Today we are completing exactly our four weeks stay in India. It has been full of experiences since then. I don't even remember how many times, I have visited to people's office to get small things done; how many times I have got shocked that they actually don't work or bother; how many times I have realized that the procedures should have been simplified 50 years back and so on. Now I am getting used to visiting people's office, writing notes(applications), getting simple things done on crooked way etc. These does not bother me, if the system is such, we have to follow. However, today something noteworthy happened and I would like to know from my readers what should be done regarding this.
The story goes like this: When I joined this institute, I had a regular position offer and a fellowship offer. I wanted to join the regular job but wanted to keep my fellowships contingency(this is a valid option) since the salary offered by the job was substantially higher than the fellowship. But the admin office said me unless I complete the medical test, I can't join the regular job, so I have to join as a fellow and I can change it to the regular position only after the medical test is done. That was fine with me and I thought medical test should be going to be a one day trip to medical and that is it. But that is not quite what happens here. The office admin sends a tattered paper to a place called Swasthya Bhavan ( A govt. agency) by post. Once that letter received at that place, they will send another letter to you to your office address specifying a date for medical test to be done at a state run medical college. But before that one has to complete a number of tests at a separate clinics and bring in all the reports to the board. It sounded weird to me in the first place. I waited for this letter from Swasthya Bhavan to arrive but it never came in 15 days. So, we set off to salt lake to Swasthya bhavan to find out what is happeneing. As ususal, govt. office, all are either yawning, playing games with the computer or not there at their desk. Everybody looks extremely bored. We were tossed from one place to another in search of the place that can tell us the section that deals with such things. Finally after few rounds we reached at the right place! But alas, the right person was not there. Someone looked into our eyes and in a cold blooded manner said that he is expected to come in 2 hours. Damn we said to ourselves, since it was already 3.30 PM, in 2 hours it is bye bye time. In any case, we decided to wait, then suddenly saw a weak man sitting leaning over a pile of paper and looking intently into it. Out of curiosity we asked him what was he doing? And then it turned out that actually he is the one that deals with my types of papers. We asked him about ours, and bearing a bored countenance he pulled out a thick file and searched. My letter was there in the bottom ( The ones that come first gets to the bottom). Then he kindly replied us that he has sent the letter a day back and that should reach us in sometime.
A week later, I got that letter from despatch, looked into the requirements. It asked us to do urine exam, chest exam, eye test and carry all the reports and appear before a board on 24th August. We did the needful, another day off for me! Getting the reports back is again another days work.In any case, going to the medical board happened exactly a month after I joined (that is today).
We had a scientist joined day before yesterday. He was from some University in DC. He said his medical exam was not done and IB clearance was not done, but he was being able to join the institute. Surprise for us, many thought may be they have changed the rules in a months time. Today at the stae run medical waiting room, I discovered him. I was shocked. I thought to myself, he may have been confused and instead of Swasthya Bhavan he may have landed here. SO, I went and was trying to talk with him asking whether he needed to go elsewhere. Then he said a firm 'no', the office issued a letter to Swasthya Bhavan and he took it along and got the dates for today and did the medical tests the same day (all in just one day!!!). It sounded impossible in Kolkata since I have heard from other scientists that it took atleast 2 months to complete everything. I was admiring him and was thinking he must be really a smart guy to have gotten those lazy asses work for him in a few minutes. Then the waiting began for the medical board. The medical board constitutes 3 doctors and a helper. They are suppose to see all the reports and ask additional questions to make sure you are physically fit. I thought there may be some order in which they will call people (i.e first one first) and was expecting them to call me first. But to my surprise, they called that guy first and my name followed immediately after him. When my turn came, I saw his papers lying on the table (since he was done) and one of the doctors got a phone call. After the call ended, the doctor informed the rest of the people indicating that fellow's file that "He is commissioner's son in-law". Then I saw very pleasant smile on all others faces which was indicating their inner happiness to have served the "prince". Now everything started making sense to me. For him, there are no rules, no queues. He can break the rule and break the queue and as a result, the genuine people get pushed back. I don't think I am going to leave this here. I may take it to the next level and let everyone know about it.
The guilt of my inability to do anything or raise voice against such actions got partially erased when I did something today fearlessly. This may even cost my hard earned medical report go awry. Shocking as it may sound, one of the doctors in the exam room was continuously smoking. The exam room and the waiting area was getting stuffy with that. I could not stop myself from telling him that he should not be smoking there harming everyone around. While saying that, I was fully aware that I know no commissioner, they may as well screw up my medical report and make me do everything all over again or may declare me misfit for the job. But I chose to speak out and he finally said sorry. I am hoping next time when he lits his cigar in a packed room he will think twice....
Coming back to the earlier chapter about my colleague, I would like to know what should be done to stop such queue jumping.
The story goes like this: When I joined this institute, I had a regular position offer and a fellowship offer. I wanted to join the regular job but wanted to keep my fellowships contingency(this is a valid option) since the salary offered by the job was substantially higher than the fellowship. But the admin office said me unless I complete the medical test, I can't join the regular job, so I have to join as a fellow and I can change it to the regular position only after the medical test is done. That was fine with me and I thought medical test should be going to be a one day trip to medical and that is it. But that is not quite what happens here. The office admin sends a tattered paper to a place called Swasthya Bhavan ( A govt. agency) by post. Once that letter received at that place, they will send another letter to you to your office address specifying a date for medical test to be done at a state run medical college. But before that one has to complete a number of tests at a separate clinics and bring in all the reports to the board. It sounded weird to me in the first place. I waited for this letter from Swasthya Bhavan to arrive but it never came in 15 days. So, we set off to salt lake to Swasthya bhavan to find out what is happeneing. As ususal, govt. office, all are either yawning, playing games with the computer or not there at their desk. Everybody looks extremely bored. We were tossed from one place to another in search of the place that can tell us the section that deals with such things. Finally after few rounds we reached at the right place! But alas, the right person was not there. Someone looked into our eyes and in a cold blooded manner said that he is expected to come in 2 hours. Damn we said to ourselves, since it was already 3.30 PM, in 2 hours it is bye bye time. In any case, we decided to wait, then suddenly saw a weak man sitting leaning over a pile of paper and looking intently into it. Out of curiosity we asked him what was he doing? And then it turned out that actually he is the one that deals with my types of papers. We asked him about ours, and bearing a bored countenance he pulled out a thick file and searched. My letter was there in the bottom ( The ones that come first gets to the bottom). Then he kindly replied us that he has sent the letter a day back and that should reach us in sometime.
A week later, I got that letter from despatch, looked into the requirements. It asked us to do urine exam, chest exam, eye test and carry all the reports and appear before a board on 24th August. We did the needful, another day off for me! Getting the reports back is again another days work.In any case, going to the medical board happened exactly a month after I joined (that is today).
We had a scientist joined day before yesterday. He was from some University in DC. He said his medical exam was not done and IB clearance was not done, but he was being able to join the institute. Surprise for us, many thought may be they have changed the rules in a months time. Today at the stae run medical waiting room, I discovered him. I was shocked. I thought to myself, he may have been confused and instead of Swasthya Bhavan he may have landed here. SO, I went and was trying to talk with him asking whether he needed to go elsewhere. Then he said a firm 'no', the office issued a letter to Swasthya Bhavan and he took it along and got the dates for today and did the medical tests the same day (all in just one day!!!). It sounded impossible in Kolkata since I have heard from other scientists that it took atleast 2 months to complete everything. I was admiring him and was thinking he must be really a smart guy to have gotten those lazy asses work for him in a few minutes. Then the waiting began for the medical board. The medical board constitutes 3 doctors and a helper. They are suppose to see all the reports and ask additional questions to make sure you are physically fit. I thought there may be some order in which they will call people (i.e first one first) and was expecting them to call me first. But to my surprise, they called that guy first and my name followed immediately after him. When my turn came, I saw his papers lying on the table (since he was done) and one of the doctors got a phone call. After the call ended, the doctor informed the rest of the people indicating that fellow's file that "He is commissioner's son in-law". Then I saw very pleasant smile on all others faces which was indicating their inner happiness to have served the "prince". Now everything started making sense to me. For him, there are no rules, no queues. He can break the rule and break the queue and as a result, the genuine people get pushed back. I don't think I am going to leave this here. I may take it to the next level and let everyone know about it.
The guilt of my inability to do anything or raise voice against such actions got partially erased when I did something today fearlessly. This may even cost my hard earned medical report go awry. Shocking as it may sound, one of the doctors in the exam room was continuously smoking. The exam room and the waiting area was getting stuffy with that. I could not stop myself from telling him that he should not be smoking there harming everyone around. While saying that, I was fully aware that I know no commissioner, they may as well screw up my medical report and make me do everything all over again or may declare me misfit for the job. But I chose to speak out and he finally said sorry. I am hoping next time when he lits his cigar in a packed room he will think twice....
Coming back to the earlier chapter about my colleague, I would like to know what should be done to stop such queue jumping.
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