Not able to get passport appointment

For the one who are not able to get passport appointment online and wants to know How to get passport appointment online – sync your clock with the server’s clock and add your passport appointment booking online request at exactly the time passport appointments open. 3 minutes late and you lose. To get an idea of how to get passport appointment online. Also, use IE for this. Update: To know what to expect on the select passport appointment screen, scroll to the end.

[Now that the "executive summary" folks are gone] I recently wrote about appreciating the increased use of technology by government departments, while criticizing the look and feel. I finally got a chance to enjoy using one of these web services. My new passport will require renewal (the correct term is re-issue) soon, so I went over to the nearest PSK. Upon trying to ask the usual questions I might have – what documents are needed, any specifics to keep in mind etc – I got the response, “check it online”.
“But…(you haven’t even heard my questions!)”
“online, everything online”, he waved and pointed at a printed notice pasted on the window. Not having an urgent need, I left. I figured I’ll look it up online and if I have any specific questions, I’ll return; I need to get to work.

Over the next few days, I browsed the site and figured out what all was needed and how to get passport appointment online
- fill up the passport application form online
- look up the documents required based on the procedures (change in details, Non-ECR status, etc) needed 
- upload documents
- and how to get passport appointment online
Following this I spent the next few days/weeks chasing up documentation that would be required. Once I had all the documents (that I interpret to be needed – I’m yet to see!), I scanned and uploaded them. Following that I went to the manage passport appointment online section. The page had a drop down with the nearest PSK and captcha. I filled in the captcha and submit. Something didn’t work; maybe I got the captcha wrong? I tried again – same thing I am not able to get passport appointment online. Then I noticed the error message “Currently no appointment slots are available for the selected PSK. Please try scheduling an appointment from 10/01/2013, 6:00 PM onwards ( For passport appointment Bangalore).” This was in the evening on the 9th. (Side: Who writes their copy?)
Wait, what? Is my concept of taking an slot wrong? May be for this I am not able to get passport appointment online, I was expecting a calendar with slots, you choose a date/time if it’s free in their schedule and lock it in – even if the next free slot was a week or a month away!

Okay, maybe they designed it this way because a lot of people might (or they’ve tried this already and it’s based on sampling actual behavior) fill up the slots and never show up.  Just like we’re great at standing in lines, we’re great at keeping times and appointments too. [Side note: There may be a lot of individuals in this country (or world) who are intelligent, considerate, law abiding, decent and other qualities which might be considered for an “evolved civilization”. But when it comes to thinking about the group, the opposite qualities take over.] Missed appointments would lead to wasted time and resources (Tax 
sucker
 payer’s money) on part of the state employees. This limitation of the system could certainly have been built around – but that’s another discussion (allow a limited number of people who would like to wait – limit to a specific lot – take a chance on someone not showing up after taking an passport appointment. Also, fine the people who don’t re-schedule or cancel their passport  appointment at least a day before.).
PSK site at 5:40 pm ( passport appointment Bangalore)

The next day I tried once in the morning – same problem I am not able to get passport appointment online. Then again around 5:40 pm ( passport appointment Bangalore) . I thought to myself, "Okay, If this is how the system works – it unlocks at 6, I’ll log in then and tried to get an passport appointment". When I tried, this was a 6:03 pm ( passport appointment Bangalore) – just 3 minutes past the time the system would’ve been “opened”, I got a new message “Currently no appointment slots are available for the selected PSK. Please try scheduling an appointment from 13/1/2013, 6:00 PM ( passport appointment Bangalore) onwards”. Again unable to book online appointment ! Two days worth of slots are gone in 3 minutes?

PSK site at 6:03pm ( passport appointment Bangalore)
Side Note: The next day I went to the PSK, while walking towards it I heard a person sitting in the back of a Black Scorpio (SUV, seems dodgy…) speak out loud – “ Passport ?” I thought it was to someone else and I kept walking. Along a wall I saw a bunch of people with documents in their hands hanging around this guy in dark glasses (now I’ve got touts and agents in my thought process; the “good old” system).
Is the passport appointment a separate number – not linked to the ARN – which can be traded by touts?
If the passport appointment system is rigged by touts – I haven’t figured out their play yet. Have they written a bot? (Some of the guys I’ve worked it might remember P-R-A…[end cryptic-inside-joke].)

[Next day] I went into the PSK and met “Mr. Online” again. He gave me the usual response at first, but then I told him that I already tried – even at 6:03 ( passport appointment Bangalore) two days worth of slots were gone.
“Is it like a lottery/rally/contest…? You have to get in at exactly 6:00 (for passport appointment Bangalore) to win the slot ?”
He just nod his head and shrugged “heh heh heh” (So he does utter sounds other than – online). I asked if there was someone I could speak with – file a grievance. “Yahan toh kuch nahi hai (There’s nothing here)”.
“Fine, I’ve got to get to work, I thought and left. 

Also, there’s a toll free support/grievance number. On the 10th, when I called it in the evening (16:27 in my phone’s log), the number was busy – it’s supposed to be a 24 hour call center. I guess it’s too much to expect to be in a wait queue (which can tell you the queue length/expected time to answer). Then I tried late in the evening (23:38 in my phone’s log) – this time I got through to an IVR. I navigated through it and choose the option to speak to a representative to file a grievance.
“This service is only available between 8:00am and 6:00(or was it 10?)pm”
Oh, okay, so it’s on the “official” 24 hour clock.
The next morning I tried again (10:55 am in my call logs) – guess what? Busy. I’m starting to see a pattern here.

I mentioned the online queue which is gone in minutes at work and another person mentioned that he’s been trying for months but has not able to get passport appointment finally given up. He mentioned there was a protest a while back and it was revealed that all online slots for a particular day were from the same IP. I’ll take that with a grain of salt since that’s just anecdotal “evidence” that I’ve heard. The system has the benefit of doubt till I come across any conclusive proof.

Suggestion: I propose a few steps as a way to make the system more transparent.
Since I don’t want the PSK workers to waste their time in creating reports etc, these systems are to be automated (More project work and payments for you, TCS!). Knowing a thing-or-two about programming, I know these suggestions can be implemented.
If they don’t want to implement a system where it gives you an slots at an arbitrary (free) date in future, the suggestions below can be implemented instead. [I've mentioned the system to friends and they have responded that they would have expected a similar system. I say - these fancy trip date selector websites selling travel tickets have spoilt this lot!]

The manage slot page should show a (paginated) report of all the slots given out. The fields should include ARN, User ID (blanked out for privacy – like on Google Groups), IP Address (blank out one digit from second and third set of numbers), time slot. These are the slots still to happen. The manage (request) slots screen should show the number of available slots, the number of filled slots and also the number of appointments (unique ARNs) requested. The requested slots number will give people a clearer picture on how hard other people are trying to make an appointment, but it should be backed with a report on all the attempts – otherwise the “riggers” will just use a bot (breaking that captcha shouldn’t be too hard) to drive up the number by filing a lot of applications and requesting an passport appointment on it.

There should be an additional report showing the slots that have happened. This would include all the earlier fields and whether the slot was made and whether or not the appointment result was success (application have moved into the next stage – police verification or accepted for renewal etc) or failure (person was turned back for not enough documentation etc). The system is known to have this data, since one can track status of an application online. This post passport appointment booking report will also help to catch bogus slots; unless the department employees themselves rig it – but I trust (at least hope) that everyone in the department wouldn’t be crooked.

Time for a win

Anyway, I logged in on the 13th and synced my clock to the server’s time then took into account the lag a little and managed to win an passport appointment. I’d like to think I keep most of-less-use junk disabled, but for the duration of this competition, I added the clock gadget to time my clicks better.
Perhaps someone from the department took a course ongamification since it’s quite a popular term lately. Or they’re preparing the country for an Electronic Sports Olympics.Game Time!

T minus 54 seconds – Logged in and ready to “Manage passport Appointment”

10 seconds remain (Unreal Tournament anyone?)
The gadget seems to be off sync from the server by 6 seconds, I’ll keep that in mind.

T plus 3 seconds; captcha time.

T plus 26 seconds.
Hurry! I’ve clicked on the first slot I could lay the mouse pointer on. Another captcha.
Unfortunately this was the first time slot link, a lot more people might’ve chosen it. After this I saw a page telling me that the slot was already full.
Did I lose and not able to get passport appointment again?! No
Not so fast.
I was a little tense on the select an appointment screen focusing on trying to score one that I forgot to take a screenshot. In the coming days, I will play the game again and try and change my passport appointment to sooner (yes, there’s an option). Next time I will be calmer and get the screenshot.

T plus 90 seconds.
In the excitement I’ve missed pressing the hot-key for the slot screen’s shot again.
Did the shot clock run out? I seem to have caught the rebound and have another shot!
(For the uninitiated, that’s a Basketball reference.)
So I blazed through the process of View Applications > Manage Appointment… and chose another slot at the bottom of the page. Once again, I was in game-mode and couldn’t take a screenshot. But to describe it, the left coloumn had dates. The columns on the right were links with time on them – each slot being a 15 minute slot.
What was odd though was the first (row) slot was the 16th as seen in the screenshot above, but below that there were almost 15 or so rows with something in capital letters, I couldn’t register it (my head was filtering out noise) as I scrolled to the bottom of the page (last row) and noticed a few open appointments – for almost a month away.

T plus 101 seconds.
He shoots, he scores. It’s good!
I hope this set of screenshots helps others know what to expect and therefore shave off some time in trying to get an passport appointment.
“But doesn’t that decrease your chances? You’re giving your edge away” Meh, had I been desperate enough, I’d write a bot.Update: As promised, here’s a screenshot of the slots selection screen. This should help you know exactly what to expect when you come across and plan where you want to click.
And this is the way How to get passport appointment and left not able to get passport appointment