularly failed to appreciate the intensity of sense of hurt of the soldiers at their continued neglect. Frequent degradation of their status through manipulated pay commission awards has made them sceptical about government’s intent. In the recent past, India was witness to the most unfortunate sight of numerous military veterans returning their medals to the President to register their protest against Government’s indifference to their pleas. Medals earned during active service are the proudest possession of soldiers and their being driven to surrender them should have made the Government sit up and take note. But true to its wont, the Government remained totally unconcerned and unmoved. This episode will certainly go down as a dark chapter in the history of Independent India. When the government expresses its inability to spare a small piece of suitable land for a war memorial in the capital to honour independent India ’s martyrs, it hurts every soldier. They consider it to be an affront to the memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice. When a senior member of the ruling party declares that commemoration of Kargil war is not warranted as the war took place due to an intelligence failure of the earlier government, soldiers are left aghast at the brazenness of the logic. When the government adopts a negative attitude and makes no effort to redress their genuine grievances, the soldiers are left a disillusioned lot with no one to provide solace. Finally Military is a social organization, albeit highly structured and disciplined. It consists of living human beings with their normal share of sentiments and idiosyncrasies. Soldiers also emote and go through phases of elation and sorrow. It is just that they are trained to keep their emotions under control lest it affects their performance in crisis situations. Their anguish remains muted due to their strong sense of loyalty to the country and to uphold military honour. For that reason, soldiers need to be handled with sensitivity and compassion.

CAR PRICE-CSD CHENNAI

HONDA-CSD PRICE LIST

PRICE LIST BASED ON CHENNAI CSD

(Note:The prices of all products are subject to change. Check the prices at CSD,Chennai)

1	64141	HONDA CITY JAZZ BS IV	632927
2	64140	HONDA CITY 1.5V AT BS IV	865975
3	64142	HONDA CITY 1.5E MT BS IV	724492
4	64136	HONDA CITY 1.5 S MT BS IV	766480
5	64138	HONDA CIVIC 1.8 S MT BS IV	1076691
6	64139	HONDA CITY 1.5 VM T BS IV	806679
7	64135	HONDA CIVIC 1.8 V MT BS IV	1154410
8	64137	HONDA CIVIC 1.8 V AT BS IV	1220517
9	64143	HONDA ACCORD VTI L MT BS IV	1632120
10	64144	HONDA ACCORD VTI L AT BS IV	1699120