Month: January 2019

Who Fixes Railway Loo?

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Off the Rod 

On 26th Dec 2018, I went to Trivandrum Central to see off my cousin’s family. They were travelling by the evening Chennai Express. The train was at platform 4, and the 2 tier was closer to the engine side – a long walk from the stairs. To spot them I walked through the 2 tier compartment and as I crossed one bogey I passed a loo.

The toilet door was ajar, with an unrestricted view of a commode without the seat cover. The seat cover seems to be tucked behind the toilet – well placed so that it wont’ be a hindrance for users

 On seeing it, I went inside, locked the door and clicked this pic.

So, this is 2 Tier train loo and the train is about to depart is some time. After seeing this, here are the thoughts that came across:

  • How much money will it cost to fix a new rod and attach the commode seat cover.
  • Who’s responsible for this job?
  •  Who gives the requisition to fix such issues on any station? Who can order a change in seat cover? Is the facility for toilet seat cover change available at all railway stations? 
  • If a VIP or VVIP is travelling in this train, can he or she order this to be fixed?

Other questions related to it!

  1. Does the railway employees who clean and fix toilet issues wear a different shirt color ( khahi or blue color) so that we can spot them and request them to clean the loo or tell them of the broken seat?
  2. Can a train commuter ask the train attendant or TTR to get such an issue fixed?
  3. Is it possible for a generous train commuter to pay and get it repaired?

What more Job Done by Sports and Youth Minister

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
What the Ministers of Sports and Youth Affaris in India should Ideally do

Here’s another blink moment. Today, while walking in the park, I thought of people who are spending the early hours to exercise, get fit and stay health. Yes, we all like to be fit and healthy, but our habits, preoccupations often hinder such activity on a regular basis.

Who will Mentor the Public 
We know each one in a society has to fend for themselves – to grow, nurture, read, learn and to generous. But, every often we forget these building blocks and get carried with our daily chorus. After all, life is hectic with work taking a big chunk of your time.

So, in this context if there’s someone who can remind us to do the best things on a regular basis? What is that person is a your spouse, parent, kid or a neighbor or a friend. Or in a progressive way, it could be the Minister or a Mayor or a Councillor of your locality.

When it comes to heath or fitness, the role of \sports minister could fit it!

So, this makes me think of this….

What does a sports minister do in a day?
Apart from signing files, or sitting on files, what does he or she do in this role?

As I have no politician connection, I don’t have anyone to ask what’s their daily task or to-do list?

Probably, these are things they must be doing…..( A wild guess)

  • Planning to attend public meetings after meetings
  • Preparing the points to tell in a meeting
  • Planning a political maneuver or talking to supporters
  • Discussing with peers on who others ministers are doing on the job 
  • Having good food and enjoying all the perks 

What I wish they can do in their tenure as a sports minister ( My desire and wishes)

  1.  Wake early and go for a walk with a group of bureaucrats and talk to people about healthy habits ( role model)
  2. Visit sports clubs in rural areas and find the problem faced by them and redress.
  3. Plan and arrange ( crowd funding ) to start a sports academy or facility
  4. Set up indoor ( TT, Chess, Caroms or Badminton facility) for public
  5. Understand the running of public swimming pools ( How to run them efficiently)
  6. Get sponsorship from sports brands to set-up football fields or koko or kabidi playgrounds 
  7. Participate in local tournaments or practice some sports daily or at least 2 -3 times a week
  8. Search for ideas from the citizens and ask people to suggest low maintenance games ( e.g, football, Table Tennis, Frisbee, hand ball, Kabidi, Ko Ko, etc

Why should a sports minister do this…

My idea of a minister going out to the public is simple. First, it benefits the politician as he or she will attract goodwill of people, and that will also lead to popularity. Second, it motivates many lazy people to start a healthy lifestyle, 3) Creating more playgrounds means more happy and stress free activities for the public.

Additional links on Personal Growth and Development

1. Finding a mentor or accountability partner 

What Older Women do to spend Time

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

I saw this viral video after reading a short article on the Times of India. Ys, I liked the way this topic of old ages was presented in the lighter vein.

And, this made me think of the older ladies in our place. I mean most ladies ( including my mom) I know from Kerala. What do they do in a typical day? How do they spend their time? Are they enjoying their retired, relaxed day?

 From what I see, most of them them, like old men, is just passing another day, killing time in not so fruitful way.

Well, that’s what I think. I could be wrong. So, I wonder what could be the ideal life of a lady who has passed their prime, say in their mid 60’s.Can they plan, lead an activity packed life which their peers would envy? How often do you see oldies with a balanced life?

Here’s are few things I noticed about the activities of older women in Kerala:

  1. Addiction towards TV serials
  2. Spend time on social events
  3. Baby sitter for their grand children
  4. Accompany their kids to foreign lands or to their homes  
  5. Sleep for long hours

Other alternatives:

  • Start reading on diverse topics
  • Engage in board games or indoor games
  • Travel to places and start a travel blog ( tips and help )
  • Organize meetup for seniors
  • Start gardening or open a nursery ( home nursery)
  • Start a take away food counter ( if interested in cooking)
  • Open a tuition centre 
  • Take up hobby like ( paper crafts, quelling, vegetable carving, etc)

Travel Stopover Activities for Rail Traveller

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
What can people do when they go for four hour travel travel? Just imagine, that you got a seat for yourself, what can you do in a 4 hr train journey? I bet there’s a lot of things you can catch  up, provided you plan for it. Here’s the list of things you can do:

  • Write a blog post using a note book or laptop or mobile.
  • Think of way to make secondary income
  • Plan or re-plan your career options
  • List out the relatives you’ve not met in the last 6 months
  • Make a list of things to be done in the next week
  • By-heart an opening dialogue in a movie or an opening chess move
  • and more…

Here’s another thing – what all can you sell to train commuters in a railway station:

  1. Hand sanitizer ( Must)
  2. Air pillow, Chain and lock
  3. Mosquito repellent ( must )
  4. Lunch box  ( sandwich kinds)
  5. Towel and toilet tissue
  6. Paste, brush and face wash
  7. Water
  8. A futuristic Indian railway station can have these services:
  • Railway historian ( Hear the erstwhile stories about Indian Railways)
  • Travel advisor ( An expert to plan your trip)
  • Spa or Leg massage services as see in airports
  • Guide or tourist information centre
    ( Recruit people who can speak 4- 5  Indian languages)
  • Home-stay guide ( for people who prefer to stay in homestays)
  • Escort services ( approved ones)
  • Provide a list of activities available for commuters who are waiting for the connecting train
    ( sort activities by duration and interest – for instance a visit to a historic place, attend a short cooking workshop, city tour, or a museum or visit a popular restaurant in the city/town) 

Smelly Potty Rooms of Indian Railways

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
As a frequent train commuter, I’m habituated to unclean, broken and smelly train loos. There were time when the stink and dirt in the loo made me think of cleaning the dirty train toilet. For more than one time, I have kept a packet of Odonil ( air freshener) and recently I kept a Air refresher packet inside the train loo. Well, if I can do this, you can do more! Or, we all together can do more. Isn’t?

During one of the trips in Kochu Veli Express, I pondered on this plan on how to get a clean loo for train. Caution here, this is a weird, crowd-sourced community service idea.

Here goes the plan…

We know that train travel is cheaper than tickets charged by private vovlo buses run by Kalladas and KPN’s of the world. So, if there were people who are rich, and generous, they can contribute a small part to get the loo cleaned.

For this to happen,  Indian Railway should have an option on the IRTC website, where the travelers can book to clean the loo.

Option on the IRCTC website: Clean loo ( Full Amount) / Contribute Rs 100, etc.

It means, a person while booking the ticket can easily add an extra money to get the loo thoroughly cleaned by an team. This can work on crowdfunded basis also. For example, if the cost of cleaning four loo in a bogey is Rs 1,000, then the website will show how many has contributed so far, and how much money is required to reach the full amount.

Wow – It could be the fist crowd funded project by railways.

Just imagine 70 odd people travelling in a bogey, contributing an extra of Rs 50 or 100 each will not pinch anyone’s wallet. What if a millionaire or rich politician travels in a train and he or she contributes this way. If they want, they get additional publicity for it.

When I say clean loo, it means real clean, something close to the loo at Anandashram at Panaji, Goa. If you have’nt been to this hotel, then keep in mind to visit this restaurant when you are in Goa.

Well, this loo should have toilet tissue, sanitizer, aroma spray which will automatically spray when someone leaves the toilet, or hand soap, tissues, and also a person to clean the loo for the entire journey. Or a person who will check the loo at every train stop.

One benefit for the railway is this, they don’t have to look for additional funds. All they need is to create a mechanism so that generous commuters can donate the money.

Can it be done? Next, you travel by train, will you close your nose while you get inside the loo, or will you feel happy the clean loo… Just imagine the foreigners, our guest who travel by Indian Train, what will be their experience. Can you make it clean for your guest and the impression they form about our country?

One thing I know, no Swatch Campaign will succeed unless we form a process, a system which works 24/7 to maintain cleanliness in our country.

What’s your thoughts?

Reason for Popularity of TVS Moped in Tamil Nadu

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

I got to ask this question to people who drive TVS Moped in Tamil Nadu – Why choose TVS , why not other brands? I bet there’s some kind of brand loyalty as this is made in TN or b’cos it is the comfortable or known choice.

If you have been to any part of this state, you will know what I’m talking about. From working folks to villages and ladies use this basic two wheeler. It’s a kind of an inseparable part of what you see in any city or village area in Tamil Nadu. From Kanyakumari to bustling Madurai city, it has become an ubiquitous part of life in this state.

For the people from Tamil Nadu, TVS moped is their first choice of two wheeler. I and the people of Tamil is a picture I took from Garib Rath train as it passed one of the many villages in Tamil Nadu. The sight of man on a moped made be think of the influence of this moped in Tamil Nadu.

TVS MOPED – Icon of Tamil Nadu

This is the first moped that came before bigger cousins swanky kinetic Honda and other wheeler. With the arrival of new automatic two-wheelers, popularity of TVS moped has died down in Kerala. Now Kerala women has long abandoned the use of TVS moped, instead they powerful scooters like Honda Activa or Suzuki models.

But TVS is still an essential moped for most folks in TamilNadu. I wonder why TVS moped has become inseparable with the landscape of Tamil folks. Why do they prefer to use this vehicle, despite its old design?

I think there are more reasons why people still stick to this brand. It’s a marketing case study for experts. Maybe, it can shed more light on how marketing or product can evolve with the traits of a demographic class

Simple Startup Social Mobile App Ideas

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Mobile App Ideas for Startups
I often get ideas on the fly. Most ideas which sprout in my mind, has a very limited shelf life. Often I think it’s an eureka moment. But, I forget most of these ideas on the same day. I thought of penning down ideas which hover around me,

So, what mobile app ideas are likely to be a hit, which will be a waste of your money and effort. What about monetizing these mobile app? Will it be beneficial to people, or will it add to the app clutter.

1) App to spot public toilets or in hotels

    Don’t know if there is one mobile application in India to geo spot loo in India. Creating one will be helpful to all tourists, travelers and citizens in our country. This app can spot, women friendly loos, mark the cleanliness factor ( give star rating), and many other aspects. Such as, the closest loo ( how many km…), etc.

2) Puncher shops & Petrol

    I bet there should be one by one. Especially is cities like Bangalore, where getting a flat tire in an unknown locality can be worrisome. Probably, it can spot petrol shops, road side assistance services in case of car or two wheeler breakdown.

3) Sharing & More Caring World

   There are many times when we need a photocopy or print out or even buy a diaper or more importantly a condom in the middle of the night. Or it could be a craving to have fish, or chicken or beef or pork. How do you connect with people who can provide assist your or lend you this favour. Is there a way to connect or ask questions through the app and get immediate response. Is there a way to crowd-source and help people get over a mini or major crisis?

As cities are getting less-caring, or be dis-connected, such an app can connect with people who can spare a gas cylinder, or even give a needy person a ride to the hospital, or give them a hot coffee. Is it possible? Who will authenticate the users, without which all the unwanted elements can spoil the use of such an app.

4) App to Barter Goods

   I have extra coconuts in my store room which I’m willing to trade for something equal. How can connect or meet a person who require this and willing to pay a consideration or exchange? Can I trade my knowledge on digital marketing and in return they will pay this month’s grocery bill or water bill or electricity bill.

Barter system which was active in yesteryear could come back, if there’s a way to connect with users. I’m serious about this. It can bring a parallel economy, which will thrive using the connectivity of mobile apps. Will this app idea work?

5) Donate

   This scenario happened in Trivandrum. The jack fruit tree in our house yielded more. We wanted to give . away the excess jack-fruit to anyone who was willing to take it. But, how do we find and reach a person in our locality? How will I find it? I can’t go on knocking each door and ask them? A better way would be to connect through a mobile app, reach people who will be pick or share the item or even a service.

Recently, I installed an app called Hey, neighbor. I think such apps will suit the purpose

Safety Net for Mahouts

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

Assurance for the Family
What happens to the family when the bread earner – for instance, a mahout is trampled by an elephant? Does the people who work with wild animals given any insurance coverage? In case of fatality or injury, what’s the compensation given by the employer?

I had this thought when I read about a recent elephant rampage. It’s during the temple procession season when Kerala witnesses many case of elephant going berserk. When such a thing happens, it’s usually the elephant keepers who get hurt or stamped. I guess such incidents peaks at the time when elephant gets MUSTH!

Kerala alone, accounts for most death from tramping. And, this is a worrisome news.

My question here is this:

  • What is the kind of compensation does these mahouts get? Do they have mandatory life insurance?
  • What about another other job like a hotel cleaner, a mechanic, electrician, etc? Do they have insurance? Is it their personal liability to take an insurance? Who oversees these? 
  • What about a auto driver or a taxi driver? Can’t we make it mandatory for them to take an insurance or medical policy? 

Life Insurance and Support for Mahots 

I think of the family members who are dependent on the earning of these workers and in the case of any causality  when I think of the family where such a death has happened? Imagine, the only bread earning member is lost, who will take care of them in the short run? What’s is their social net? Who will take care of the daily needs?

I hope, the caretakers or the institutions such as Devasom Board who employs mahots for temple procession, etc has some type of medical or life insurance coverage for people taking care of elephants.