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

Saturday, 31 July 2021

A Tale of Two Shames ?

 


 

One is about use of software Pegasus to snoop on unsuspecting citizen for unspecified / assumed anti-national behaviors

 

Other is :

Over 9 Lakh Children Suffer Severely Acute Malnutrition, States Centre; 3.98 Lakh From UP  /  Republic world


Extract :

Ø  Over 9,27,606 children are Severely Acute Malnourished in India as of 30 November 2020, revealed Union Mister for Women and Child development Smriti Irani on Thursday, in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.


Ø  Irani further revealed that of the 9 lakh+ children, 3,98,359 are from the State of Uttar Pradesh. In reply to AAP MP Sanjay Singh, Irani stated that under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), supplementary nutrition is provided to these children.


Ø  To counter malnourishment among children in the age group of 0-6 years, Irani stated that the POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched on 8th March, 2018. Under the newly launched Mission Poshan 2.0, Irani stated that pregnant women and lactating mothers were focused upon to provide nutritional content.

Ø  As per the data, while Rs 5312.79 crores have been released to states/UTs from 2017-18 to 2020-21, only Rs. 2985.56 crores ( 56 % ) , have been utilised up to 31 March, 2021.

Dalit Children more likely to be stunted, shows study   /   TOI   /  30 July

Extract :

Ø  That India has the highest number of stunted children in the world ( 40.6 million children, as per NFHS data ) representing one-third of the global total of stunted children under the age of five, is well known


Ø  Now, a data narrative published by Ashoka University’s Centre for Economic Data and Analysis shows that stunting is much more likely among Dalit children in areas where caste-based un-touchability is higher, such as the BIMARU states ( Bihar-Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh )


Ø  In their paper titled “ The Missing Piece of the Puzzle: Caste Discrimination and Stunting “, authors Ashwini Deshpande and Rajesh Ramchandran found that rates of stunting are far lower among upper caste Hindus as compared to SC/STs, OBCs, UC Muslims


Ø  The stunting incidence was 26 % for children of upper caste Hindus as compared to 31 % of children in SSA

Ø  In comparison, 40 % children belonging to SC / ST communities suffered from stunting, 36 % from OBC communities and 35 % from the upper caste Muslim community


My Take :


Ø  British ruled over India for 150 years. Under leadership of Mahatmaji, it took us ( the public ), 20 years of fight to win our freedom


Ø  Imagine, the only technologies  used were “ Non-Violence / Satyagraha / Non-cooperation


Ø  Next year, under our own – and democratically elected – rulers,  we will celebrate 75th year of our Independence


Ø  But , we are not anywhere near to win our “ Liberation “ from malnutrition ( - euphemism for starvation ) – despite slogans like, “ Garibi Hatao  / No child will go to bed hungry “ etc


Ø  In my opinion , this ( failure ) is a matter of SHAME , far bigger than Pegasus !


Ø  All the more so, because , those very same MOBILE APP TECHNOLOGIES which power Pegasus , can be employed to liberate us from malnutrition ( and, within 2 years – not 20 years )


Ø  Following is the history of my efforts to persuade our Policy Makers to use MOBILE technology to win this WAR against malnutrition : 

Ø  Two Indias ………………………………………………………………………[ 26 April 2011 ]

 

Extract :

#  435 million Indians [ 36 % of 1210 million population ] are below

     poverty line, unable to spend  even Rs.12 ( $ 0.21 ) per day on food /

      clothing / shelter

    

#  For this “ Second “ India comprising the remaining 36%, it is starvation

    from birth until death ! To them a GDP growth rate of 9 % makes no

     sense !

    

 

Ø  Agriculture in China ………………………………………………………..[ 02 June 2011 ]

 

Extract :

             #  And , unlike India ,China does not have 1.6 Million children ( under 5

                 ) dying each year due to starvation

               ( Indian Government likes to call it , “ Malnutrition “ )

 

              Does any political party of India have the courage to include “

              Elimination of Starvation “ in it’s election manifesto , for the

              forthcoming National Election in 2014 ?

              

 

 

Ø  Starving / Dying can be saved ……………………………………………[ 19 Jan 2012 ]

 

Extract :

         We don’t have to become Jains in order to save the starving millions. Just

         don’t waste food

 

 

Ø  Hunger is not an Issue ! ……………………………………………………….[ 20 Feb 2012 ]

 

Extract :

#   But hunger is not an issue for any political party during the current

     State Elections.

     How about promising “ hunger quotas “ according to age – groups ?


     Model Code of Conduct does not cover this !

==================================================

Ø  Saving 1.2 million Kids ………………………………………………[ 29 June 2016 ]

 

Extract :


        #  That leaves 20 million who do not go to school , hopelessly

             malnourished

 

            How can we ensure that they get some nutritious food everyday ?

 

            If there is a will , there is a way - the following way :

 

               ( A ) …. FOOD

               ( B )….. PACKING

               ( C )…… MANUFACTURERS

               ( D )…… DELIVERY POINTS

 

               ( E ) ……TECHNOLOGY

            

                  *  Each NEUTRA-KID bar wrapper will have a bar-code ( till such time

                      inserting RFID sensors become a reality )

                    

                 Bar code will carry all normal instructions + Delivery Destination (

                     Post Office )

 

                 *  Each NEUTRA-KID bar will pass thru a Bar Code Reader on the

                     Assembly Line , before dispatch

 

                 *  Info collected thru this reader will get transmitted to the Central

                     Server of concerned Ministries

 

                 *  After taking his / her weight and entering in a online Database ,

                    hosted on the Central Server of  the concerned Ministries,

                    each targeted child will get registered at the nearest Post Office

   

                     

 

                 *  Each registered child will be issued a blue tooth enabled Smart

                     phone, duly pre-installed with a   Mobile App called " BANMALI "(

                    Banish Malnutrition in India ) , in which Child's data / Aadhar No

                     will be entered

 

                    

 

               *  Every day , the concerned child ( and parent ) will visit the post

                   office to collect the NEUTRA-KID  bar

 

                  

 

              *  Before handing over bar, child will be weighed on a weighing machine

                 and the weight entered in BANMALI

 

                 

                The weight record graph will appear on the screen of the PC located at

                the Post Office ( Blue Tooth )

 

             *  This record will also get transmitted ( of course , automatically ) to

                 the COMMUNITY HEALTH  CENTRE where the concerned child is "

                registered " ( this will be compulsory in order to be eligible  for this

                Scheme )

 

                              

             *  Every time , a child is taken for his/her monthly HEALTH CHECK UP (

                 also compulsory in order to  receive next month's NEUTRA-KID bars )

                 , concerned doctor will examine the child and enter

                 his   findings in BANMALI

 

                                

               Doctor will be required to enter medicines prescribed as also, increase 

               / decrease in the QUOTA of NEUTRA- KID bars recommended for the

               next month

 

                  

 

·        All of these data will get relayed to the Central Servers of the concerned

         Ministries

·           

 

Ø  A Mobile App named " BANMALI "………………………………… [ 15 Sept 2016 ]

 

      Extract :


     #    All over the country , there must be SEVERAL  CRORE children covered

           under ICDS scheme

 

 

     #    It would benefit all the States - and the Centre - to consider my

           suggestion for a  COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION of malnutrition among

           children thru implementation of Mobile App BANMALI "

          

 

          



Ø  BANMALI is the TOTAL SOLUTION …………………………………..[ 14 Nov 2016 ]

 

       Extract :

     #   Union minister for Women & Child Development Maneka Gandhi wants to

          put an end to children consuming empty calories. Instead, she wants them

           to consume calories rich in nutrition, and her ministry wants to

           have sachets containing 600-1000 calories of nutrition for children

           

    

       #   You will notice that my proposal tightly integrates ALL the concerned

            Agencies through internet enabled  hardware and a SINGLE /

             COMMON software database , which not only prevents any

         " Benefit  Leakages " but broadcasts actual " Achievements " ( Weight gain

          / Reduced Mortality ), instantaneously   , / automatically / transparently

 =================================================

     

    

Ø  Can Akshay Patra Banish Malnutrition ? …………………….[ 05 June 2017 ]

 

       Extract :

        #   The Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO focussing on providing mid-day

             meals to children, is in talks  with food companies to co-create nutritious

              recipes and products that can supplement its offerings under the

              government’s flagship scheme.

            

           

       #   For instance, with PepsiCo India, the NGO is looking to co-create

            an OATMEAL-BASED NUTRITIOUS BAR that can supplement mid-day

            meals.

            

==================================================

     >  Thank You Madam Maneka Gandhiji …………………………….[ 21 Dec 2018 ]

 

     Extract :

    #   For what ?

          For accepting my suggestions ( all sent as E Mails to Cabinet Ministers )


    #    How  ?

    By launching “ Poshan Abhiyan “ at the hands of Shri Modiji on 08 March 2018


    #   What is it ?

  It is a nutrition scheme that aims to reduce malnutrition among children and mothers


    #    How does it work  ?

   Through ICDS – CAS Dashboard  


          To facilitate the functioning of this dashboard, over 200,000 smartphones

         have been procured by the  states to aid ‘anganwadis’ in monitoring nutrition

           levels in children.

               

 

·             THESE PHONES COME UPLOADED WITH AN APPLICATION THAT

              FACILITATES REAL-TIME DATA REPORTING FROM THE GRASS- ROOT LEVEL

              AND IS EXPECTED TO COME IN HANDY IN DRAWING A NUTRITION

               PROFILE OF THE COUNTRY,

              

              

             

 

Ø  BANMALI arrives : Named as Poshan Tracker …………………[ 17 Apr 2021 ]

 

    Extract :


          #  Last month, the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the

               Ministry of electronics and IT  launched an ambitious data-driven platform

               called POSHAN TRACKER, to daily monitor the activities of  more than

               1.1 million Anganwadi workers

              

       #  These workers – spread across the country- are responsible for making sure

            that pregnant women, infant  as well as young children get adequate hot

            meals, rations, vaccine doses and medication

            

       #   They are also responsible for ensuring early intervention in case of

             disabilities or flagging other developmental concerns

            

      #    Close to 1 million Anganwadi workers have downloaded the Android App on

            their smartphones and are  using it DAILY, to key in EVERYDAY STATISTICS

            

      #   The project was launched in JANUARY ( 2021 ), and it went live in MARCH


      #    Since then, 10 LAKH workers have been registered and more than 3

            CRORE end beneficiaries have been registered

           

    #    EACH DAY, data about vaccines and children’s

          height, weight, MALNUTRITION along with details of

         whether infrastructure such as toilets are present, is being uploaded

         

   #   Anganwadi workers have to download the APP, which can even e integrated by

        States for their own programs

        in this area

    #  The DASHBOARD shows,

#   Real time data of the attendance of workers

#   Number of vaccines

#   Hot cooked meals

#   Take-Home Rations that are provided

It can be broken down state and district wise


   #    Every day, a VIDEO-CONFERENCE is held to address any issue faced by these

         workers or authorities while using the TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM

         

 

Related Readings :


 Poshan Tracker Update: Find Out Why You Are Unable To Login To The App      [  30 March 2021 ]


POSHAN Tracker

Helping make India malnutrition free

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

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