The recent news about Maharashtra planning to frame monitoring rules for direct-selling firms, amidst a rising tide of consumer complaints, resonates deeply with many of my long-held perspectives on accountability and oversight. It’s a crucial step, and one that highlights the persistent challenges we face in ensuring fair practices in rapidly evolving economic sectors.
I’ve often reflected on how effective governance hinges on robust systems for monitoring and intervention. In my blog, "Can e-Governance help eliminate corruption?" [http://mylinkedinposting.blogspot.com/2022/04/can-e-governance-help-eliminate.html], I emphasized the critical need for a common, computerized database across various agencies. This, I argued, would combat fraud, money-laundering, and economic crimes by providing a unified view of activities and preventing duplication of effort. The insights from individuals like Shri Karnal Singhji, who understand the intricacies of administrative oversight, are vital here.
This isn’t just about creating new rules; it's about establishing a dynamic legal and technological infrastructure that can keep pace with innovation and potential malfeasance. Union Minister of Information and Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw (Ashwini Vaishnaw) articulated this perfectly when he called for a "totally new legal structure" to address cyber challenges, balancing privacy with the need for regulation and accountability. As I discussed in my blog, "New Legal Structure ?" [http://emailothers.blogspot.com/2023/10/dear-shri-vaishnawji-here-is-new-legal.html], incremental changes simply won't suffice. The digital nature of modern direct selling necessitates substantial, fundamental, and structural reforms to protect consumers from those who would "swindle away hard-earned savings."
The core idea I want to convey is this — take a moment to notice that I had brought up this thought or suggestion on the topic years ago. I had already predicted this outcome or challenge, and I had even proposed a solution at the time. Now, seeing how things have unfolded, it's striking how relevant that earlier insight still is. Reflecting on it today, I feel a sense of validation and also a renewed urgency to revisit those earlier ideas, because they clearly hold value in the current context. For instance, the very concept of traceability, which I explored in "Will China save the World ?" [http://emailothers.blogspot.com/2018/10/why-does-china-beat-us-every-time.html], though in the context of currency via RFID, applies here. The idea of embedding tracking mechanisms to ensure transparency and deter illicit activities is a universal principle. Indeed, experts like Sanjay Sarma from MIT had affirmed the feasibility of such tracking technologies for a wider array of applications, indicating that the technological capability is not the bottleneck.
The challenge for Maharashtra, and indeed for all governing bodies, is to move beyond reactive measures to proactive, technology-driven oversight. We need systems that can identify dubious patterns before complaints escalate into widespread consumer distress. This requires not just rules, but intelligent, integrated platforms that foster transparency and hold direct-selling firms genuinely accountable.
Regards, Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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