Online Media

The popularity of online media has witnessed a rising demand over the years. The online media is seen as a threat to traditional print media.

Do you think online media will kill the market of print media in future?

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Privatization of Passport office

To make or renew a passport has become a headache, people are frustrated as the delay goes up to 4 -5 months. Government has completely failed to handle this department.

Do you think passport office should become privatized for smooth functioning ?  

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Consumer VOICE brings you an open letter to the TRAI Chairman .

Ajoy  Eric  Lal is Friend /advisor of Consumer VOICE. He helps us articulate consumer angst concerning some vital issues. 

This is first of the series.

We invite one and all to come forth and join the protest and create enough noise to get attention to resolve these issues.  

Ajoy Eric Lal :

   Open letter to

Dr. J. S. Sarma, IAS
Chairman
TRAI - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
Mahanagar Doorsanchar Bhawan, Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg
(Old Minto Road)
New Delhi - 110002
India



Dear Dr. Sarma,

Greetings!

As a consumer and professional who has helped TRAI where he could, I am very disappointed at experiencing the current, abysmal situation in the Indian telecom sector.

No action has been taken at all against offenders, especially the "repeat offenders" on the UCC (Unsolicited Commercial Communication) front. The frequency of UCCs has again increased. Every consumer gets these disturbing spam SMS even at night time.

The TATAs continue to rule the roost (~72% of bulk SMS/ INR 330+ crore) and even Government owned companies such as BSNL continue to flout the few rules that exist (NDNC register).

The proposed, new laws (partly flawed because they are utterly dependant upon a consumer complaint) have not been implemented yet and no date has been fixed either (it would be a joke anyways -- fact is that the term "deadline" has been re-invented by TRAI to mean "no action necessary"!)

It's a 'Free For All' situation, like in the 'Wild West', where the 'Guns and Goondas' ruled.

UCCs continue unabated and the situation is getting much worse. The 4 postponements (Implementation of new rules/ guidelines) by TRAI have not made things any easier but have, instead, made things much worse.

TRAI has lost face and our trust!

I have some examples, as you must already be aware of in detail. The subsequent NDNC registered numbers have registered the following complaints thus far:

1.  99101-00077 = 101 UCCs
2.  99101-62289 = 457 UCCs
3.  99101-67077 = 695 UCCs

That makes it 1,253 complaints from just 3 numbers to date... isn't that enough evidence of your failed policies?!

These tantamount to torture for us consumers and these are and continue to be a major intrusion into our privacy.

Given the above scenarios, who today can take your "Regulatory Authority" seriously? Their is no regulation and neither is there a show [and proof] of authority.

Sir, with due respect to you as an individual, I proclaim that TRAI has failed! The earned grade isn't just an "F", its worse.

Whether on the MOBILE SERVICES front (UCCs, ridiculously low GPRS bandwidth, call drops, never any reimbursements for the customer, incorrect bills, no smooth MNP, numerous fluctuating Pre-Paid issues, etc.)

OR
whether its on the BROADBAND SERVICES front (abysmally low bandwidths, no laws for true quality in place, no importance given to upload speeds, PING, Line Attenuation, SNR margins, Jitter, etc.)

OR
whether its about a SINGLE NATIONAL POLICE NUMBER (distress helpline) (such as a 911 in the U.S.A., 999 in the U.K. or 112 in Europe & China, etc.)

ALL fundamental issues remain unresolved!
ALL are your to-dos!!

Sir, your organization needs to get these sorted out. These issues concern the whole nation -- every individual, every citizen!

Sir, TRAI needs to shift gears and get real, get forceful and win back lost trust immediately... after all, a regulatory authority needs to be strong and not as weak and ineffective as it is today.

Sincerely
Ajoy

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Inefficient Government

Government has deprived it's citizens of UPC ( Under Postal Certificate ) facility.Just because there has been fraud with the connivance of some postal authority personnel and to avoid such frauds, Govt has abolished this services. Instead of taking strong monitoring measures, govt. has adopted easiest way by depriving citizens this facility .

There have been number of scams and irregularities in almost all deptt. of govt, means govt should close down all these deptt. For example, some fake currency notes have been found in circulation, then why not govt. banning currency notes  ?????
Either way it is the common man who suffers in this country.
We are being governed by impotent people   sitting at the helm of affairs and that too at our hard earned money
( Tax we pay ). Dont you think we should raise our voice against all these inefficiencies ????

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Should government ban the practice of private builders constructing houses/flats?

With home-buyers in Greater Noida took to the streets on Sunday, asking the Supreme Court and government to ensure that builders refund their deposits, do you think privatization of the construction of the houses/flats should be banned to safeguard the home-buyers interest?

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Mumbai, Delhi among cheapest places in the world

An International survey says Delhi and Mumbai are the cheapest places in the world. Would you agree : yes/No

Comment :

If not - why?
If Yes - why ?

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Gemstones

An astrology and gemstones are considered as fortune changer. With expensive stones, people are expecting to have miracle after wearing gemstones.
Do you think wearing gemstones are really effective ?

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Hourly wage system in India

Do you think it is high time that India should establish a minimum hourly wage system like in western countries ?

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THE COMPUTER SWALLOWED GRANDMA

One of Consumer VOICE subscribers sent us this when she learnt that most of our senior members love their computers. She herself is an octogenarian.

 The computer swallowed grandma.
Yes, honestly its true!
She pressed 'control' and 'enter'
And disappeared from view.

It devoured her completely,
The thought just makes me squirm.
She must have caught a virus
Or been eaten by a worm.

I've searched through the recycle bin
And files of every kind;
I've even used the Internet,
But nothing did I find.

In desperation, I asked Google
My searches to refine.
The reply from him was negative,
Not a thing was found 'online.'

So, if inside your 'In-box,'
My Grandma you should see,
Please 'Copy,' 'Scan' and 'Paste' her
And send her back to me.

This is a tribute to all the Grandmas who
have been fearless and learned to use the
Computer........

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Turbulence in Ministry over gold

New Delhi, June 23: The Central government admitted before the Kerala High Court that highly carcinogenic elements such as Iridium and Ruthenium were being freely added to gold ornaments in India.   

This alarming revelation was made in a counter affidavit submitted by Director of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) before the Kerala High Court. A division bench comprising Justice A.K. Basheer and Justice P.Q. Barkath Ali had suo moto initiated proceedings based on a letter received from Mr N. Shankaran Narayanan, a UN official, complaining of the presence of such elements in gold jewellery.


Expressing concern at the disclosure, the HC said, “Strangely the BIS director pointed out that no action can be taken under the current BIS Act unless appropriate amendment is brought into the Schedule of Industries (Development and Regulations) Act 1951.”


The BIS director informed the court that the differences of opinion between the ministry of commerce and industries and the ministry of consumer affairs had kept the amendment in a limbo. Further, the BIS director contended that BIS hallmarking scheme for gold was voluntary in nature and therefore the department does not have any say in it.

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