Security Verification

The young Assistant Manager was eager to acquire the knowledge and skills required to make him an efficient bank manager and leader. His first posting as an officer was in a big metropolitan branch. He was one among the nearly hundred staff members in the branch as computerization was not heard in those days. He did not have any opportunity to work in loans department. His promotion as assistant manager and posting to a medium sized rural branch was personally inconvenient to him. But he was encouraged by the chances coming his way to learn many new things. He proceeded to the new place of posting with lot of hope and expectations.

The young man was welcome by his branch manager and given charge of the loans department. The well experienced branch manager started grooming the assistant in right earnest, to shoulder his responsibilities. He was first initiated into processing of loan applications, scrutinize information provided by the applicants, assess loan eligibility and sanction process. Analyzing and accepting securities offered by the prospective borrowers followed soon. Obtaining documents for sanctioned loans and method of disbursing the loan amounts was the next step. The young assistant manager was now confident of handling small and medium sized loan requests on his own and place the cases before branch manager with his recommendations.

The branch's annual inspection was due any day now and the branch manager was preparing the young assistant to face his first inspection confidently. All aspects of a branch's working were checked and verified by these inspectors and the process went on for two to three weeks. Inspection days were difficult for branch functionaries as they had to manage attending to inspectors in addition to the regular bank work. Attitude and working methods of the inspectors was also a cause of concern for branch managers. Some inspectors were indeed difficult to work with, while some others were more understanding and co-operative. 

Inspectors were deputed by the bank's Inspection Division at Head Office to various branches for annual inspections. Their programing was a secret affair and known only to Inspection Division and the concerned inspectors. This was required to keep the surprise element intact during audit and inspections. Inspectors usually arrived at the branch on a day of their choosing, an hour before opening of the branches in the morning. The branch would be opened under their supervision and all physical securities starting from cash would be checked first to prevent any manipulations. The inspectors would then proceed to verify the other areas of branch functioning. One of the important components of such inspection was visiting the borrower's place for physical verification as well as checking the records of the party. The places comprised shop, factory, godown, house or any such business place or location where securities charged to the bank were kept. Branch Manager or a representative of the branch would usually accompany the inspector on such visits. Inspection was a time bound activity and was expected to be completed in a specified number of days linked to the size and business level of the branches.

An inspector arrived at this branch one morning and started his work. After introducing the assistant manager to the inspector and exchange of pleasantries, branch manager called the assistant manager aside and advised him to assist the inspector during the inspection period. "This inspector and I are from the same batch and we have worked together earlier. It is no secret that we do not like each other. But he is a professional and does not mix personal things with official work. Same is the case with me. I will have limited interaction with him. You will be my representative during inspection. Remember that he is an expert inspector and highly respected for his skills. You can learn a lot from him in the next two three weeks", said the branch manager. The assistant manager did not understand this background initially, but slowly learnt the truth in those words with each passing day of inspection work.

Field visits and verification of securities started in the third week. As the branch had many villages surrounding its location, many agriculture and allied advances were to be inspected. The inspector and the assistant manager proceeded to one of the villages one morning. They went to a borrower's place (Borrower A) a little before noon for checking sheep and goats given as security for bank loan. There were no sheep or goat in the yard. Inspector noted his observation on his rough sheets. After checking some pump set and tractor loan accounts, they went to another borrower's place (Borrower B) around 3 PM for checking sheep and goats. The number of sheep and goats available in the yard were matching the number given in the records. Inspector made some noting again in his note sheets.

An inspector was required to give his observations to the branch manager for rectification of deficiencies or give his comments each day, before incorporating them in his final report. On the next day of the visit to above villages, inspector gave the list of observations on the findings of the previous day's visits. When the assistant manager saw the report he was surprised to find that inspector had erred in his noting. He had recorded that security was intact in Borrower A's place whereas it was noted as missing in Borrower B's place!  He immediately ran to the inspector and pointed out the discrepancy. 

The inspector smiled at the young assistant manager. "We went to the two borrowers on either side of noon. Where do you expect the sheep and goats to be at that time?" The assistant manager could not give a definite answer. The inspector explained further. "At the time of day when we visited the two places, sheep and goat are not expected to be at home. They have to be out on the hill side grazing and return only by sunset time.  In borrower A's place there were no sheep or goat, but there was enough evidence to show that the animals were kept there overnight. The wetness of the yard where the animals were kept and the pungent smell of sheep and goat in the yard clearly showed that he has the animals with him. In borrower B's place there was no such evidence. The land was dry and the air was fresh. Having realized that inspectors have come to the village, he managed to bring the animals from some other farmer's place and show it to us. I have also made enquiries locally from other farmers during the visit, when you were away checking directions to the next village. My observation as recorded in the sheets is correct", he said.

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When the assistant manager shared this with the branch manager, he got further insight into various aspects of security verification. "You have to be watchful during field visits. One should not be carried away by what he sees during the visit. What is seen is to be linked to the type of business, local practices, details in the records and above all commonsense. Conclusions drawn based merely on what is visible at the time of the visit may often be erroneous. But that does not mean that you have to ignore what you see physically. Each of these should get due consideration and one should come to a proper judgement after careful analysis of the circumstances obtaining at the time of the visit", concluded the branch manager.

The young man had never thought of all these things. There is a lot more in security verification than a mere visit to a place, he learnt that day.

Tomato Inspector

Scientists define memory as an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences.  Psychologists have been studying this aspect and efforts have been made since a long time to enhance memory in human beings.  A new branch of neurology called "Cognitive Neuroscience" has come into existence and many studies are being conducted to analyze human brain and interpret the concept.

We often hear people telling that somebody has a good memory or someone has a poor memory.  Which is good?  To have a good memory or poor memory?  People with poor memory envy those with good memory. Because poor memory puts them into many awkward situations. People with good memory are envious of people with bad memory. Surprised?  People with bad memory can get away with a lot of things blaming the things on their bad memory.  Persons with good memory do not have this luxury.  They have to bear the burden of their good memory.  Nobody accepts their mini blunders even if it is due to occasional bout of bad memory.

My firm and considered opinion is that memory is like blood pressure.  High blood pressure is a source of concern.  Low blood pressure is even more worrisome. Nil blood pressure is certain death.  Blood Pressure in the required limits is an indication of good health.  What is the required zone for memory?  Difficult to say.  Certain things are better forgotten.   The more you remember them, the more you suffer.  Certain things are better remembered.  If forgotten, they land us in trouble.  And of course, we know many instances where people make a long narration of how somebody ill-treated them  and yet how graciously they have forgiven and forgotten that.  And each time they narrate the issue, they always end it by saying how they have forgotten it!   And of course, conveniently forgetting things is a very fine art.  We can all identify many such veterans around us.  May be, we can even find the names in each others list. 

My earliest memory is of when I was about six years old.  We lived in a place called Singasandra, a small village between Ramanagaram and Kanakapura,  60 Kilometers from Bangalore.  The village was about ten minutes walk from the banks of the river Arkavati.  To catch a bus to either of the two towns one had to cross the river and go to the Ramanagaram-Kanakapura road.  There were only two buses making a total of four trips.  If a bus is missed, you have to wait for 3 or 4 hours.  Bicycle was a luxury and only few people had them.  Walking was the most common mode of transport as everybody had legs, except the few lame fellows.  People were comfortable walking six or eight miles without a murmur.  No surprise, most of the people were healthy and happy with this arrangement.

My father was the head master of the village school.  The school was situate outside the village and had a small area in front of the school building, say 80 feet by 100 feet, and was used by the children as play ground.  Next to the school building was a large area of uneven, rocky land with wild growth of bushes and ant hills.  Snakes were often found in this area.  My father was from an agricultural background and always interested in gardening. He met the local village leaders and impressed on them to clean the adjoining waste land and allow children to use it as a play ground.  This would give them access to a bigger play ground as well as remove the fear of wild growth and snakes in the adjoining land.  The area in front of the school can be converted to a garden and children could also be taught horticulture, in a practical way.  His approach convinced the local people and they agreed to the arrangement.  One Sunday was fixed for the cleaning work.  All the villagers came with pickaxes, crowbars and sickles.  It became a mass program and by evening the new playground was ready.  Decks were cleared for the garden in front of the school building.

My father was often assisting the local farmers in their interaction with government authorities, especially revenue department as there were no educated persons in the village.  He was also conducting evening classes for the illiterate under "Adult Literacy Programme". He was able to procure good quality seeds and manure for the school garden.  Water was arranged from the nearby agriculture fields.  A beautiful garden came up with many short term vegetables crops and papaya trees with in a year. There was good supply of Brinjal, Beans, Radish and Greens.  Pumpkins and Bitter Gourd were also there. This exercise became quite famous in the entire taluk and was quoted as an example of practical and fruitful education to children.

After two years my father was transferred to a bigger school on the main road, about two miles away, and we shifted to the bigger village.  Three days after  our moving to the new place, one evening an Inspector came to our house.  In those days the highest official of the Education department in the taluk or tehsil was called "Inspector of Schools".  It seems he went to inspect the school in Singasandra and reached late.  The school was closed and he could only see the garden. He walked to the main road and was told that the last bus had gone and he has to wait till the next morning.  There was no concept of hotels or lodge in the villages.  He inquired with the villagers and ended up at our house by late evening.  My  mother and father had a quiet discussion about the guest. It was difficult to keep a senior official overnight with us due to lack of amenities in the small village house.  My mother made quick Uppittu (Upma) and served him with slices of large Tomatoes brought from the village school garden which were still available after three days.  He probably did not have anything to eat since morning and relished the Upma and tomatoes very much.  He asked for some more slices of tomato and praised the school garden and tomatoes.

The problem of keeping him overnight remained.  My father thought of an idea.  There was an express bus by name "Rajalakshmi Bus Service" running between Tumkur and Kanakapura passing through our village around 9 PM.  This bus was not stopping in the village.  My father was helping the Bus Owner in tax matters and RTO issues and the Bus owner had issued instructions to all his bus drivers and conductors that my father should be allowed free travel in all his buses and should be given a seat at all times.  He took the Inspector to the main road, waited for the bus and stood in the middle of the road as the bus approached the village.  The driver stopped the bus and shouted at the person standing in the middle of the road.  Then he identified the person and expressed his regrets.  The inspector was put on the bus and proceeded to Kanakapura.

Whenever the Inspector met my father thereafter, he would sing praises of the Uppittu and Tomatoes.  Though he was an "Inspector of Schools", because of his love for Tomatoes and often praising them, he came to be known in our household as "Tomato Inspector".