Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple: #RightToPray and #ReadyToWait

#RightToPray and #ReadyToWait

Sabarimala allows women. Millions of women visit Sabarimala every year. But, before the age of 10 and after the age of 50. And now it's an issue. Some say, it's an anti-ladies tradition and male chauvenism. They argue that its a distinction towards ladies and has come with #RightToPray campaign. And some people campaign that they are #ReadyToWait as they follow traditions.

Sabarimala doesn’t distinguish people on the base of religion unlike other religious centres in Kerala.

But, there is a restriction for ladies between the age of 10 and 50.
It is not related to menstruation. Because there are girls getting their first periods before the age of 10 and there are ladies (or most of them) who doesn't stop menstruating before the age of 50. So.. its not related to menstruation.

Sabarimala is not a 24 x 7 and 365 days temple. It has its own traditions and rituals. It is opened for a very few days only. And every devotee visiting Ayyappa shrine are called as Ayyappa himself and they all have to wear the same kind of clothing - Black/Blue dress. It talks loud on the Vedic Mahavakya - "Thathwamasi" or "Aham Brahmasmi" which can be translated in simple words as "You are a part of that Big Soul" or "You are God" !! All devotees should take a dip in the Holy river of Pamba before climbing the Sabarimala mountain. Everyone should have same kind of bag (its actually not a commercial bag that we see around - but a cloth bag ) and similar neck chain. And hence the rich, the poor, the middle class - everyone looks the same. No Savarna, No Avarna !! There is no fast lane or VIP darshan. No distinction at all..! This uniformity in devotees is a specialty of Sabarimala Ayyappa temple and no one questions it.

There is a ritual related to Sabarimala and Saramkuthi.

1.5 km before reaching Sabarimala shrine, there is a pilgrim spot with the name Saramkuthi. The legend says that, before coming to sit in the Ayyappa shrine, Ayyappa and his friends discarded their weapons at Saramkuthi. It symbolically shows that all lethal weapons are irrelevant in human society for a better civilization and advancement in life. Hence all first time visitors to Sabarimala who are called as "Kanni Ayyappans" are supposed to bring an Arrow (symbol of weapon) and discard it there. This act shows that violence is removed from their minds and they have refined themselves spiritually before entering the temple

Next to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, there is another temple where the devotees go. Its the temple for a goddess - Malikappurathamma. Now, there is a love story in their life.

Malikappurathamma loved Ayyappan and wanted to marry him. But, Ayyappan said - "I have already decided to be a Naishtika brahmachaari. So I’ll not be able to marry you". But Malikappuraththamma's love was strong that Ayyappan could not deny it completely. So he made a point that "I'll marry you in that year when no 'Kanni Ayyappans' (First Time Sabarimala Visitors) are there to visit me at Sabarimala Ayyappa temple". She now sits and waits for him at a neighbouring shrine near the main temple.

As mentioned earlier, during the pilgrimage, devotees and Ayyappa are the same. They are one. Because of the love and care he had for Malikappurathamma, He/Tantri (the father of deity) has taken a decision that Ayyappa will not give darshan to young women (of marriageable age? though every age is marriageable according to me) and this tradition is carried out for long. May be he doesn't want young women to be called as Ayyappa himself and hurt his sentiments and the sentiments of Malikappurathamma. May be he is respecting their romance and love and has taken this decision...!

And now, there is another ritual carried out in Malikappuram temple. The deity of Malikappurathamma is taken from the temple to Saramkuthi in a music adorned pageant every year. Malikappurathamma checks if there are any new arrows in Saramkuthi to know whether any 'Kanni Ayyappans' have visited Sabarimala that year as well. After seeing thousands of new arrows at Saramkuthi, the same procession of Malikappurathamma returns silently to symbolise the grief of the goddess. And she waits till the next Makara Vilakk Festival.

Can't we just celebrate the love and romance of Ayyappan and Malikappurathamma than fighting on smaller issues?

If someone doesn't belive in the above story of Sabarimala, Ayyappa and Malikappurathamma, I hope they will not visit Sabarimala to "pray" too... :)..

Disclaimer: The story is related to Sabarimala. But dialogues are mine.

#Sabarimala #SabarimalaAyyappaTemple

Inventory Control - Interview Questions and Answers (Retail Industry)

What is Inventory Control ?

• Inventory Control is the supervision of supply, storage and accessibility of items in order to ensure an adequate supply without excessive oversupply.
• It can also be referred as an accounting procedure or system designed to promote efficiency. Or we can say that it assures the implementation of a policy or safeguard assets or avoid fraud and error etc.

        In Economics, Inventory Control helps in reducing the overhead cost without hurting sales.
  In the field of Loss Prevention, Retail Inventory Control management helps in preventing shoplifting and other issues.

What is Cycle Count?

A cycle count is an inventory auditing procedure, which falls under inventory management, where a small subset of inventory, in a specific location, is counted on a specified day. Cycle counts contrast with traditional physical inventory in that a full physical inventory may stop operation at a facility while all items are counted at one time.

It helps to see the difference between Actual stock and Book Stock. Book Stock is the stock available in the system. 

What is ABC Analysis?

It is an inventory categorization technique often used in Materials Management. It is also known as Selective Inventory Control. 

A ITEMS: very tight control and accurate records.
B ITEMS: less tightly controlled and good records.

C ITEMS: simplest controls possible and minimal records.

The ABC analysis suggests that inventories of an organization are not of equal value. 

Example of ABC class are: 

(1)

‘A’ items – 20% of the items accounts for 70% of the annual consumption value of the items.

‘B’ items - 30% of the items accounts for 25% of the annual consumption value of the items.

‘C’ items - 50% of the items accounts for 5% of the annual consumption value of the items.

(2)

"A" approximately 10% of items or 66.6% of value

"B" approximately 20% of items or 23.3% of value

"C" approximately 70% of items or 10.1% of value

What is Opening Stock and Closing Stock ? 

At the beginning of a reporting period, or after a cycle count, the stock available in your inventory account is the Opening Stock. It is also called as Beginning Inventory.

So, there's an Opening Stock. Then, lots of transactions happens - Items are purchased and Sold. And finally Closing Stock is calculated.

Closing stock is the amount of inventory that a business still has on hand at the end of a reporting period. This includes raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods inventory. The amount of closing stock can be ascertained with a physical count of the inventory. It can also be determined by using a perpetual inventory system and cycle counting to continually adjust inventory records to arrive at ending balances.

Closing Stock is an asset. In Inventory Account, it is under debit. In trading Account, it is under credit. Because, it is still not traded. 

What is COGS (Cost Of Goods Sold) formula ? 

For manufacturers, “cost of goods sold” (COGS) is the cost of buying raw materials and manufacturing finished products.

For retailers, it’s the cost of obtaining or buying the products sold to customers.
Opening Stock (Beginning inventory) + Purchases – Closing Stock (End Inventory) = COGS

If the company is in a service industry, COGS is the cost of the service it offers.

COGS can help companies work out how much they should charge for their products and services, and the level of sales they need to sustain in order to make a profit.

The price paid for products is particularly crucial to retailers, as it is often their greatest area of expenditure. But all businesses can benefit from an analysis of COGS, as it can highlight ways of improving efficiency and cutting expenditure. 

What is FOB Price and Landed cost?

In garment exporting, pricing of garments are mostly quoted on FOB (Free On Board). Free on board(freight on board) price means a price which includes goods plus the services of loading those goods onto some vehicle or vessel at a named location which i put in parenthesis. FOB (Source port) does not includes the shipping charge and Insurance. Where as FOB(destination) includes shipping charges and insurance cost. 

Landed Cost is the total cost of a product once it has arrived at the buyer’s door. This list of components that are needed to determine landed costs include the original cost of the item, all brokerage and logistics fees, complete shipping costs, customs duties, tariffs, taxes, insurance, currency conversion, crating costs, and handling fees. Not all of these components are present in every shipment, but all that are must be considered part of the landed cost.  

Clearly it is advantageous to reduce the cost of each or any component of landed cost. Each one will allow the seller to lower the final selling price or increase the margin associated with that sale.

Last Cost = FOB + Costs levied on landing.
Margin taken = Sales Cost - Last Cost.

What is Weighted average Cost ?

A weighted inventory average determines the average cost of all inventory items based on the inventory items' individual cost basis and the quantity of each item held in inventory.

When a business purchases items for inventory, the business may pay different prices for the inventory items. This price differential can apply to both different inventory items and the same inventory items purchased at different times.


The average cost is computed by dividing the total cost of goods available for sale by the total units available for sale. This gives a weighted-average unit cost that is applied to the units in the ending inventory.

Weighted Average Unit Cost = Total Cost of Inventory / Total Units in Inventory

For Ex: 
Lets say, we buy item A for 10 AED. We have 10 qty of Item A.
Therefore, total cost of Item A is 10 x 10 = 100 AED.
In that we sold 3 items. 7 qty left in stock. Total cost of those 7 items = 7 x 10 = 70 AED.

After 3 months, item A cost is reduced to 8 AED. And then we bought 10 more for 8 AED.
Therefore, total cost = 8 x 10 = 80 AED. 

Now, we have 7 items bought for 10 AED and 10 items bought for 8 AED.
Total 17 items.

Therefore  total cost = 70 AED + 80 AED = 150 AED.

Now, when we calculate the weighted average cost of the 17 items which are to be sold = 150 AED/17 = 8.82 AED.

What is Shrinkage Calculation in Inventory ?

In financial accounting, the term inventory shrinkage is the loss of products between point of manufacture or purchase from supplier and point of sale. The term shrink relates to the difference in the amount of margin or profit a retailer can obtain. If the amount of shrink is large, then profits go down which results in increased costs to the consumer to meet the needs of the retailer.

In retail terms, shrinkage refers to a company's percent loss resulting from damage, product expiration and theft of unsold products. Retail shrinkage can happen anywhere along the production and sale chain, including at the factory, in transit or at the retail location. 

You can calculate retail shrinkage by dividing the value of goods lost to shrinkage by the total value of goods that are supposed to be in the inventory.

Shrinkage = 
( Total value of the goods that you are supposed to have in your inventory - Total value of the goods that is physically stocked in your inventory ) 
/ Total value of the goods that you are supposed to have in your inventory.

i.e. Shrinkage =  (Book stock - Actual Stock) / Book Stock
                   = Total Value of goods lost / Total value of the goods that you are supposed to have in your inventory

Causes of shrinkage include:

·         Employee Theft or Shop lifting

·         Administrative errors such as shipping errors, warehouse discrepancies, and misplaced goods.

·         Cashier or price-check errors in the customer's favor.

·         Damage in transit or in the store.

·         Paperwork errors.

·         Perishable goods not sold within their shelf life.

·         Vendor fraud.

Supplier Credit Notes:

The supplier credit notes are issued for the variance in the shipment received. 

Let's say, the supplier invoice says 1000 qty and what received here is 900 qty. So there's a variance of 100 qty. It is noted in inventory module. Therefore, a credit note is required for 100 qty from Supplier. 

Devolution:

At the end of a season, sometimes, the outdated goods are returned to the supplier. Some are sent to warehouse. This is devolution. Depending on the agreement with the supplier, the devolution cost is calculated. 

Last Cost - FOB = Devolution Cost

OAR - Order Availability Report :

There are several types of reordering systems; in this module we discuss three. 

1. The fixed order quantity uses fixed quantities of goods ordered at various order points to replenish inventory. 

2. The fixed order period use fixed times of reorder with various order quantities to replenish inventory to preset levels. 

3. Just in Time uses a constant flow of goods to match the level of demand.

INCOTERMS 2010

Hi All !!

When I completed my MBA, I thought I'll write a study material about INCOTERMS 2000 and INCOTERMS 2010 in a blog so that it can help others who would like to learn about it. But, its been one year since I completed my MBA and I was lazy to do that. Now, its time for me to have a change in my career and was refreshing my knowledge in Supply Chain Management. And came across INCOTERMS. So I thought  of writing it atleast now. 

INCOTERMS 2000 :

• Short form of INternationals COmmercial TERMS. Also, called as Shipping Terms.
• It is updated by ICC - International Chamber of Commerce, Started in Paris in the year 1919.
• The First Incoterms were brought forward by Europeans in 1936.
• Americans came up with NAFTA Terms to compete with ICC. NAFTA terms are also trade terms. But ICC's Incoterms are more popular. 
• LC ( Letter of Credit), Incoterms and all other trading terms are under the control of ICC.
• Incoterms are fixed depending ion demand, market, trend, company's goodwill, etc.
• Incoterms is just one line in LC. 

Incoterms are updated often. Incoterms 2000 has 13 incoterms in it. Whereas, the new one, Incoterms 2010 has just 11 in it. 

As you know, for every trade, there is an exporter who sell their item. And there is an importer who buy the item. You have to read incoterms from the view of exporter - as if exporter is talking to importer. All Incoterms are abbreviated with 3 letters. And it starts with C, D, E or F. 

Before learning Incoterms, let's see what are the steps involved in selling and buying of an item. 

1. After the sale contract is done and accepted by both the parties, the exporter packs goods which are to be sold. And keeps it in their premises.
2. These packed goods are loaded in the truck (any carrier vehicle) which is the exporter's premises.
3. The goods are taken to the port. (For road shipment, this is not there)
4. Goods Export clearance is done. Export duty paid.
5. The goods are kept inside the vessel. This is called as wharfage. Wharfage can be loading goods in to the vessel or offloading from the vessel.
6. Now the goods are moving from source to destination. Or from Exporter (Seller) to Importer (Buyer).
   There are two different charges associated while carrying the goods in a vessel - 
   a. The cost of freight (does not include loading\offloading, etc), b. The cost of insurance.
7. The goods are to be off-loaded from the ship. (Wharfage).
8. Import clearance of goods done. Import duty charges has to be paid. 
9. Load the goods in truck and take it to the Importer's premises. 

Let's learn the Incoterms 2000 and 2010 now. Here, you can even see the differences between Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.. 

______________________________________

1. EXW  - EXWorks :

• This term is in both Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.
• From Factory, it's the buyer's responsibility.
• The exporter packs goods and keep in his factory. All other activities are done by importer. 
• Mostly the demand for these goods are high, and the importer (buyer) takes the responsibility of freight, loading, offloading, etc.

2. FCA - Free Carrier : 

• This is there in both Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.
• Exporter packs goods, and loads it to the truck from exporter's premises. 
• Rest all done by the importer.

Next two incoterms, i.e. FAS and FOB are exclusively for Sea Shipment. (The exclusive Sea shipment terms are highlighted here)

3. FAS - Free Alongside Ship :

• This term is in both Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.
• Exporter packs goods, takes it to the port, does the clearance and keep it near the vessel.
• The exporter does not load the goods in to the vessel.

4. FOB - Free On Board :

• This is there in both Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.
• This is one of the mostly used Incoterm. 
• Exporter takes the responsibility from packing till all goods are loaded in to the vessel.
• Importer need not take care of the steps (including clearance or loading) involved in exporter's country.  
• FOB = FAS + Wharfage (loading)

______________________________________
Now let's see the Incoterms that start with letter 'C'. These incoterms do not talk about loading, offloading, import clearance, etc. These are just about cost of the fright and insurance of moving goods.

The next 2 terms (CFR and CIF) are exclusively for sea shipment like FAS and FOB. Sea shipment is given more importance as 90% of traded goods are moved through sea. 

5. CFR - Cost And Freight :

• This is there in both Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.
• Popularly called as C&F.
• Used only in Sea Shipment.
• The freight charges from exporter's port to the importer's port (destination) is paid by the exporter.
• As mentioned earlier, the Incoterms starting with letter 'C' are not associated with any loading, offloading, clearance, etc.

6. CIF - Cost Insurance and Freight :

• This is there in both Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.
• Used only in Sea Shipment.
• Exporter takes care of (pays for) the freight and insurance cost from source to destination.
• Insurance is mandatory for all shipments. In CIF, exporter pays for insurance, otherwise, importer pays.

7. CPT - Carriage Paid To :

• This is there in both Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.
• Similar to CFR, but used for other means of transport, like, road, rail, air, etc.
• Only Freight charges are paid by the exporter.

8. CIP - Carriage and Insurance Paid To :

• This is there in both Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.
• Similar to CIP, but used for other means of transport, like, road, rail, air, etc.
• Here, both freight and Insurance are paid by exporter.

Now, all Incoterms starting with letter 'C' are explained.
______________________________________

Let's move on to the 'D' terms.
The D group describes different methods of delivery of goods and represents the arrangements with the maximum amount of responsibility (both for costs and risks) to the seller, not the buyer. In these terms, the importer is safe - he is doing the activities in his country only. 

Here, let's write separately except the last one DDP which is there in both Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.

______________________________________
There are 5 terms starting with the letter 'D' in Incoterms 2000.  DES, DAF, DEQ,  DDU and DDP.
DDP is there in both Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.

9. DES - Delivered Ex Ship :   (Incoterms 2000)

• From exporter's place till the vessel reaches the importer's port, all activities are done by exporter.
• Here exporter does not take care of Offloading.

10. DAF - Delivered at Frontier :  (Incoterms 2000)

• DAF = DES + Wharfage (off-loading)
• Exporter takes the responsibility of the goods from packing till the vessel reaches the importer's port. The exporter also does the off-loading of goods.

11. DEQ - Delivered Ex Quay :    (Incoterms 2000)

• DEQ = DAF + Import Clearance
• Exporter takes the responsibility of goods till the importer's port, off-loads the goods, and does the clearance documentation at the importer's port.
  ( This is actually one of the least important incoterm)

12. DDU - Delivery Duty Unpaid :   (Incoterms 2000)

• According to this incoterm, the exporter delivers the goods at importer's place mentioned in the contract. But, exporter does not pay the duty charges.

______________________________________

In Incoterms 2010, there are only 3 terms. In the 2000 'D' terms, two of them, DES and DEQ are meant only for sea shipment. 

9. DAT - Delivered at Terminal: (Incoterms 2010)

• ‘Terminal’ can be any place – a quay, container yard, warehouse or transport hub.
• Risk transfers from seller to buyer when the goods have been unloaded.
• The buyer is responsible for import clearance and any applicable local taxes or import duties.
• The place for delivery should be specified as precisely as possible, as many ports and transport hubs are very large.
• Where Terminal Handling Charges may apply, the parties should clarify who should bear these.

 DAP - Delivered at Place : (Incoterms 2010)

• DAP = DAT + wharfage (offloading)
• The seller is responsible for arranging carriage and for delivering the goods, ready for unloading from the arriving conveyance, at the named place.   
• An important difference from Delivered At Terminal DAT, where the seller is responsible for unloading.
• Risk transfers from seller to buyer when the goods are available for unloading; so unloading is at the buyer’s risk.
• The buyer is responsible for import clearance and any applicable local taxes or import duties.
• This rule can often be used to replace the Incoterms 2000 rules Delivered At Frontier (DAF), Delivered Ex Ship (DES) and Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU)

______________________________________

Now, we move on to the last one - DDP. As said earlier, this is there in both Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.

11\13. DDP - Delivery Duty Paid :

• This is there in both Incoterms 2000 and Incoterms 2010.
• According to this incoterm, the exporter delivers the goods at importer's place mentioned in the sale contract. He packs, take it to port, does clearance documentation, load, takes care of freight, off-load goods at destination, does import clearance, pays custom duty, takes it to the importer.
• Exporter pays the custom duty charges as well. 
• It is more like door to door delivery.

________________________________________________________________________________

More Terms: 

Freight Prepaid    : Freight Charges are paid by Exporter - CFR, CIF

Freight Recollect : Freight Charges are paid by Importer - FOB

Ajmal Kasab's death & 4 Questions Raised !!!

Ajmal Kasab is been given capital punishment. And in FB and newspapers, we can see a variety of comments.

Some people praise Indian Govt. and says, he deserved it"

And I could see that in websites, social sites and news pages, some people who consider themselves as humanitarians raised few funny questions on Kasab's death. These questions made me write the below blog. 

A few of the questions raised by them are numbered from 1 to 4. 

(1) "Now, we are following the policy, eye for eye. Is that good?"

So, what do you want? Keep him in prison for long? Or make him understand the terror he has done and wait for him to repent?

He has been quoted saying in the court "I have done right, I have no regrets".. If released, such a person would not mind training more people against India for attacks similar to Mumbai 26/11.

(2) "He is very young and has a lot of years before him. He should be given time to think about the crime and repent." 

If he is not hanged, then history will be repeated by another Indian Airlines Flight 814 (Kandahar). The release of Kasab will be asked against another hijack series claiming more innocent lives... Are you sure that such a thing will not happen??? 

(3) "There is no need to spend a lot for his security. He should be put in normal prison and allowed to suffer"

Kasab is trained so well that he and his friends could take 150+ innocent lives within few hours and they could terrorize India, one of the biggest nations in such a horrible way. If such a man was kept in a normal prison with others, then he would easily come out of it. And it is sure that still there are many people in India who support the Indian enemies and the so called "Jihad". He would obviously get those Jihadis' help.

Okay.. We spent a lot of money on his security. But know, the money has not gone out of the country. It was distributed in the country itself as staff salary, purchase of security measures, etc. Yes, it was a big amount and could have been saved. But, the entire trial proved Pakistan's involvement in the case. And we proved that our judiciary is one of the best in the world. 

And from a certain group of people, here is the best comment about Ajmal Kasab's death.

(4) "Why is Indian Government hanging Kasab when Narendra Modi is still alive? What happened in Gujarat?"

Ok.. Guys, We are talking about Ajmal Kasab. Not Modi. 

Next... What happened in Gujarat?

In 2002, two incidents happened in Gujarat. The second one was an after-effect of first one. 

1. Godhra Train Burning Incident:

Feb 27, 2002: About 60 Hindu Pilgrims returning from UP in the Sabarmati Express were burnt alive near Godhra Railway station. 

How? 

The train was stopped using emergency stop button and 2 compartments were locked from outside and the radical Islamist mob set fire on those compartments. 

The violent mob supported by Municipal Councilor Haji Bilal did not allow firefighters to save those lives. Justice Tewatia’s Inquiry Commission in April 2002 established that the attack on the Sabarmati Express was preplanned and premeditated.

2. The communal violence and Naroda Patya Massacre:

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. And sometimes, the reaction is worse. The Godhra Train Burning incident triggered communal Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat. But, the violence was in big scale. 

Who were affected? About 1000 lives were taken. 

If you divide them as Hindus and Muslims, then, in the total incident, about 700+muslims and 250+ Hindus were killed. 200 people were reported as missing and thousands were injured.

And now, Modi is blamed for the incident... Yes, As a Chief Minister, he has the responsibility to take care of the security of his people. Modi's police made 21,563 preventive arrests. Army was called immediately. 

But other than that, How could they compare Modi to Ajmal Kasab, who terrorized the whole nation along with other terrorists? Kasab and other terrorists themselved fired 166 innocent lives. We have evidences, witnesses and video footage against Kasab.

If you do not have evidences against Modi, how can you say so?

So how did the blame on Modi started?

The citizens's panel who investigated the incident reported that one BJP Minister who testified about an evening meeting convened by Narendra Modi after Godhra train burning. At this meeting, officials were instructed not to obstruct the Hindu rage following the incident.

And Modi was criticized by the media in a large way. It was exaggerated as well. Even after all these criticisms, Modi won the 2007 election and continued his post as the Chief Minister Of Gujarat, he won with majority of votes of 122 seats out of 182 total assembly seats. Moreover, there have been no communal riots between Indian Muslims and Hindus since then in Gujarat. And Modi ruled the state from 2001 till 2012. 

And the recent report of Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team led by former CBI Chief R.K Raghavan gave clean chit to Gujarat government and noticed that Gujarat Police tried everything to prevent the riots.

So that means Modi is no longer to be blamed. But if you are not ready to accept what has happened, you continue blaming Modi though nothing is proved. 

Any kind of violence must be opposed, even if it is done in the name of religion. 

Here, the death of Muslims were considered as "genocide" where as no name was given to the death of Hindus. And Modi is blamed for Gujarat Incident. Worst is that he is compared to the demon Kasab. 

Anyways, leave all the madness, religious fanatic ideas... And put our country "India" before everything else..

JAI HIND!!!!!!

How to Pass Driving License Test in Dubai?

How to get UAE Driving license?
How to get Driving License in Dubai?

How to pass theory test? How to pass Parking test? How to pass Assesment Test? And finally, how to pass the so-called big road test?

I had all these in my mind when I joined EDI (Emirates Driving Institute) for my driving classes. First of all, EDI is very costly. because, when I joined, they told the classes cost around 60 AED for regular and 85 for Friday - Saturdays. But each additional class taken will cost you 105 AED. This was not known until I made my payment for additional classes.  I have no idea how Belhasa charges.

It is always good if you can choose the Main branch as your driving center. Because, in the final road test, you have to drive the car form the Main Institute and the roads you will pass by will be familiar if you learn it from the main branch itself.

When I joined, all the new rules were in practice. This included Highway learning, Night classes, all parking tests, etc.

1. Theory Test:

No need to worry. Attending theory classes are anyways mandatory . Then, just go through the book given by EDI (or any learning center).

EDI charges its students for a mock theory test. But, When I asked for it, they said, "It is not required that you have to take up the Mock theory test. But we'll charge you even if you attend or not attend". As I paid, I went to take up the mock test. That was a good decision.

The Mock test is prepared in the same way as the real theory test. And therefore, no surprises welcomed me on the real test date. In the mock test, answer the questions and it will show the marks and you can take up the test again. For half an hour, you can sit there and take up mock tests.

So, Theory test went well. And I scored pretty good marks in it. The test includes multiple - choice questions.

In RTA Website, you can find demonstration tests and other questions and answers.

2. Parking Test:

This involves 5 tests.

(1) Parallel Parking:

The instructor will help in teaching the Parallel Parking through 3 points. They'll make it understand by teaching when to turn the steering wheel to right, left, half-left, etc. Just keep those points in mind when you take up the Parking test.

(2) Garage Parking:

Again, instructor's points can make it simpler.

(3) 60 degree parking:

This is the easiest of all. No need of any points.

(4) Hill Test:

For people who are learning in Automatic vehicle, there is no big issue with Hill Test. It will be parked in an elevated (slanting) area. You have to take it up from that area without moving the vehicle down. Then, come back and Park in the same area.

(5) Emergency Braking:

You'll be asked to drive the car in 30 kmph through the driving centre Parking area. There are parallel lines (already marked with numbers) drawn across  road. And when your car gets the speed 30 kmph and pass one of those marked lines, driver shouts "STOP". You have to brake suddenly. It is to see your presence of mind and quickness in stopping the vehicle. Now, they'll see how much distance you travelled after shouting "STOP". This is calculated from those marked lines.

3. Assessment Test:

Once you complete your theory classes, you take up the theory test. Then, driving classes are given. It includes road classes and Parking classes. And after few Parking classes, you can take up the Parking Test. Once you finish Parking test, you can book yourself for an Assessment test. This is very similar to the Road test.

Assessment Test is conducted by the driving institute.

Points to note:

(1) Be cool. If you are tensed, you are going to make mistakes.

(2) Try to smile at the instructor when you are called. And if possible, initiate a small talk. 

Make sure that you can see properly through both the mirrors. You have to make sure that the instructor notices what you are doing. Also confirm that the seat and steering position is right for you - You should be able to reach brakes and accelerator without leaning very forward. You should not be very close to the steering.

(3) At the signal - red color: If you are the first or second car, just apply brakes and wait. Otherwise, change the gear to neutral very confidently. And keep your hand on the gear and be ready to change it when the signal changes.

(4) If you pass near by any person who is walking on the road, be very careful. Try to maintain a good distance from them.

(5) If the instructor applies brakes or correct the steering wheel, you are failed in the assessment test. Make sure that does not happen.

(6) Know the speed limits of the road.

(7) Changing the lane: If instructor asks you to change the lane, make sure that you first look at the mirrors to see if lane change can happen. If any car's coming in that lane, don't change immediately. The instructor will appreciate your decision. While checking mirrors, first check rear view mirror, then side mirror. If everything okay, put indicator. After that, go for a shoulder check. Only after shoulder check, you should move your car to the next lane. And when you move, move fast. Even if the road is empty, the check has to be done and make sure that the instructor notices your actions.

(8) Know the round-about rule. Make sure that you are in the correct lane while taking a u-turn or left-turn from round about. If any car coming from your left-side, please do not enter the round-about.

(9) T - Junction - While getting in to a main road from a small road: Even if you can see the whole road empty, please pause for about 5 seconds, check (in an obvious manner) and confirm that no car comes, then, move. In all these cases, make sure that you put the correct indicator.

(10) If you see any car stopped on your road, please put hazard lights to communicate to the car behind you that you have stopped. Impress your instructor well.

4. Night Classes:

If you are a lady, you do not need to attend night classes. It is not mandatory for ladies. For others, it is a must.

5. Simulation:

You are charged for this in EDI.

You'll be taken to one small yard where they have a replicated a road scenario. It has traffic lamps, Parking lots,  round-a bouts.

First, make sure that you understand the rule of round-about.

You have to drive the car through this yard for about 30 minutes. No instructor will sit with you. Like an ATC (Air Traffic controller), one person sits on the nearby building watching you drive. The car has a speaker and a microphone. The "controller" will correct you if you make any mistakes. He will also giv instructions on what has to be done - like, he may ask you to park the car and try going through the round about, etc.

Take this seriously because it is a very nice experience and no success-failure in it. 

6. Road Test:

Very similar to the assessment test. See the points above.

This test is conducted by RTA personnel.

7. Highway Classes:

Once you get your driving license, you have to take up this class. The instructor will sit near by and you have to drive through the high way. This is a very good one and it boosts the confidence of the driver. Till this time, the classes and tests where conducted by speeding up to 40 or 60 or 80kmph. And now, you get a chance to drive up to 120 kmph.

Once you finish the Highway Classes, the driving license is all yours.

#HowToGetDubaiDrivingLicense
#DubaiDrivingLicense
#UAEDrivingLicense

Sharjah Book Fair & Free Book Thamashas

Sharjah Book Fair has already started and has about 900+ publishers participating in it. It is happening at Sharjah Expo, near AlTawun Mall. Many well known authors from India including Arundathi Roy, Benyamin, Sethu have participated in this year's fair.

Fair Dates: Nov 7 till 17. Time: 10 am to 10 pm and on Fridays, 4 pm to 10 pm.
(Try to give a visit...)

Hall No.5 and Indian Publishers

Last week, I went for the fair and directly walked into Hall No. 5 where the Indian Publishers have kept their stalls. The India stall area was crowded. When I entered, the first thing I saw was the stalls of DC Books and Penguin Books. I was very happy to find the stalls crowded with people of all age. It included children, grand mothers and all of them were very enthusiastic. There were Amar Chitra Kathas (in English and Malayalam) which were welcomes by children and adults warmly. I overheard the conversation of a boy who looked like as if he is 9 or 10 to his mother which was as below.

"Mom, How many Amar Chithra kathas can I take? And I'm so confused now which one to take. Can you help me..?
"Sure.. First you select and then, lets sort later"
"Hey... Mammaa... You know the story you told me last week is here - the Shakunthala's. I'm ging to keep one for myself"

Okay.. So what is there in the conversation?

1. When I was 9 or 10, I have read Amar Chitra Kathas, Panchathanthras and all as if I was participating in a reading competition. That was the enthusiasm I had over stories and books. Here also, I could feel the same enthusiasm. Kudos to that child and his parents.

2. My Great Grand Mother (whom I called Muthassi) had told many stories to me when I was a child. She used to start this way "There lived a King who was...." or "Once upon a time, there was a fox who could..." or "Years ago, there was a small child named as Prahlad who..." or "There was a crow who was so greedy and wished to...". This helped us to fly in an imaginative world where I drew and painted all these characters... But my cousins, who are 10 years younger to me did not hear much stories. But they have seen Pokemon and has played Bey Blades. And here, also I could see that story telling has not completely gone from our houses. That child's mother tells him stories. Wow!!! That's good.

Similar to this, I (over)heard many conversations. Some people even asked me to suggest a book for them. I had a chat with many others while standing on the queue for the billing who shared with me the recent books they have read. Overall, it was a good experience.

Once out of the DC and Penguin books stalls, there were many other small stalls which sold books in English, Malayalam, Hindi, Arabic and few other regional languages. There were many books for children including stories, books of antonyms, grammar books, drawing books, etc.

But, for every good, there should be a bad thing as well.
And here is that...

A "free" book from Sharjah Book Fair.

I was walking through the stalls and there were few men standing with some books in their hand. One of them offered me a book which he told has "truth" inside. First, I said "No, Thanks". But he insisted me to read that book and gave me one. I was about to reach my purse when he told that the book is "free". Then he told me to read the book completely and not to put it in waste basket. So I just replied, "So you think that this book is not worthy to fit my bookshelf? Then, why do you offer me?". Then he said, " Read it completely. And think about it. You may change completely".

The book is in Malayalam and named as "Mokshathinte margam " (മോക്ഷത്തിന്റെ മാര്‍ഗ്ഗം)  written by M.M.Akbar published by "Niche of Truth ".
I read the entire book and thought over it. It was so hard to find any truth in it. But there was something which I could find - "Few narrow minded people are trying hard to shatter the religious harmony among Indians through these "free" "(non-)truth" books.."

So what's there in the book?
It talks about religion and few ideas from the 3 main religions in India - Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.

In the preface itself, the book says that there is a creator for the whole world who has given Quran. And some people do not realise and therefore, Niche of Truth tries to propogate it.

Before I get in to the topics dealt in the book, let me try to tell you a story which you know already. Everyone know what Ramayana is... Let's say there are few who have not even read or heard The Ramayana in their life. So I'm here to say the story of Ramayana in few sentences to them. Here is it:

"There was a King Dhasaratha who had 4 sons. One day Rama was asked to go to exile for 14 years by Dasaratha due to the pressure from one of his Queen and Rama went to the forest with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman. Then, he went to Lankapuri, a wealthy and beautiful land, which was ruled by  Ravana who was a Brahmin by birth. Rama fought with Ravana and killed him. Then after exile, he comes back and ruled his father's kingdom."

And then I ask a question to my listeners of Ramayana "See.. how cruel Rama is ... He killed the King of a wealthy Land. He must be the greedy king who the history has ever seen.. And people call him "Purushothaman" which means the best Purushan (man). And some people even bow before him...

There was no mention of Ravana kidnapping Sita. There is no mention of the Ravana's rule in his kingdom.

So now, there are 4 main types of listeners for any story.

1. The ones who are hearing the story for the firt time and takes in what the nicely spoken person says.
2. The ones who heard the story for the first time, get the real story from some one but, still not willing to accept the real story as their master or friend has told the other way.
3. The ones who heard the story for the first time but does a proper research and tries to know if the said thing is true. And accepts the real truth.
4. The ones who already knew the real story.

Why did I say this before getting in to the contents of "Mokshathinte Margam"?

Because I belong to the 3rd category of listeners. I'm not a big follower of any book and I believe that all books are for good. I don't like to grab and swallow just one book and preach about it. I believe knowledge is vast. I believe that Free thinking is required and accept what you like and discard what you do not.

I think my dad belong to Category 4. With a sarcastic smile, he rejected the book and told me " And after reading this free book, you'll come to know that it is stupid and you have wasted your time.

Yes. It was indeed stupid and was a waste of time. But, I'm wasting more time here to warn others about such a book.

Okay.. Now we'll get into the contents of the 59 page - book  in few words.

It first says about the "Other world" (Para lokam) or Heaven from verses taken from Hinduic scriptures, the Bible and the Quran. Next, it talks about the messengers and they directly get in to the last messenger.

First, from Hinduic Scriptures, the author have chosen Bhavishya Purana (which means future of the history), which is one among the 18 Puranas. He says that there is a mention of Islamic Prophet Mohammed. He is called as Mahamada in it. The author first talk about the first line in which the name Mahamada appears. Then, he says that Mahamada is Mohammed, the Islamic Prophet.
Then, he takes another few lines from the same Purana which talks about the characteristics of his followers  But, in the translation, he wisely omits few words like "Paisachya" and includes few other words like "Swine". Also note that he jumped from the first 2 lines to the verses which says the characteristics.

Simlar kind of translations were hear from Zakir Naik, the biggest lier of the century.

If he really believes in Bhavishya Purana, then it says that the King BhojaRaj and Mahamada (Prophet as per M.M. Akbar, The Niche of "Non-Truth", Zakir Naik and few others) worshipped Shiva Linga in the desert. Shiva says that there is a land contaminated by "Mlechhas" (wicked, non-Aryan) where no dharma exists. A demon named Tripura who was burnt to ashes has come again there as Mahamada is now doing demon-like activities. There is a city of pilgrimage known as Madina. The illusion-expert (may be Maya) Mahamada then tells Bhojaraj that Bhojaraj's religion is the best but still, I'm going to establish a terrible and demoniac religion by the order of the Lord. he symptoms of my followers will be that they first of all will cut their genitals, have
no shikha, but having beard, be wicked, make noise loudly and eat everything. They should eat animals without performing any rituals. This is my opinion.They will be called as musalman, the corrupter of religion. He told that demonoic religion wil be founded by himself and ghost (Mahamada) went back.

But as per M.M. Akbar, Mahamada finds a religions which has good dharma and his followers cut genitals, grow beard and eat everything except Swine. (Where did this Swine come from????? huh...)

In my research, I heard one lecture which said that these lines are added later to Bhavishya Puranam. But, no evidence with me. If the verses are written by Revered Veda Vyasa, he must be a great person who predicted all these 5000+ years ago.

Now the listeners of category 1 and 2 are very happy about the translation in 'Mokshathinte Margam' and continues to believe in whatever the author says. They are more happy to hear that 5000 years ago the revered Vyasa muni has told about Islam and Prophet.

And now M.M. Akbar says that the same Prophet is mentioned in Vishnu Purana as "Kalki" who is the incarnation of Vishnu.

Then M.M. Akbar tries to translate Bible in the way he likes.

Wow!!!!!!!!!
And next, he talks about all good things about Prophet and Islam. Then one heading is about Quran. He mention that it is the best book (He mention it as ലക്ഷണ യുക്തമായ വേദ ഗ്രന്‍ഥം).

Then he talks about the concept of Monotheism and ideas from different religions. Again, he has quotes from Hinduic scriptures, Bible before he get into Islam. From Hinduic scriptures, he uses one Sloka from Rig Veda, three or four from Swethasthorapanishad and one from Mundakopanishad and so on.. From Bible, he has explanations for few lines from both the new and old testaments. Then he go on explaining about the prayer style followed in Islam supported by Few Quranic verses.

To understand the real meaning of most of the Slokas, you have to know the situation. Not just for Slokas, it is applicable for books, movies, etc. The situation is explained in the preceding verses. But for M.M. Akbar, it is not like that. He never talks about situation and just about the verse and tries to point that the verse is wrong or he misinterprets the verse. Category 1 and 2 listeners are satisfied!!!!!!

To understand Monotheism in Hinduism, the concept of Brahman in Hinduism, the idol worshipping and the reason behind it, Mr. M.M. Akbar has to grow from the land of lies and mistakes. Sanathana Dharma followed by Hindus believe that God Brahman cannot be described. But, the God's essence is there in every creature - living or non-living - in this world. In few people, "Daivikathwam" or God-factor is high. When you believe that you'll never harm any other creature. And if you do pooja (prayers) to any idol whom you consider as Brahman with sincerity and goodness, it reaches real Brahman.

Anyways, Im sure about one thing.
M.M. Akbar is one person who strongly believes in Vedas and Puranas. Because, to talk about Prophet, he took support from Puranas though he misinterpreted them.

M.M. Akbar has heard Zakir Naik's lectures and took those few verses which Zakir Naik said. He has not read any Veda or Upanishad mentioned and he has no idea about Sanskrit. Instead, copied and pasted from somewhere to come to his conclusion.

എന്റെ പൊന്നു എം. എം. അക്ബര്‍ സാറേ... ഇങ്ങനെ മതം പരത്താന്‍ ഇതെന്താ മത്സരമാണോ? അതിനു നുണകളുടെ കൂട്ട് വേണമോ? കഷ്ടം..

And dear brother who has given me the book and asked me to read and think over it,
I read the book completely and thought over it. If I get a chance to rename this book, then I would rename "മോക്ഷത്തിന്റെ മാര്‍ഗ്ഗം " as "തെറ്റിദ്ധാരണ പരത്തുന്ന മാര്‍ഗ്ഗം", "എങ്ങിനെ കല്ലു വെച്ച നുണ പറയാം ?"

I believe that words are sharper than sword and therefore it has to be used diligently.
Book Fairs helps in promoting the reading habit but, there are few people who tries to use it the other way.

Beware!!!!!

I may not be liked by category 1 and 2 listeners as they might have read or heard the verse 9:29 from Quran which says, "Fight those from among the people of the Book, who believe not in ALLAH, nor in the Last Day, nor hold as unlawful what ALLAH and HIS Messenger have declared to be unlawful, nor follow the true religion, until they pay the tax considering it a favour and acknowledge their subjection." because I do not call my God as Allah but follow the true Sanathana Dharma and do not believe in messenger or last judgement day"