Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Tuesday 7 April 2020

Antidote to “ Anti-Social Intimacy “


Antidote to “ Anti-Social Intimacy “

[ aka……Continuation of  “ Social Distancing “ ]

It seems Governments ( Central + States ) are veering around the thinking that it would be too risky to lift the lockdown totally on 14 April .

There seems to be acceptance of the CONCEPTUAL  FRAME-WORK  that I suggested in my following emails re a gradual lifting in a phased manner


Sources for my suggestions :
Ø  Unlocking Lockdown : Calibrated – Gradual                                            [ 04 April ]

Ø  Not so ODD after all !                                                                            [ 01 April ]

Ø  Thank You , Shri RaviShankar Prasadji                                                    [ 02 April ]

Ø  Mobiles for Tracking Corona Movements ?                                             [ 23 March ]




Sources for News Reports :
 
Ø  Beyond the Lockdown                                                                           [ 6th April ]

Ø  Restrictions May Continue Beyond April 14, Lockdown Only for Coronavirus Hotspots One Option: Govt Sources                                                                     [ 6th April ]                            

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GENERAL

My Suggestion :
Such explosive “ Return to Normal “ could prove disastrous [ consequences with unknown risks ? ]

I urge the authorities to “ swing the pendulum slowly , gradually “

News Reports :

Several states have written to the Centre saying that the restrictions must continue

Another proposal that the government is considering is to lock down only the Covid-19 hotspots, and not extend the nationwide lockdown. The health ministry has identified at least 20 virus hotspots across the country and another 22 potential hotspots

“ If cases continue to rise, then there may be no option but to extend the lockdown.
“It could be extended in Mumbai and urban areas of Maharashtra by two weeks,” Rajesh Tope, the health minister of Maharashtra, told Reuters.

All the 11 empowered committees constituted to suggest ways to tackle different aspects of the Covid-19 crisis have favoured a gradual lifting of the lockdown

One of the proposals was to divide the country into three zones – green, yellow and red – depending upon exposure risk to the disease. Green zone, the safest, could be opened up to most of the core economic activity; in yellow zone, production could start at a small scale; and red zone, or areas significantly impacted by Covid-19, should continue to be in lockdown for some more time


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TRANSPORT

My Suggestion :

Spread over April to Dec , vehicles permitted :

Bicycles > 2 Wheelers > Trucks > Private Cars > Intercity Buses > Intercity Trains > Planes > City Buses > Ferries > Local  Trains-Metros > Cruise Ships


Odd / Even for all passenger vehicles ( with usual exemption for Police / Ambulance etc )

     Each vehicle ( includes planes ) to carry no more than 50 % of capacity.


News Reports :

If the airport is opened up, every person exiting the premises will be fully screened.

Metro services will be restored in Delhi but with entry restricted only to office-goers, and after body scans.

Airline travel might resume but visits to and from foreign countries will e permitted only under special circumstances. There will be special advisories to avoid inter-state travels.

Train services may be resumed, but only for essential travel

everybody agreed that international travel should continue to be suspended even as the gradual exit begins

local air travel could begin with certain standard operating procedures.


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OFFICES-BANKS


My Suggestion :

No of persons permitted to work inside these establishments shall be restricted as follows :

April >  less than 10 persons / July > less than 50 / Sept > less than 100 / Nov > less than 500


In rotation , 50 % of the employees to work in office and balance 50 % from home ( WFH )

5 day week( currently prevalent ) to become a 6 day week ( to distribute work-load evenly )

Staggered work-hours through Flexitimings [from 7 am to 10 pm/shift working in offices ? ]

Change over from Bometric Attendnce System to Mobile-based Attndance System


News Reports :

Offices where work from home is possible will be requested to extend it for another month.

Offices will be allowed resume functioning, but effort will be made to make them call minimal staff. At least half the staff can continue work from home

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FACTORIES – WORKSHOPS

My Suggestion :

No of persons permitted to work inside these, shall be restricted as follows :

April > Less than 5 / May > less than 25 / June > Less than 50 / July > Less than 100 / Aug > Less than 500 /  No limit


Greater sub-contracting ( outsourcing ) to reduce manpower in one shed

Grater mechanization / automation

Outsourcing of simple components / assemblies could be considered for employees

willing to retire earlier

Big factories themselves may breakup into smaller, geographically dispersed locations


News Reports :

? 
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SHOPS – MALLS

My suggestion :

April > Only E Com companies / June > Kiranas / July > Veg Mkts / Aug > Small Malls / Oct > Med Malls / Dec > Large Malls

Drone-based deliveries need to be accelerated

Govt will be forced to relax rules / regulations governing E-commerce , so that people do not need to leave their homes for shopping

 


News Reports :

Malls will be open but only for selling essentials

The Delhi government, meanwhile, has decided to keep malls, multiplexes and congested markets such as Chandni Chowk, Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar closed. Only shops selling essential goods will be allowed to remain open. 


Delivery of essential services will continue but the nationwide ban on public congregations will remain…. The ban on weekly markets will apply only to areas most affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

On retail side, one proposal was to keep retail shops open on a rotation basis on different days, sources said.

A counter view was that instead, certain number of shops in a locality should be allowed to remain open for a few hours at a time and the hours should be 24/7, implying that retail is available round the clock as this would avoid crowding out in the markets

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MONITORING  QUARANTINED  PERSONS


My Suggestion :

Dear Shri RaviShankar Prasadji / Dr HarshVardhanji 

Ø  Hold in abeyance for ONE YEAR, proposed

          #     DATA PROTECTION LAW
          #     E-Comm Policy


Ø  Make CENCUS / NPR , a pure Mobile App based exercise ( with 24x7 dynamic / continuous UP-DATING by citizen from privacy of their homes ( No need for 33 lakh enumerators to increase the probability of spreading Corona Virus, by visiting millions of homes

Ø  Immediately phone up Prof. Ramesh Raskar { MIT } and implement Mobile App developed by his team, by issue of an appropriate ORDINANCE , to be converted into a  Infection Protection Act , within 6 months

  
News Reports :

Monitoring quarantined persons using GPS trackers, though it is not clear right not how this will be done, whether through smartphones or via a wearable device.


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RELIGIOUS  PLACES


My suggestion :

April to June >  NONE  / July > Street Corner / Aug > Small / Oct > Medium / Jan > Large Places


Limits will need to be fixed for number of devotees that can gather together at a time

eg : Aarti – Namaaz – Discourses – Shivirs etc ). For such occasions, there will be “ No Standing “ but only chairs kept 2 M apart


Installations of CCTV to grant “ Video Darshan “ to devotees from outside the place

Greater use of Online darshan/participation through singing, using video mobile apps

 

News Reports :

….Religious places too might stay shut

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SOCIAL  VENUES


My Suggestion :

April > Less than 20 at HOME  / June > Upto 50 in HALL / July > Less tan 100 in HALL / Sept > Gardens / Oct > Beaches / Nov > Resorts


News Reports :

No parties or gatherings will be allowed. Marriages, birthdays or any kind of celebration will not be permitted.

People will not be allowed to come out in the public without masks, either bought from a medical store or home-made or folded scarves or other pieces of cloth. 

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EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS


My Suggestion :

April > Less than 10 in Coaching Classes / June > Less than 50 in Coaching Classes / Sept > Colleges – Hostels / Nov > University Campuses


Institutions will be required to work in 4 shifts of 6 hours each


A few years down the line, not only Video-based impartation of teaching will happen but VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS ( using holographic projections ) can take place in each home



News Reports :

Admissions, classes and examinations in schools and colleges will be made online

Schools will remain closed, online classes will continue to run as they are at present.

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ENTERTAINMENT  VENUES


My Suggestion :

April-May – June - July – Aug > NONE
 
Sept > Less than 200 in Cinema Halls

Nov > Less than 500 in Stadium / Dec > less than 1000 / Jan > Less than 5000

Feb >  Open Sports Ground


Drastic reduction in number of viewers admitted for a given show / event

Govt should grant permits to event organizers to steam such events LIVE on TV or Internet , by collecting subscriptions ( event-wise or month-wise )


News Reports :

Cinema halls, food courts, restaurants and religious places too might stay shut
Covid-19 hotspots like Nizamuddin and Dilshad Garden will continue to be under lockdown.

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Dear Shri Narendrabhai,


Early implementation of  “ Social Distancing “ through lockdown has managed to save thousands of lives and millions of infections

Rest of the World followed India – albeit too late

Now , once again , countries of the World are waiting to see what India decides


It is our opportunity – and a moral obligation – to lead the world by setting an example , even though it will mean continuation of hardship to millions


But , at this point , saving LIVES is more important than saving LIVELIHOODS
With regards,


Hemen Parekh


=========================================================
07 April 2020
hcp@RecruitGuru.com  

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