My Passport reissue experience at PSK

Recently I had applied for reissue of my passport through newly launched Passport Seva Kendra(PSK), by Ministry of external affairs. Here I am sharing my personal experience right from filling up the application to get the passport in my hand.
The major steps are:
1. Filling up the application and getting the token for appointment
2. Be ready with the documents and visiting PSK
3. PSK: Verification - two levels and Granting
4. Police Verification in case of address change
5. Collecting passport from Speed post

1. Filling up the application and getting the token for appointment:
There are basically two types of filling the application - online and physical form filling. I suggest the people to opt for online appointment either for Tatkal or Normal. Even though there are few coupons PSK give on First come First Serve, the number of tokens vary depending on PSK. For example, PSK on outer Ring Road, Bangalore will issue 100 tokens per day. I heard people are in queue for getting that from 2AM onwards. One can take an appointment for confirmation. If it is really urgent, you can try by standing in the queue as well.

I personally suggest to fill online application form. One can download the application form in PDF from the website http://www.passportindia.gov.in.
Fill in the details OFFLINE and generate XML and finally upload the profile after registering yourself. This form is self explanatory. Only things you need keep in hand are the old passport details and the references you need to mention from your locality.

2. Be ready with the documents and visiting PSK:
Along with the old passport, we should be ready with the supporting documents as detailed in the passport website. http://www.passportindia.gov.in
For instance, in my case:
· Reissues with an address change - Old passport and address proof copies like gas bill, telephone bill, company letter etc..
· ECNR - Degree cerfificate
· Spouse name addition - Marriage certificate
For any doubts, always try to take the help of toll free number – 1800 258 1800. Their service is good but be patient enough to give your name and full address each time you call them (for their records).
Please carry all the original documents with at least one set of photocopies. You should be ready with all these documents for hassle free processing. It is better to keep 2 copies of the all the documents submitted at the passport office for your verification and submission to the police officer when he visits the house. No need to take any photographs as they will take your photo when we visit the PSK. But please note that you need the passport photos for police verification. So keep them ready with you. Payment can be done after the first level verification. For example, 60pages passport it is Rs.1500. Please carry enough cash.
Once you are ready with all the documents, next step is to visit the PSK 30 mins before the appointment time.
3. Experience in PSK:
My overall experience in PSK is good. But you should be ready to spend at least 2-3 hours to finish the process. If you are ready with all the documents, you should finish all the three steps within 3 hours. Otherwise, it takes longer time or need to visit the next day as well.
First step is to get a TOKEN after presenting the appointment letter printout (in case of online). Then based on the type of appointment, you will be allotted a TOKEN NUMBER with the QUEUE. There are various queues in the system like Q1 for walk-in; Q6 for online; Q5 for VIP; Q4 for previous day cases; Q3 for walk in late after the appointment time etc…
After getting the token, you are allowed to go inside waiting room where you will be called for the CSE counters. This process is basically filling all the details in the system by operator and verification of our documents and taking photos, finally making the payment. They will issue a File number and print your application form with the supporting documents to proceed for next step. In case of any documents are missing, you are not processed further two steps until you finish this step.
Once you are finished this step, the operator will sign off so that your Token number will be in online queue management system for the VO - Verification Officer. This verification is by Govt officers. Till the first step it is handled by TCS people. You may need to wait 1-2 hours after you finished the first step. The verification officer will verify the originals along with the application form and supporting documents. In case of any corrections to be made, he will direct you to go for the CSE counters. Once VO approves it, last step is to go to GO - Granting Officer. These people after verification of our details, they cancel the existing passport. In case of complex cases, they may refer to APO - Asst. Passport Officer.
Last step, before leaving the PSK is to collect the acknowledgement letter for our reference.
Please note there are around 30 counters of CSE and 5 counters of VO and 3 counters of GO and 1 counter of APO in PSK, Sai Arcade, Bangalore.
4. Police verification:
Most of the cases, there will be an address change. So police verification is mandatory. Your last one year residence verification should be done. In last one year, if any address change is there within the city, both the police verifications should be done. The police officer may visit your house or you will be asked to visit the police station. In either case, you need to give your photos (3 in each case) and address proof.
5. Collecting the passport:
Finally after the police verification, you will be informed by SMS / Email that passport has been dispatched by speed post. You only should collect it from the post man as he is not authorized to deliver the passport to anyone else. Generally they will intimate the arrival of passport to our house. If we are not at home (usually the case during office hours), need to schedule the appointment with him either morning or evening, so that you can collect it. Once you receive the passport, last step is to verify the printed details on the passport.
FAQs:
1. How long it has taken to get the reissue of the passport?
I filled up the application form online and got an online appointment after 3weeks. Whole process of visiting PSK, submission, police verification (at two locations) and final issuing happened in 12 days for me after the appointment date. If I include the appointment waiting period as well, total 5 weeks for the entire process.
2. How is over all experience of PSK process?
Overall, I appreciate the PSK services and thanks to Govt of India for smoothening the process.
3. What are the improvements in PSK when compared to the existing system?
· Can avoid agents
· Can avoid long queues for getting appointment.
· Have more PSK centers instead of one central location
4. Is there any separate appointment system for Tatkal scheme?
As per my knowledge, it is not there. Only Tatkal scheme improves the delivery of passport post PSK processing. Police verification will be done afterwards.

Baadshah Movie Review

Watched NTR starer Baadshah telugu movie on the first day of release (5th April 2013) in Bangalore. Positive talk came for the movie on the first day. Let me share my review of the movie.

My Rating: 3.5/5. This is nearly equal to the average rating of movie from different websites.

Positive points:
1. Comedy scenes are the highlight of the movie. Brahmanandam and Nazar combination steals the show in second half. Padmanabha Simha (Brahmi) character is too good and I could not resist my laugh when Nazar scolds Padmanabha Simha. Brahmanandam is second hero of the film. I wonder how the director is able to create ultimate comedy characters for Brhami. Hats off!!
2. Many characters are similar to Dookudu movie, which is from the same director - Srinu Vytla. Still we are able to enjoy the movie. Can Srinu Vytla create magic again if the same trend continues - still a ??
3. NTR and Kajal performances are also good - dances, action, Ball philosophy.
4. Punch dialogues are next highlight of the movie.
Comedy Punch dialogues are super. "Pilli vamsam", "Simham tag for Pilli", "load chesina Lorry", "multi starrer", "pen-pencil", "ball philosophy" etc.. Some punch dialogues are there to elevate the Hero and to please fans.
5. Heroine Kajal acted without exposing - decent performance by her - credit goes to dialogue writers and director. Music and Item songs are also good.
6. Production values are good. It covers nice locations from Asia and Europe.
7. Regular hangover scene from Srinu Vytla - this time with ladies who dance for NTR item songs. Decent trail generated good laughs.

Negative points:
1. MS Narayana comedy track is OK. Seems to be criticism of some director.
2.Some cinematic scenes are there such as fights, making others fools.
3. China "dream machine" concept is just OK. But the comedy generated by this concept is good.
4. Some places editing and dialogues are not very clear. For example, What NTR wants from Villan in the first half? Why they created accident story and why should NTR parents stay separately?

Neutral points:
Excess usage of legend NTR name in the movie to boost the junior NTR. Good that Mahesh Babu gives voice over for this movie. I encourage and support the growth of cooperative nature in film industry.

It is a formula movie with good balance of mass and class elements with sentiment and commercial values. Hope it fares well at the box office as not much competition is there and people are eagerly waiting to watch cool comedy movies in this hot summer season. 

A legend's birthday

May 29th, 2010

Even though many incidents happened in Andhra today, my attention is to recall a legend's birthday.
NTR is an unforgettable name for Telugu people. He is an icon for Andhra in elevating Telugu people's respect to all our India and world through his roles in movies and politics. He was a great actor especially in classical and devotional movies. He was treated as Rama, Krishna in many places of Andhra.
Some inspiring things from his life and movies are:
"Krushi Vunte manushulu Rushulavutaru, maha purushulavutaru; Tarataralaku taragani velugowtaru, ilavelpulavutaru" (From Adavi Ramudu film)
[If man works hard, he will become great man, his efforts are remembered forever and they will become ideal in society]
"Janani janma Bhoomisha, Swargatapi Gariyasi" (from Bobbili Puli movie - as a solider)
[Mother is greatest gift in the world. But mother land is still greater]

I am paying my respects and tributes to NTR through this blog.

P.S: No politics here. Just Inspiration

An insight from Rajaraman's lecture

My interaction with Prof. Rajaraman, father of computer education in India:

We know Prof. Rajaraman from our undergraduate as we had studied his books like "COMPUTER ORIENTED NUMERICAL METHODS" and "FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTERS". Many people know him for his books and few people know him for his research and teaching. He is presently Honorary Professor, at IISc in SERC department.

He delivered a distinguished lecture in Infosys campus, Bangalore and I had a chance to listen to his lecture and interact with him. His talk was about his research journey and findings out of it. He started with how he got interested into research and then described how he tackled different research problems in his life both at academia and industry. We were in the analog computers world for 30 minutes during his lecture.

He described about two kinds of scientists: First kind is of digging deeper into the problem and works years together till he finds a perk. Other kind of people is jumping to other fields after finding some good solutions in the present field.

NRN was his student in IITK and people questioned him about the quality of engineering education in India. NRN also complained regarding the quality of people in campus recruitment from engineering colleges. Professor mentioned that the problem is with the teachers, as they are not quite capable in generating interest for the students to learn the things rather than marks. Students are giving importance to marks rather than learning basic things. Regarding industry and academia partnership, both IITs and industry come forward for mutual benefit.

The main outcomes of the talk are kind of research we need to do and relation of real world problem to mathematics and way of solving them.

I had this kind of great feeling to meet authors eariler also when I met Andrew S Tanenbaum (Author of Computer Networks) in IITD (2003) and John Hopcroft (Author of "Data Structures and Algorithms" , "Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation" and "The Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms") in Infosys campus BANGALORE (2009).

P.S: Sharing thoughts on meeting great researchers and authors

Kotha Bangaru Lokam

My views on Kotha Bangaru Lokam (Telugu movie):
I like this decent movie with nice college scenes, parents relation and message to youth. Here are few more specific points from the movie.

College life:I like the explanation of physics lecturer about the 3 phases in life:Teenage: 13-19: Much enthusiasm in this age group and think we can get everything in the world. Need to enjoy and think twice to justiy our thoughts; As guys will be too crazy in this age. Youth: Determination to achieve some thing and settle well. Middle age (30+): Compromise and settle with what ever we get in life.

When I saw the movie, I recollected my college life in Nalanda Residential Junior College, Vijayawada. We used to study a lot and weeknds fun and very deterministic to achievean engineering seat in good college. Even though I have not done, some memorable things from my frens are: going out to movies midnight;Teasing the warden and prinicpal. Only difference is that we don't have any disturbance of the gals :) as ours is boys residential college.

Parents love: The parents relation and love towards the son is effectively picturised in this movie. I like the father role played by Prakash Raj. In few scenes are heart touching. No more words to express the father effection.

Unforgettable scene: When mother tells to his son that he is there for her when father died is heart touching.

P.S: Movie review with personal high lights