No More 3G Service From Vodafone, Idea And Airtel

The Government has asked Vodafone, Idea and Airtel to stop their 3G services in circles where they don't hold the license to provide 3G service. These three mobile operators are the main players in the private mobile operators arena and the Court Order has struck them by surprise. Basically these three operators came to an agreement to share 3G services. For eg: In kerala Idea and Docomo holds the spectrum license. So Idea will share its service with Vodafone and Airtel. Similar is the case in all circle, that has stopped now.

Here is my experience with Vodafone 3G in Kerala. I am a regular user of 3G service and I recharge for it every month. When my 3G offer was finished for last month, I went to Vodafone website to see the recharge options. I saw that all 3G offers were taken down and all 2G offers were hiked with a minimal rise of 50%. I normally recharge with Rs.104 for 300MB 3G for 1 month. Now I am asked to recharge for Rs.149 for 1.25GB of 2G for 1 month. How dare they raise the price like this.

I called the customer care and asked for an explanation. The answer I got was, "Government has asked us to stop using Idea's 3G network, so new users won't be given 3G service". I am an old user and I should get 3G service, said the executive. But I am not. Now I am forced to port to Idea to avail 3G service. So to all Vodafone, Idea and Airtel users, you are not going to get 3G service if your mobile operator is using other network's 3G, that is the bottom line.

Mumbai Police Malayalam Movie Review

Yesterday I went to watch Mumbai Police at Coronation, Kozhikode. Mumbai Police is a star studded film with Prithviraj, Jayasurya and Rehman in the lead role. It is a thriller. Unlike the police stories we have seen to date, Mumbai Police has a story to tell which none has narrated before. The script is flawless from Bobby and Sanjay. Roshan Andrews has done justice to his talent in direction and the background score by Gopi Sundar is refreshing.

Now going back to review the film as a whole. It is a thriller with a thrilling suspense at the end. No love, no shit comedy and no fuss, straight to the point. The movie sometimes drags slowly especially in the first half but gains speed towards the end. The guts shown by Prithviraj to do a role like this is commendable. He has done it perfectly. Prithviraj, Jayasurya and Rehman are Police officers and friends in their personal life and the story revolves around their friendship.

The movie starts with an accident to Prithviraj and from there the film roles back n forth from past to present. The story and the suspense at the end is the base of this film. Even though I felt boring and sleepy in the first half, it is worth the Rs.60 I spent. It is an above average film. My rating would be 6.5/10 (9/10 is the mark I will give for a perfect movie).

Average Cost of Angioplasty Heart Surgery In India

Angioplasty is basically the technique of mechanically widening narrowed or obstructed arteries. An empty and collapsed balloon on a guide wire is passed into the narrowed locations and then inflated to a fixed size using water pressures some 75 to 500 times normal blood pressure. The balloon forces expansion of the inner white blood cell/clot plaque deposits and the surrounding muscular wall, opening up the blood vessel for improved blood flow, and the balloon is then deflated and withdrawn. A stent may or may not be inserted at the time of ballooning to ensure the vessel remains open. It is the quality of the stent which determines 50% of the price. 

Angioplasty stents are available at a variety of costs starting from Rs.20,000 to 1 Lakh and above. Before the surgery, the patient will be given option to choose from different stent choices for eg: Rs.20,000 stent or Rs.50,000 or Rs.65,000. The total cost of the surgery depends on which stent you use. Other expenses such as fees for medicines, equipment and Doctor's fees will come around Rs.50,000. 

In a nutshell, you will have to be ready with at least 1 Lakh rupees before going for the surgery. This amount is an average amount, it may vary according to the hospital standards. Make sure that you have good communication with your doctor, in most cases angioplasty can be avoided with some medication and exercise. I am not saying that you can get away all the time, you have a benchmark and if you are below it, you can try some alternative methods. That is why I said, communication with your doctor is very important.Angioplasty is not a major surgery and the patient can leave the hospital after 3-4 days.

Sim Card Rejected After Entering Wrong PUK Code

Does your phone show "Sim card rejected" message after entering wrong PUK code. Then you are in trouble mate. You have two ways to get out of this.

1. Switch off the phone, remove the sim and install it again. Now switch on and see whether it asks for PUK code. If it is asking for PUK code, call the customer care, get the code and enter it.

2. Get a new sim card with the same number. Go to a retail store with the same ID proof used for the existing number, provide the details and get the new sim card. This probably will be the only option that will work . I just mentioned the first one for the sake of trying.

Recruitment And Selection

3.1  Recruitment

           Recruitment is the generalizing of applications or applicants for specific positions to be filled up in the organization. In other words, it is a process of searching for and obtaining applicants for job so that the right people in right number can be selected.

According to Edwin Flippo,

           “Recruitment is the process of searching the prospective employees and simulating them to apply for the jobs in an organization”.

  According to Bergmann and Taylor,

           “Recruitment is the process of locating, identifying and attracting capable applicants”.

3.2 Principle of recruitment policy

Every organization must establish acceptable recruitment policy must follow the under mentioned principles,

1. Recruitment of personnel for the whole organization should be     centralized. Personnel department may be charged with his responsibilities.    Internal and external sources of recruitment should be given due importance.

2. In establishing the recruitment policy for the organization, the recruitment policy followed in similar organization and in government undertaking should be thoroughly considered.

3. Stationary provisions regarding recruitment of personnel should also be given proper consideration.

4. The recruitment policy should be elastic, so that it may be amended suitably to achieve the organizational objectives.

5. Recruitment policy should be within the organizational policy.

6. Rules regarding recruitment of existing employees should be very clear.

7. The qualifications of the applicants should co-inside the job specification.

8. Merit should be the basis of recruitment and other considerations like friendship, relations etc should be ignored.

3.3 Sources of recruitment

The sources of recruitment may be classified as follows, 

                                             Sources of recruitment

 

 

                 Internal sources                                          External sources

    1.    Transfer                                                 1.  Advertisement 

    2.    Promotion                                              2.  Employment exchange

    3.    Present employees                                3.  Employee referrals

                                                                          4.  Campus recruitment

                                                                           5.  Jobbers or contractors

                                                                           6.  Unsolicited applicants

Internal sources:

1. Transfer: 

           

             Transfer off an employee of an organization from one workplace to another may be used as a source of recruitment to meet personal demand at the place to which the employee transferred.

2. Promotion:

Promotion means appointing an employee to duties and authority of the employee concerned as also his emoluments; it does not alter the number and kinds of employees of the enterprise. Promotion may be based on seniority as merit employees.

3. Present employees:

             It is an internal source of recruitment of personnel. In the enterprise may be asked to recommend then friends and relatives for employment.

It will not only keep employees happy and in high morale, but also ensure recruitment of competent and sincere persons.

External sources

 Advertisement

                           Advertisement is perhaps the most widely used method for generating many applications. This is because its reach is very high. This method of recruitment can be used for job like clerical, technical and management.

Employment exchange

            An employment exchange is an office set up by the government for bringing together as quickly as possible those men who are in search of employment and those employers who are looking for men .Employment exchanges registered unemployed people and maintain the record of their names and qualification etc.

     Employee reference

             This is an important source of recruitment. The existing employees refer their family member friends, and relatives to the company potential candidates for the vacancies to be filled up in the organization.

Campus recruitment

             Campus recruitment is a common phenomenon particularly in the American organizations and nowadays in our country also. Some organizations such as HLL, HCL, WIPRO, IBM, L&T, Reliance etc, in India have started visiting campuses for recruitment purpose.

Jobbers or contracts

                          In many industries workers are recruited through contractors who are themselves the employees of these organizations.

Unsolicited applicants

               These are persons who gather at the factory gates to serve as causal workers or who send in the application without any invitation from the factory.

3.4 Selection

Selection is a process, by which candidates for employment are divided in to two classes,

·         Those who are to be offered employment and

·         Those who are not.

Selection of employees is a decision-making process where the management desires certain norms and principles on the basis of which discrimination between qualified and unqualified candidates can be made.

 In the opinion of koontz,

            “Selection is the process of choosing from among the candidates from within the organization or from the outside, the most suitable person for the current position or for the future position “.

3.5 Principles of selection policy

An ideal selection policy should be based on the following principles,

1. The responsibility for the selection of employees should be assigned to an efficient and qualified based, so the right man can be selected.

2. Job first; man next; should be the basic and fundamental principle for selection.

3. Selection should be from internal as well as external sources and the management should not rely much on the single source.

4. Selection should be based on standards as set out by job analysis.

5. The different selection methods for different levels of post should be followed.

6.  The selection policy should not surpass the organizational general policy. It should be with in the frame work.

7. The selection policy of the organization should flexible not rigid so that necessary amendments may be made whenever necessary.

8. The selection policy should commensurate the employment policy of the state.

9. The selection policy should provide guidelines to the perspective candidates.

10. The selection policy should be based and employment oriented.

3.6 Difference between Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment	Selection
Recruitment technically precedes selection.	Selection follows recruitment
Recruitment refers to the process of identifying and encouraging potential candidates to apply for jobs in the organization.	Selection involves choosing the best out of those recruited.
Recruitment is positive as it aims at increasing the number of job seekers for wider choice or increasing the selection ratio.	Selection is negative in its application in as much as it rejects a large number of unqualified applications in order who are suitable for job.
Recruitment involves searching.	Selection involves comparing those already searched.

3.8 Procedure for selection (or) selection process

Selection

            Selection is the process of choosing the right person for right job, at right time and at right place. Selection follow recruitment, it is the managerial decision process so as to predict which job applicant will be successful if hired.

Selection – process

            There can be no standard procedure to select different types of employees. Selection procedures differ from job to job, and from organization to organization.

An attempt is made to list down the various procedures in selecting the employees for various jobs.

Selection procedure or process

Step 1: Advertisement.

Step 2: Preliminary Screening.

Step 3: Issuing Application Blank.

Step 4: Selection Tests

.

Step 5: Employment Interview.

Step 6: Checking of Reference.

Step 7: Physical / Medical Exam.

Step 8: Final Approval.

Step 9: Selection.

Advertisement and Receiving Application:

           

            Most of the organization follows advertisement in either print (Newspaper / Journal) or board cast (Radio or Television) or through websites to inform the general public about the vacancies raised in the organization.

            Once the applicants apply for the post in an organization, the second step starts, i.e., the purpose of giving advertisement is to receive as many applications as possible, so that the second process “preliminary screening” can eliminate more number to select suitable applications. 

Preliminary Screening

            The purpose of Preliminary Screening is to eliminate the totally unsuitable candidates.

            Though the purpose is similar, Preliminary Screening screen / eliminates the application form and preliminary interview eliminates the applicants in person.

            The applicants are eliminated in terms of job requirements. The factors normally considered are:

·    Age

·    Sex

·    Qualification

·    Experience etc.,

It helps to determine the deserved candidates to issue, “Application Blank”.

            It helps the organization to save the expense of processing unsuitable candidates and also helps the candidates to be free from the trouble of passing through the long procedure.

            Preliminary interview provides basic information about candidates.

Application Bank

            Application Blank is normally issued to those candidates who got through preliminary screening.

Application Blank is the unique and permanent record of the candidates,

·         Education

·         Age

·         Date of birth

·         Experience

·         Interest etc., in his own hand writing.

            It provides sample scope to decide the candidate’s suitability.

It serves the basic for other steps in selection such as Selection tests, Interview etc,

As far as possible application blank should be brief and simple.

Selection Test

            Selection tests are used as the best instrument for reducing large number of candidates.

Initially it was used to measure the needed skills and abilities. Now in large scale organization, it is being used to measure skills as well as to eliminate large candidates.

Several tests used in practice are,

·         Aptitude test

·         Proficiency test

·         Intelligence test

·         Personality test etc.

Employment Interview

            This is most complex and difficult part of the selection. The purpose of this interview is to determine the suitability of the applicant for the job. The interview must be conducted in a friendly atmosphere and the candidate must be made to feel at ease.

The candidates should also be given a chance to ask questions to satisfy him self regarding the history of the concern, future prospects, salary offered and nature of job etc. 

References

            Employers generally provide a column in the application blank for references.

      The applicant crosses all the above hurdles and investigation may be made on the references supplied by the applicant regarding,

·         personal reputation,

·         Past employment,

·         Education,

·         Character, etc.

Medical Examination

            In almost all the companies in India, Medical examination is a part of selection process. It is conducted before the final decision has been made to select the candidates.

It is very important because a person of poor health may generally be absent from work and the training given to him may go waste. A person suffering from any disease may spread it amongst other workers.

A through physical exam is also essential to be sure that the candidate is able to handle the job efficiently.

Final Selection

            It is a candidate successfully over comes all the obstacles are test given above he could be declared selected and appointment order will be given to him, monitoring the terms of,

·         Appointment,

·         Pay – scales,

·         Post on which selected etc.

3.9 Tests

           

            It is used as a best instrument for reducing a large number of candidates. It is used to measure the needed skills and abilities.

The important tests are as follows:

1.            Aptitude test.

2.            Intelligence test.

3.            Interest test.

4.            Knowledge test.

5.            Projective test.

6.            Personality test.

7.            Judgments test.

8.            Dexterity test.

Aptitude test:

           

            Such tests are designed to measure the aptitude of candidates and their capacity to learn the skills required on a particular job. Now-a-days these kinds of tests are used to select the candidates for software industry in India.

Intelligence test

            It is aimed to test the mental capacity. It measures the individual learning ability to grasp or understand instructions and also ability to reason and make judgment. There are verbal and non-verbal intelligence tests.

Interest test

            It helps in determining the preference of applicants for occupations of different kinds.

Knowledge test

            It helps to measure the in depth of the knowledge and proficiency in certain skills already achieved by the applicants such as,

·         Engineering

·         Accounting etc.

Projective test

            Projective test which uses the projective technique where by the applicants projects him personality into force response about pictures shown to him which are ambiguous.

Personality test

            It determines character such as cooperativeness as against dominance or to judge the emotional balance and temperamental ability of a person.

Judgment test

            It evaluates the ability to apply knowledge judiciously in solving a problem.

Dexterity test

            It is used to discover the ability to use the different parts of body in a coordinated manner. It is useful in identifying accident prome for certain manufacturing jobs.

3.10 Interview

            Interview is the face-to-face encounter with the purpose, it employs conversation. It means conversation between the interviewer and interviewee to assess the potentiality of the latter by,

·         gestures,

·         Facial expression and

·         Communication skills.

3.11 Types of interview

1.    Patterned or guided interview

2.    Direct interview

3.    Indirect interview

4.    Stress interview

5.    Group interview

6.    Board interview

7.    Exit interview

1.    Patterned or guided interview

             In this interview a series of question in relation with applicant’s background are standardized in advance. This interview is generally based on the question set in advance along with their answers.

The main purpose of this interview is face finding. It measures,

·         personality,

·         motivation, and

·         interest.

2.    Direct interview

     The Direct interview is a straight forward, face to face questions and answers situation. Questions are based on job duties and others facts including employees background information. It measures job knowledge and also provides opportunities to observe,

·         personal characteristics,

·         abilities and

·         motivation.

3.    Indirect interview

            This type of interview is largely unplanned and the interviewee is allowed to take about himself in detailed. The objective of the type of interview is to find out the feelings, desire, and problems of the candidates.

4.    Stress interview

                   The purpose of this type of interview is to put strain purposely on the candidate. It access the emotional strain of the candidate for such job where resistance to stress is important.

5.    Group interview

          Under this method a problem for discussion is given to a group of candidates. No leader is nominated the interviewer sit in the background and watches the process.

    He observes if any one among them could assume leadership and the process by which leadership is excessive and how it is accepted by the other members of the group.

Group interview is conducted in situation where leadership ability is the important factor.

6.  Board interview

               In this type of interview candidates are screened by a group of interviewers who are specialist in their respective fields.

They call upon the candidates one by one assess his qualities. The main drawback of this system is that the interviewee is frustrated by the rapid firing questions by several interviewees.

7. Exit interview

            This type of interview is generally conducted at the time when an employee is leaving the organization. The main purpose of organizing such as interview is to know the feeling of the outgoing employees about his job, Interaction with each other, environment etc.

3.12 Checking of References

            The reference check as yet another step in the selection process used for the purpose of verifying information and also obtaining additional feedback on an application.

The candidate is asked to supply two-three names of persons i.e., referees who know him/her personally. Previous employers, University professors, neighbors and friends can act as references. However, references are treated as a mere formality and are hard used to influences selection decisions. The obvious reasons are:

          I.    References are normally those who speak well about the candidate.

        II.    Referee may give favorable opinion about the candidate to get rid of them.

       III.    Sometimes referee either does not know much about the candidate or does not want to divulge the truth about the candidate because it might adversely affect the selection or promotion of the concerned candidate.

3.13 Final Selection

            The last step in the selection process is the final selection of the candidate for a job. The candidates who have cleared all the above hurdles are finally selected and a letter of job offer is issued to them.

The job offer i.e., appointment letter contains the details like pay-scale, allowances and other terms and conditions of the job.

            It also contains when and whom he should report for joining the duty. When he/she reports for joining, he/she needs to be placed in a particular section or division and introduced to the job and organization. This is done through Placement and Induction.