Health for me has always been a bit of a sensitive issue :). However, for the past couple of years I have been trying to make the right decisions. Last year I started going to marathons. Specifically the Juhu Marathon which has a dream run leg of 4kms. Now that might not be so much, and my times are also not something that one can be proud of.

However, what matters is that its a step in the right direction.

It’s been my second year going to this marathon, and as always I woke up early and reached the venue with Harshaja. Such events are where she is all happy and bubbly, and I am a grumbling old man. Perhaps its the trepidation of whats to come. There is also an irrational fear of getting too much stressed and having a heart attack.

The venue

The event is held on the Jamnalal School grounds. This is the seventh year and more than a thousand runners had signed up for the dream run. The venue we took is listed below.

An interesting thing to note is that even though the event was organized by the Rotaract Club, there were other sponsors and communities participating as well.

The run

This should not be called a run. Its more of a scramble very much like the one you do to catch a train on a crowded station. Hustling and bustling, dodging other folks just so that you have enough space to keep your foot on the path ahead. Heart racing, and completely focused on reaching that destination.

I was taken back to my days when I used to catch trains for Bandra, Dadar and Andheri. The good part was that there was no TC to stop and check your pass!!

Recently, I went to the post office to pick up a parcel. What was supposed to be a quick, routine task ended up taking a big chunk of my morning. I’m not going to get into the issues with the country’s logistics— I believe that can be solved with better engagement.

As I was waiting in line, I noticed that most of the people there weren’t dealing with parcels like me. Instead, they were handling transactions related to their savings accounts! Yes, the majority of the people at this local post office were there for business with the Post Office Savings Bank. There were cash depositors, people updating their passbooks (seriously!), and an elderly person wanting to convert his savings into a fixed deposit.

This wasn’t just a post office—it felt like a bank branch in action!

Post Office Savings Bank: A History

In India, government-run savings banks have been around for nearly 130 years. Some historians trace the origins of the savings movement to 1834, when the first savings bank was set up in Calcutta. The Government Savings Bank Act was passed in 1873, and the Post Office Savings Bank of India came into being in 1882. In 1886, the Government District Savings Banks merged with the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB).

During British rule, the Indian government created the “National Savings Central Bureau” to promote saving, control inflation caused by World War II, and raise funds for the war. However, this effort didn’t gain much traction because people were not interested in supporting a war that didn’t involve them.

After India’s independence in 1947, the government aimed to further promote the savings movement and established the National Savings Organisation (now NSI) in 1948. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru emphasized the importance of national savings, not just to fund development projects, but also to involve people across the country in the process. He believed that anyone who participated would contribute to the nation’s growth.

Small savings became a priority. The Indian Constitution, adopted in 1949, included the Post Office Savings Bank in its list of key government institutions. Laws like the Government Savings Certificates Act of 1959 and the Public Provident Fund Act of 1968 were used by the Ministry of Finance to create various small savings programs. The aim of these programs was to encourage people to save, especially small savers, who could play an important role.

The Post Office Savings Bank has been the main platform for these savings initiatives across India for over 120 years.

POSB vs Private Banks

When you compare the reach of the post office network to the branch-based model of most private banks, it becomes clear that the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) has a much wider presence. Because of this, the products offered by the POSB are specifically designed for its customer base.

POSB mainly focuses on savings and deposits, generating interest by investing in government securities (G-Secs). This is different from most private banks, which offer a range of products and generate income through liability products to fund their asset offerings. POSB’s model is simpler, but it’s also more conservative. Many POSB users express a strong sense of trust, which sets it apart from most private banks.

Financial Services 101

As we talk about evolving our financial services and becoming a global superpower, it’s important to remember that many private financial service providers don’t have enough reach to serve the unbanked population in this vast country.

This is where the Post Office Savings Bank really stands out. As someone involved in building a financial services business, this was a key lesson for me. Success lies in being close to the customer—understanding their needs and meeting them where they are. An app alone won’t solve all their problems. Human engagement will. People will walk several kilometers (like I did) to visit a branch, and they’ll patiently wait, as long as their issues are addressed. Even today, all major financial service players need to do this in order to succeed. Everything else is just extra.

With the recent licensing issues and how Automattic has been reacting to this leaving a bad taste in my mouth, I have decided to move on from WordPress and try out a new blogging content management system (CMS).

Tried a few, and finally giving Textpattern a whirl. Have to figure out a markdown-esque script called Textile, but other than that, this should work.

Voting day in Mumbai is always a heated affair.

By late afternoon, the voting turnout has been pretty low. In fact, it was lesser than 30% at 1pm. This benchmark is a pretty poor number for one of the most populated cities in this country, if not the world.

Why, then this low figure? There could be multiple reasons for this which most readers will rattle off!

High temperatures

With temperatures touching the high 30s and humidity in the high 90s, the sweltering heat feels like a suffocating blanket on everything. If you have been outside these days without the safety of the office AC, you will feel the continuous sapping of energy and always feel dehydrated at the end of every excursion outside the cool interiors.

Working offices

Section 135B exists, but only in principle. Most offices in Mumbai and other metropolitan cities have been working throughout the day, with a half-day being given to employees.

The problem with this specific clause is that for those employees who actually want to vote the leave is not really needed, and for those who do not want to vote, the leave is just an additional leave. Hence most companies are choosing to interpret it as such – you apply for a leave, and it shall be granted, however coming to office and pushing off early won’t be considered as a half day.

Long weekend

With elections in Mumbai being planned on Monday and the paid holiday for employees pretty much guarantees everyone a three-day long weekend to plan their trips.

Having to come back from their weekend trips to stand in long queues in this heat is something that a lot of people may not look forward to.

Having said that, why citizenship in the title?

Voting should be an act of citizenship

The reason is simple. I believe that by choosing to actively participate in the election of the world’s largest democracy, all of us are making the choice of being a citizen.

Being a citizen doesn’t necessarily mean simply standing in a queue and casting your vote in a ballot box. It means, actively working towards the organizational goals of the country.

Sadly, this is a trait that hasn’t been inculcated in a lot of people. Folks simply do not know what citizenship is or what does it mean to be a citizen.

I am providing a video of what I think acting like a citizen entails. It doesn’t stop at voting, it has a much more engaged definition.

As the markets went in their roller coaster, and eventually normalcy returned, I cannot help but think that even though the elections went by pretty smoothly – our citizens haven’t really changed.

As we strive to build innovative features in our credit platforms and deliver exceptional value, fostering a healthy culture becomes paramount in the engineering team. A strong engineering culture not only attracts top talent but also drives productivity, collaboration, and long-term success. I wanted to put down my thoughts on this … read on.

What is Engineering Culture?

An engineering culture encompasses the shared values, norms, and practices that define how engineers work together to achieve common goals. It’s the DNA of your technology team, influencing everything from code quality to communication patterns. Here are some essential features of a robust engineering culture:

• Collaboration and Communication: Encouraging open communication and cross-functional collaboration. Foster an environment where engineers can freely exchange ideas, seek feedback, and learn from one another.
• Continuous Learning and Professional Development: Invest in learning opportunities for your engineers. Provide access to conferences, workshops, online courses, and mentorship programs.
• Agile Development Practices: Adopt agile methodologies (e.g., Scrum, Kanban) to promote iterative development, shorter release cycles, and adaptive planning. Regularly review and adapt your processes based on feedback and performance metrics.
• Code Reviews: Make code reviews a standard practice. They improve code quality, knowledge sharing, and alignment with coding standards. Encourage constructive feedback and ensure that reviews are respectful and focused on improvement.
• Engineering Excellence: Set high standards for technical excellence. Encourage engineers to write clean, maintainable code and follow best practices. Invest in tools and practices that enhance code quality, such as static analysis, automated testing, and continuous integration.
• Innovation and Experimentation: Create space for innovation. Allow engineers to explore new ideas, experiment with technologies, and propose improvements. Celebrate successful experiments and learn from failures.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Build a diverse engineering team that brings different perspectives and experiences. Embrace diversity in gender, ethnicity, background, and thought. Foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected.