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, 15 November 2016

Take the Wind out of their Sail


When the Lok Sabha reconvenes this morning , expect fire-works !


12 opposition parties , led by Congress , will shed crocodile tears to show their sympathy for the difficulties / harassments / pains suffered by millions  ordinary citizens since demonetization announcement of 08 Nov ." They have lost their livelihoods ", they will say


With forthcoming elections in UP - and 4 more States - , how can they afford to miss out such a golden opportunity to attack the government as being " Anti Poor " ?


Government will argue that ,


*  Things will return to normal in 8 / 10 days


*  Already Rs 5.5 lakh*crore worth of Rs 500 / 1000 notes have been deposited in bank
    accounts . By March 2017 , this will exceed Rs 10 lakh*crore . Balance of Rs 5 lakh*
    crore will get burnt or dumped into rivers


*  Next ( after 30 Dec ) , we plan to attack all Benami Properties where Black money is
    locked up ( for which , it was essential to maintain , utmost secrecy )


But , all of these valid arguments will get drowned in the din !


However, there is a surefire way in which the Government can silence the opposition


By Prime Minister announcing the following in Lok Sabha , at the very outset
( suggestions which, I sent to NDA Ministers through emails shown below ) :


#   Email date :  01  Oct  2015
 
 Abolishing Personal Income Tax ( source of the DARKNESS of CORRUPTION )

*    Stop asking any questions as to the " Source " for all cash deposits 
      made into bank accounts opened under Jan Dhan Yojana


*    Levy a Bank Transaction Tax ( BTT ) of 2 % to yield revenue of 
      Rs 15 lakh*crores , which would be 5 times the loss of revenue due to
      abolition of Personal Income Tax


*    Encourage deposits made into Jan Dhan bank accounts to be invested in
      SOLAR POWER SPV Farms , by direct depositing of income derived ( 
      from sale of electricity to DISCOMs ) into those bank accounts


#   Email date :  22  Sept  2015

*  Enact " Start Up Act - 2015 "

*  Abolish Personal Income Tax for Start Ups registering on web site of 
   Income Tax department ( must file ZERO TAX return for 10 years )

*  No questions asked re source for all investments made in Start Ups ,as
   long as this cash gets deposited in the bank account of that Start Up 


#  E Mail date : 18  Sept  2015

The only FINAL / LASTING solution is :

Abolish Personal Income Tax

Simultaneously declare :

No questions will be asked for any amount of cash deposited in bank accounts by individuals ( of course , with linkage to PAN / Aadhar / RuPay card etc )

Sure , Government will lose Rs 2.5 lakh*crores by way of tax revenue,
received from some 3 crore individual tax payers

But , Abolition of Personal Income Tax ( and no questions asked re bank deposits ) , could lead to 30 crore persons , each depositing Rs 1 lakh into their bank accounts ! 

 {  Not unthinkable , considering that during past one year alone , Rs 20,000
   Cr got deposited in 20 crore new bank accounts , under Jan Dhan Yojana  }

 So , we are talking of bank accounts swelling by  Rs 30 crore*lakh  !

Even if that money earns the depositors , only 3 % rate of interest !

And banks will give out these moneys as loans to Corporate @ 5 % interest rate  ! 

Trillions of BLACK MONEY Rupees will become " Productive Assets "

And , Corporate World ( + our Finance Minister ) would not need to keep begging RBI for a " Rate Cut " to boost the economy !

To keep growing at 10% rate , we have got to make ours , a :

LOW  COST  ECONOMY 


#  E  Mail  date  :  04  Jan  2015

*   " Inverse Taxation Regime " both , for Personal Income Tax as also for Corporate Tax

       The more you earn , the less tax ( rate on next higher slab ) you pay


*   For Corporate , the more people you employ , the less tax ( rate on next higher slab ) you pay



*   Even total abolition of Personal Income Tax



There are over a dozen Countries where there is NIL personal Income Tax


So , there is a precedent that this can work  !


If Personal Income Tax was to be totally abolished , what can / may  happen ?



*   There will be no incentive for tax evasion / avoidance 


     This will be a permanent FULL STOP to future generation of Black Money


*   All payments will be received by cheques and deposited in Bank Accounts


*   All stashed away Black Money will , somehow , on its own , find its way in bank

    accounts, - including Black Money lying in Foreign Banks , making SIT redundant !

   This is the ONLY WAY , NDA  government can redeem its promise !


*   Savings rate will go up dramatically


*   That will lead to greater purchasing power for all people


*   Leading to higher domestic consumption of FMCG / Consumer Durables


*   This will result in huge collection of GST , offsetting revenue losses


*   Demand will go up , boosting manufacturing


*   With rise in manufacturing , sub-contracting / outsourcing will increase , giving a big

     boost to MSME sector 

*   If manufacturing goes up , employment / self-employment ,  will go up


*   For a change , we as a Nation , will learn to celebrate , 


     #    Wealth Creation as a means to reduce poverty


     #    World-size Companies to take on the World


*   There will be less pressure on demands for higher salaries / wages


*   If salaries / wages do not rise , inflation will ease


*   Cost of manufacturing too , will go down


*   Era of " Low Cost Economy " will set in ( VIRTUOUS CIRCLE ? )


*   Savings will move from gold / land to Financial Assets


*   With a low cost structure , our products / services  will become , internationally

     competitive and exports will go up

*   That will improve our current negative Trade Balance / CAD


*   This ( abolition of Personal Income Tax ) should be coupled with SPVs for 


     #    Infrastructure Projects ( especially Smart Cities / Corridors etc )


     #    Educational Institutions


     #     Skill Development Institutions


     #     Health care Facilities


     #     Solar Power ( Eqpt Mfr / Generation / Transmission / Distribution )


     #     Digital India ( Broadband ) Network



     No questions must be asked as to the source of money invested in such SPVs


    All income ( Corporate Income or Personal Income by way of dividends / interests etc )
    arising out of investments made in such SPV , must be tax-exempted

    SPVs , themselves , must not need to pay any taxes for 10 years 

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Dear Shri  Modiji :


*   Today , is the time for your NEXT Surgical Strike / Master Stroke

*   Take away the empty thunder of the Opposition

*   Render the Opposition " irrelevant  "

*   Forever , silence your critics with these " Declarations of Intentions "

*   Make 21st Century , the INDIAN  CENTURY  !

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16  Nov  2016

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs


Monday, 14 November 2016

BANMALI is the TOTAL SOLUTION



Following news report appeared in Economic Times ( Nov 05 , 2016 ) :



" Nutrition in Sachets: Minister's Answer to Malnourishment "

Some parts of the report reads :

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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.

The plan, brainchild of Gandhi, suggests that the central government will supply the nutrients list and the state(s) can have them made. The sachet will bear the Government of India's stamp.

" No monitoring systems have been developed in 40 years and there has been no reporting..production and distribution should be kept separate “, reads the ministry's note

The ministry plans to kick off the Nutrition Mission by December 2016. As for anganwadi women, it suggests that since they will “in effect be irrelevant to the food distribution system“ they can be “moved to government schools for pre-school education which is now severely lacking “.

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This is one more example of NDA ministers , listening to the suggestions sent by ordinary citizens - and acting upon the same , if found good


Dear  Madam  Maneka  Gandhi :


While congratulating you on this  LIFE SAVING  initiative ( - equal in importance to abolition of Black Money ) , I urge you to consider my following suggestion in its totality ( sent to you and other NDA ministers through email ( ' gandhim@sansad.nic.in' ) on 30 June 2016 :

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saving  1.2  million  Kids


Monday / 27 June :

Shri Amitabh Kant , CEO -NITI Aayog , holds a consultation meeting with experts , Ministries and State departments on ,

" National Nutrition Policy  / India's Malnutrition : A Call for Action "

Tuesday / 28 June :

UNICEF releases a report which says, in India , 1.2 million kids ( under age 5 ) died in 2015 , due to " preventable " causes

Even though the eventual manifestation could well be pneumonia / diarrhea / sepsis etc , the root cause is starvation ( - although , to remain politically correct , UNICEF uses the term " malnutrition " ! )

That is 3288 kids daily - 137 kids per hour !

This need not come as a shock , despite the fact that the Integrated Child Development Scheme - ICDS - was launched in India , as far back as 1975

In 2013 , a CAG report had criticized the Women and Child Development Ministry ( which is piloting the ICDS ), for diverting ICDS funds !

CAG further pointed out that the State Governments had diverted Rs 57.82 crore from ICDS to other activities !

Finding faults will not save these kids !

There are 74 millions of them in the age group of 3-6

 Of these , 54 million go to schools , where , I presume they get some nutrition thru Mid-Day meals , even with all the associated deficiencies and corruption scandals !


That leaves 20 million who do not go to school , hopelessly mal-nourished

How can we ensure that they get some nutritious food every day ?


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

FOOD

    India's own " Energy Bar "  ( a Chikki ) , made of a protein-rich mixture of Peanuts + Jagerry ( 50 gms )

    Call it NEUTRA-KID ( - may be our Food Research Institute can come up with a better product )


 #  PACKING

    Eco friendly paper wrapper and paper boxes

  
MANUFACTURERS

    FSSAI  approved units located in  Food Parks  planned by Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal , Minister for Food

     1000 Food Processing Units , each producing 20,000  NEUTRA-KID  bars per day and delivering to 100 nearby post offices ( for 20 million kids )


 
 #  DELIVERY POINTS

    1.45 lakh post offices of India Post . May be they can pick-up / collect their daily consignments from Units

  
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



As to the roles to be played by various agencies involved , I conceptualize as follows :

WOMEN  and  CHILD  DEVELOPMENT  MINISTRY :

#   Preparation of overall Policy and Procedures

#   Laying down of targets for each agency

#   Preparing and Monitoring Project Implementation

#   Making available funds to various agencies ( Rs 5 per bar = Rs 10 cr per day for 20 million kids )

#   Creating / hosting IT Infrastructure and disbursement of hardware / software / weighing scales / phones etc

#   Publishing on its web site , " Targets Vs Actual Achievement " graphs , every quarter


FOOD  MINISTRY

#   Laying down Nutrition Specifications for  NEUTRA-KID  bars

#   Selecting / approving Food Processing Units

#   Place purchase orders using Auction process / making payments thru UPI ( Universal Payment Interface )

#   Ensuring timely delivery to 1.45 lakh post offices

#   Ensuring Quality through SGS



POST OFFICES

#   After thorough scrutiny / verification , to register under-nourished kids . Central
    Database will ensure that there is no duplication ( same child registering at more than
    one post office )
   
#   Receive / Store / Distribute the NEUTRA-KID  bars to registered kids , as per direction of
     doctor at Community Health Centre
   

#   Enter all data in BANMALI mobile app of each child and sync it with post office server ,
     connected to Central Servers
   

#   At the end of the day , enter DAILY TRANSACTION DATA ( Receipts / Disbursement /
     Balance ) in server


COMMUNITY  HEALTH  CENTERS

#   Resident doctor to examine each registered ( and eligible ) child , once a month and
     prescribe ( into BANMALI ) medicines / next month's bar-quota

     Medicines to be handed out ( Free ) , on the spot ( no visit to chemist )
  
#    All these data to be entered into BANMALI ( and then synced with server of Health
      Centre )

     In turn , all these data will get transmitted to Central Servers of concerned Ministries

If there is a way to physically move the COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE CENTRES into the premises of nearby Post Office , that would save a lot of hassle to the parents / kids


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


I hope the concerned Ministers and Secretaries and Shri Amitabh Kant , will debate my proposal

It is quite likely that they may improve upon it


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15  Nov  2016


www.hemenparekh.in / blogs



Sunday, 13 November 2016

Embrace the Inevitable


What  is   Inevitable  ?


*  From 01 April 2017 , introduction of a Rs 10,000 denomination currency note , duly embedded with RFID chip


*  From 01 Oct 2017, withdraw current ( newly introduced ) notes of Rs 500 / 2,000 , ie these will cease to be legal tender from that date


*  Do not introduce replacement of Rs 1,000 note , currently under planning


*  Let current ( new ) notes of Rs 500 / 2,000 , co-exist / overlap ( during April-Oct 2017 ) , with Rs 10,000 RFID embedded note



Why  Embrace  ?

*  We want to permanently eliminate BLACK MONEY and CORRUPTION

*  We want our economy to move from a 2 % non-cash transaction to a 96 % non-cash transaction

*  We want this transition to happen by Dec 2017

*  Such a rapid transition is not possible to be achieved by relying on increased usage of Electronic Transfers / Mobile Payment Wallets / Credit - Debit cards / RuPay / UPI etc



How  will Rs 10,000 currency note achieve such transition in ONE year  ?


*  Embedding RFID chip in Rs 10,000 note , practically turns it into a Credit Card !

   Whereas it is not possible for any issuing agency to issue a BILLION plastic credit cards - one to each Jan Dhan Bank account holder -, there is no problem for government / RBI to print and issue , a BILLION notes of Rs 10,000 ( duly embedded with RFID chip )



Can a RFID embedded Rs 10,000 note succeed in capturing all the data which a Credit card transaction manages to capture ?


*  Sure , a RFID embedded note too will capture ALL the data such as :

   >  Details of " spender / giver " of that note

   >  Details of " Recipient " of that note

   >  Date / Time / Amount of that transaction

   >  Details of " Goods / Services " involved

   >  Details of taxes paid ( Sales Tax / VAT / GST etc )


  
#   How will such captured DATA get transferred to Servers of IT / ED / RBI  ?


*   Each " giver " and each " receiver " of Rs 10,000 note will need to install in his smart phone , a IT Dept issued Mobile App ( called , VERIFIER )

*   Mobile app will have provision to enter details of this CASH transaction

*  When that Rs 10,000 note is placed flat on the screen of the mobiles ( of both the parties      ) , the data will get transmitted through internet , including the note serial number



Will embedding RFID serve any other purpose ?


*  That is the BEAUTY of RFID chip !

    It will communicate to IT / ED / RBI etc , of any accumulation of ( say ), ONE THOUSAND or more number of such notes , in an area of 1 Sq Meter , anywhere in India !

So , Black Money will have  NO PLACE TO HIDE  !

And , this continuous / constant tracking of each and every note of Rs 10,000 , can even help determine the MONEY VELOCITY / CurrencyMaps  !



#  Will this avoid the pain / difficulty / harassment being faced by ordinary citizens during the past 5 days  ?


*  Yes , of course  !

    Since there will be an overlap ( concurrent existence ) of high denomination notes for a 6 month period ( April - Oct 2017 ) , both types of notes will continue to be accepted as legal tender and there will be no disruption of day-to-day activities of buyers and sellers

This overlap will give enough time for RBI / Banks to fill up 4,000 " Currency Chests " located around the country , as also modify / fill up , 2 lakh ATMs



Will Government need to keep as a " closely guarded secret " , the introduction of RFID embedded notes of Rs 10,000  ?


*  No need ! Let the black money holders try whatever tricks they want !

    After 01 Oct 2017 , the only CASH they can hide , will be either Rs 100 notes ( just impossible ) or Rs 10,000 notes which " Announce their GPS location " and cry ,



{  http://myblogepage.blogspot.in/2016/08/help-please-rescue-me.html  }


What about crores of rupees that the Government just spent over the past 6 months , in printing the new notes of Rs 500 / 2,000  ?

*  Let us treat it as a price that we paid , in the experimental process of trying to Banish the Black !

Remember , this ( NDA ) is one government which encourages its officers to take honest and bold decisions , even if these turn out to appear as " mistakes " , in retrospect !

If and when they are convinced that they may have made an honest mistake , they do not hesitate to make a course-correction ! All in the interest of the Nation

Honest mistakes of " Commission " are better than the sins of " Omission , flowing from No Decisions !



Is it very expensive to embed RFID chips in plastic notes  ?


*  Here is what Sanjay Sarma ( a prominent researcher of RFID technology ) has to say :

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25  March , 2016

Dear Mr. Parekh,

Yes, placing tags on money has certainly been considered in the past.  I think it is a matter of time before it happens. I do agree with your idea. 

----------------------------------------------------------------

13  Nov  2016

Hi Hemen,

It can be brought down to about 3-5 cents with scale.

Meanwhile check out a variant of the technology which is cheaper:



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14  Nov  2016

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs