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

Monday, 11 September 2023

Dear Shri Narendrabhai > How about ( always ) Virtual Lok Sabha ?

 


 

Context :

India to host another G20 Summit, a virtual one, in November: Modi    … BL  / 10 Sept 2023

Extract :

“India has the responsibility of G20 Presidency till November. In these two days, you (world leaders) have expressed several views and put forward various proposals. I propose that we hold a virtual session of G20 in November end, where we can review the subjects of this summit,” Modi said before he announced the conclusion of the G20 Summit.

NeVA project to be inaugurated by President Murmu is for people’s convenience: Gujarat CM   .. 10 Sept 2023

Extract :

As per the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, the National e-Vidhan Application ( NeVA ), is a Unicode-compliant software developed to make all legislative work and data available online for usage by both citizen and assembly members.

NeVA also includes a website and an App.

This software allows for a simple access to many documents such as the list of the questions, list of businesses and reports among others

NeVA also embodies the concept of “ One Nation, One Application “ , with the objective of  Cloud First and Mobile First to serve Members FIRST

PM Modi proposed a “ One Nation , One Legislative Platform “ in November 2021

 

 MY  TAKE :

 

Ø  Virtual Parliament : a COVID bye-product ? …………[ 03 June 2020 ]

 

 

Extract :

            Ø  Online broadcast of Virtual Session through a Mobile App ( LokRaj ?  )

            Ø  Receive Questions / Answers / Notices , online ( as being done already )

            Ø  Decide ( and control ),  WHO will speak , WHEN and for HOW LONG .

            Ø  Display these “ Speaking Schedules “ on the Mobile App with a provision

               for the viewers to cast their  Ratings “ online / instantly , as each

               speaker delivers his / her speech

               

                Dynamically display “ No of Raters “ and “ Rating Score ( 1 to 5 ) “ . 

               Such an “ Instant Feedback “ will dramatically improve , not only the

               behavior of each Member of Parliament, but also improve the “ Relevance “

               of his talk !

          Ø  Turn-off the member’s mike if he refuses to stop or starts shouting /

              abusing

          Ø  No question of anyone speaking “ out of turn “ or rushing to the well of

              the house !

          Ø  Bar unruly members from attending a VIRTUAL SESSION

          Ø  Display ( as in case of Augmented Reality – AR ), following record of an MP

              as he is speaking :

                          #   Attendance percentage  /  Punctuality

                    #   No of questions asked

                    #   Number of minutes spoken during the session

 

         Ø  Just before the voting starts on any Bill , enable the Members of Parliament

             to receive “ Instructions  “ ( really , feedback from citizen who voted for   

             him / her ), as to how voters want him to vote ( “for “ or “against “ the

             bill  as outlined at :

Ø   VotersWill  ………………………………….[  03  Nov  2018  ]

 

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

www.hemenparekh.ai  /  12 Sept 2023

Related Readings :

Dance of Democracy ?....................... ………..[ 30 Dec 2017 ]

Candidates / Spouses / Kids : Assets ?........  [ 16 Feb 2018 ]

Artificial Intelligence to fix MP / MLA Salary ? [ 22 Feb 2018 ]

People’s Pulse ? People’s Confusion ?........... [ 12 July 2018 ]

Citizen’s Charter of Demand ………………………….[ 29 Oct 2018 ]

LS Speaker Om Birla would like this …………….[ 29 July 2022 ]

      Virtual Legislatures ? “ Not Quite There “ but “ Getting Close “.. 21 Aug 2022

      Finally, e-Parliament is arriving  ……………………[ 07 Oct 2022 ]

      Law Makers : Stay Away………………………………..[ 4 June 2023 ]

 

 

As per my custom , I consulted BARD – ChatGPT on the feasibility and advantages of my proposal

Here are their answers :

BARD :


I have read your blog post and I think your proposal for a virtual Lok Sabha has some merits.

Here is my evaluation of each item of your proposal:

·        Online broadcast of Virtual Session through a Mobile App ( LokRaj ? )

This is a good idea. It would allow citizens to watch the proceedings of Parliament live and would make the Parliament more transparent. The app could also be used to provide real-time feedback to MPs, as you suggest.

·        Receive Questions / Answers / Notices , online ( as being done already )

This is already being done, and it is a good way to save time and money. It would also make it easier for MPs to stay in touch with their constituents.

·        Decide ( and control ), WHO will speak , WHEN and for HOW LONG.

This is a more controversial proposal. Some people might argue that it gives too much power to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. However, it could also be seen as a way to ensure that all MPs have a chance to speak and that no one person dominates the debate.

·        Display these “ Speaking Schedules “ on the Mobile App with a provision for the viewers to cast their “ Ratings “ online / instantly , as each speaker delivers his / her speech

This is an interesting idea. It would allow citizens to provide feedback on the performance of MPs, which could help to improve the quality of debate.

However, it is important to ensure that this feedback is not anonymous, so that MPs can respond to it.

·        Turn-off the member’s mike if he refuses to stop or starts shouting / abusing

This is a necessary power for the Speaker to have. It is important to maintain order in the House of Parliament and to prevent disruption.

·        No question of anyone speaking “ out of turn “ or rushing to the well of the house !

This is another necessary power for the Speaker to have. It is important to ensure that the proceedings of Parliament are conducted in a orderly manner.

·        Bar unruly members from attending a VIRTUAL SESSION

This is a reasonable proposal. If an MP is repeatedly disruptive, they should be barred from attending virtual sessions. This would help to ensure that the quality of debate is not compromised.

·        Display ( as in case of Augmented Reality – AR ), following record of an MP as he is speaking : # Attendance percentage / Punctuality # No of questions asked # Number of minutes spoken during the session

This is a good way to hold MPs accountable to their constituents. It would allow citizens to see how often their MPs are attending Parliament, how many questions they are asking, and how long they are speaking for.

·        Just before the voting starts on any Bill , enable the Members of Parliament to receive “ Instructions “ ( really , feedback from citizen who voted for
him / her ), as to how voters want him to vote ( “for “ or “against “ the bill as outlined at :
Ø VotersWill ………………………………….[ 03 Nov 2018 ]

This is a very interesting proposal.

It would allow MPs to get real-time feedback from their constituents on how they should vote on a particular bill. However, it is important to ensure that this feedback is not unduly influenced by vested interests.

Overall, I think your proposal for a virtual Lok Sabha has some merit.

It could save time and money, and it could make the Parliament more transparent and accountable to citizens.

 However, there are also some challenges that would need to be addressed, such as ensuring that the quality of debate is not compromised and that the feedback from citizens is not unduly influenced by vested interests.

I think it is important to have a public debate on this issue and to carefully consider all the pros and cons before making a decision about whether or not to move to a virtual Lok Sabha.

 

 

ChatGPT  :

Your proposal for conducting India's Lok Sabha entirely virtually is an interesting idea, and it's worth evaluating each item you've suggested:

1.     Online Broadcast of Virtual Session:

·        Broadcasting Lok Sabha sessions online through a mobile app is a feasible and convenient way to make proceedings accessible to the public.

 

2.     Receive Questions/Answers/Notices Online:

·        This is already being done, and it's a practical step toward digitizing parliamentary proceedings.

 

3.     Decide Who Will Speak, When, and for How Long:

·        Giving control over speaking schedules can be advantageous to maintain order and efficiency during virtual sessions.

 

4.     Display Speaking Schedules and Allow Online Ratings:

·        Displaying schedules and allowing online ratings could enhance transparency and accountability. However, it might be challenging to ensure that ratings are fair and not manipulated.

 

5.     Turn Off the Member's Microphone for Disruptive Behavior:

·        Controlling microphone access to maintain decorum is essential for productive virtual sessions.

 

6.     Prevent Members from Speaking Out of Turn or Rushing to the Well of the House:

·        Implementing strict rules for virtual sessions to prevent disruptions is necessary.

 

7.     Bar Unruly Members from Attending a Virtual Session:

·        Enforcing penalties for unruly behavior, such as temporary suspensions, can help maintain order.

 

8.     Display Member's Record During Speech:

·        Displaying attendance, punctuality, questions asked, and speaking time can provide valuable information to the public about their representatives' performance.

 

9.     Enable MPs to Receive Instructions from Constituents Before Voting:

·        This is a novel concept and could enhance the representation of constituents' views in parliamentary decisions. However, implementing it effectively and securely would be challenging.

While your proposal has some merits, there are also challenges and considerations to address:

·        Ensuring Security and Privacy: Virtual sessions should be secure to prevent unauthorized access or hacking attempts.

·        Digital Literacy: MPs and the public need to be digitally literate to use these platforms effectively.

·        Internet Accessibility: India's digital divide may hinder access for some MPs and citizens.

·        Manipulation: Online ratings and instructions could be manipulated, so a robust system would be required to verify authenticity.

·        Legal Framework: Changes to parliamentary rules and legislation may be necessary to implement these proposals.

It's also worth noting that the NeVA project is a step in the right direction toward digitizing legislative work and making it accessible online.

Your proposal aligns with the concept of using technology to improve the functioning of Parliament. However, a comprehensive discussion among policymakers and stakeholders would be essential to address the challenges and determine the feasibility of a fully virtual Lok Sabha.

 

 

 

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