Increase frequency
The train number 17309/17310 Yesvantpur-Vasco da Gama Bi-weekly Express runs from Bengaluru via Hubballi-Londa-Madgaon Junction. The train has now formed as an important lifeline connecting to Goa especially during festivals and holiday seasons. As the train links Madgaon which acts as a prominent transit station on Konkan Railway and helps the passengers to quickly connect towards Mumbai and its suburb stations like Navi Mumbai, Belapur, Vashi, Panvel, Vasai Road, Kalyan, and Thane.
Since a long time the train has been operating only on a bi-weekly basis without much change in either increase in the frequency or extension of the train to run on a daily basis. This has caused an inconvenience to many regular passengers as there is now an urgent need for a daily train to Madgaon from Bangalore. Though the arrangement to connect to Vasco and Madgaon exists through slip coach from Bangalore by 16589/16590 Rani Chennamma Express, it is of little help as the slip-coach consists of just one AC 3 Tier and one Sleeper class.
As Bangalore is now witnessing a heavy influx of passengers to Goa all through the year due to the holiday season, festivals and popular events like International Film Festival of India held every year in Goa, there is a now a high necessity for daily train connectivity to Madgaon. The connectivity may be arranged with a suggestion to increase in the frequency of the existing 17309/17310 Yesvantpur-Vasco Bi-weekly Express to run as a daily train.
Hence, this is a kind request to the concerned authorities of Konkan Railway administration (headquartered at Belapur CBD, Navi Mumbai) to urgently consider the suggestion to increase the frequency of 17309/17310 Yesvantpur-Vasco Express from the existing bi-weekly service to a seamless daily service. Upon commencement of the daily services, the present slip coaches arrangement by Rani Chennamma Express may also be merged, into its existing rake for further optimum utilisation.
Varun Srinivas
Failure of Macaulay ‘s Edusystem
Before British invasion, India followed Gurukul education system which resulted in 99 per cent literacy rate. Different types of 64 arts and 16 subjects were taught in Gurukul, which evolved 360-degree progress in an individual. Very soon Britishers learnt about the greatness of the Gurukul system and injected Macaulay’s education method in India. Even after independence we follow Macaulay’s education method resulting into decline in literacy rate. “53 per cent of nation’s students, studying in 8th standard, fail to learn simple mathematics” stated the report of NGO “Pratham” working in the education sector. Ancient India invented zero and modern India fails to learn zero, such a shameful thing it is. Rejecting Macaulay’s method and accepting Gurukul system will definitely make future generation a learnt and ideal one.
Karan Chaudhari
Safeguards necessary for senior citizens
Latest data released by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shows a sharp decline in small savings in the first eight months of the financial year 2017-18 when small savings schemes amounted to just Rs 40,429 crore, a seven-fold dip from Rs 2,75,682 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year. Evidently, it is at the cost of more investment in mutual-fund schemes where political and other factors can suddenly harm the investors like happened in investment in properties.
A sharp decline in interest rate was anticipated post demonetisation when Jeevan Akshay pension-plan of LIC of India for the reason witnessed maximum investment in that period. But with currency circulation crossing what it was before demonetisation, the reduced interest rate in government savings schemes should be restored with a total overhaul, rationalisation and simplification.
An exclusive long term government saving scheme to be available in all branches of public sector banks and post offices should be introduced with an annual interest rate of eight per cent where interest may be auto-credited for senior citizens on monthly basis. For others, auto credit of interest may be on annual basis. Deposits under this scheme should be exempted under section 80-C of Income Tax Act. Other savings schemes and pension plans including RBI bonds, Senior Citizens Savings Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana can then be discontinued. Other special savings schemes like Public Provident Fund (PPF) should also attract eight per cent annual interest rate.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
Postal cash receipts should carry stickers for users too
Presently, the system at Department of Posts is to issue computer printed cash receipts where the portion used by the Department of Posts has sticker while the portion given to consumer is without a sticker. Department of Posts for the convenience of users of postal services should have sticker also in the portion given to the consumers so that they may not require gum at their end to affix it on their despatch-registers or documents etc. It will be a benefit to public exchequer also presently appreciable man hours and gum is utilised by various public authorities to paste postal cash receipts on their despatch registers.
Department of Posts will not be burdened extra because even presently, one of the dual portions of same cash receipt still has a sticker on back for the portion kept by Department of Posts itself. Rather, ultimately it may be economical and convenient to print computer stationery for issuing postal cash receipts if the sticker is there on a complete dual portion of cash receipts rather than on single portion only.
Madhu Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
