Not a straightforward Answer !

Economic Times ( 28 Feb 2017 ) carries following report :

“ Govt to Formulate Policies on Ethanol, Methanol soon , says Gadkari “

The Centre will soon come out with policies on the SECOND-GENERATION ethanol as well as methanol, non-conventional fuel resources, which will bring down the crude import bill by Rs 1 lakh crore, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said today.

After chairing an inter-ministerial meeting attended by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, among others, Road Transport and Highways Minister Gadkari said this will also create an industry worth Rs 1 lakh crore and provide employment to around 25 lakh youths, he said.

Gadkari said it was decided to take SECOND GENERATION ethanol production on mission mode as India accounted for a huge Rs 6 lakh crore imports bill on crude per annum and exploring and generating indigenous alternative would cut crude imports by at least Rs 1 lakh crore.

He said at present ethanol is derived from molasses which is barely 119 crore litres as against a minimum requirement of about 500 crore litres.

"We get hardly three per cent ethanol whereas we can mix 22 per cent in petrol. There is shortage of 19 per cent...We can make SECOND GENERATION ethanol from bamboo, cotton straw, wheat straw, rice straw, bagass etc... This will generate employment for 25 lakh rural youth....The industry will be of Rs 1 lakh crore size," the Minister said.

He said the biofuel was not only cost-effective but a pollution free import substitute.

The Minister said that in countries like the US and Brazil, there are flex engines of cars where 22 per cent ethanol could be easily blended in petrol.

Promotion to green fuel like ethanol will not only arrest migration of people from villages to town but using bio technology production of biomass could be enhanced and more people could be roped in for employment, he said.

Gadkari also said in view of surplus coal production it has been decided to promote methanol output and Petroleum Ministry will also bring a policy for production of methanol from coal.

While it is true that a few countries have been experimenting with blending of bio-fuels with petrol , experts have raised serious concerns re its impact on a country’s eco-system

I reproduce below , a few such concerns listed in book “ CLEAN DISRUPTION “ by Tony Seba { pg 201-210 }: { https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxryv2XrnqM }

·         It takes 13,676 gallons of water to produce a single gallon of biodiesel from soybeans

·         It takes 1700 gallons of water to produce one gallon of ethanol . Assuming a 30 gallon gasoline tank in a SUV , we calculate 51,000 gallons of water for the corn ethanol fill up ( Prof David Pimentel of Cornell University )

·         Each time someone fills up an SUV with corn Ethanol, he or she uses as much water as the average American residential user consumes in 16 months !

·         IBM’s “ Carbon Disclosure Project “ provides following data to generate 1 MWh of energy :

#  Solar PV and wind use negligible amount of water : 0.1 litre or less than half a cup

#  Biofuels use an astonishing 1.78 million times more water than Solar to generate the same amount of energy !

·         All the water for drinking , agricultural irrigation , power plants and factories that 2.5 billion people in CHINA and INDIA need per YEAR , is roughly equal to the water biofuels require to produce two days’ worth of energy in USA !

·         According to WaterFootprint, 19,924 gallons of water are needed to produce ONE gallon of biodiesel from jatropha

·         Sugarcane , one of the biofuel industry’s “ success stories “ , converts just 0.38 percent of sunlight into biomass . In the end, the solar-to-ethanol conversion ratio for sugarcane is just 0.13 percent , according to “ Scientific American “

·         The average Solar Panel is 123 TIMES more efficient in converting sunshine into usable energy

·         Concentrating photovoltaic { CPV } can turn about 40percent of the sunshine into electricity, which makes it THREE HUNDRED TIMES more efficient than sugarcane ethanol biofuel

·         SOLAR IS ANYWHERE FROM 123 TO 550 TIMES MORE EFFICIENT THAN BIOFUELS

·         SOLAR CHP ( COMBINED HEAT AND POWER ) CAN CONVERT SUNSHINE 550 TIMES MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN SUGARCANE CAN

Dear Shri Gadkariji :

Research by reputed scientific organizations all over the World , project a Water Stress situation of unprecedented proportions in India , within the next 10 years

 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225386996_Sustainable_Development_of_Water_Resources_in_India

Last year’s “ Water Wars “ of Latur ( Maharashtra ) will get replicated in many parts of our country , in next 20 weeks !  And every year thereafter !

{ http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-andhra-karnataka-droughts-the-looming-water-crisis-in-south-india/story-HuRpL6p0cA7paSUpIDITCP.html }

Production of biofuel on the massive scale envisaged in the new policy , will only further push down the already deep water tables and accelerate the droughts / famines

IN LIGHT OF THE ARGUMENTS LISTED ABOVE , I REQUEST A RE-CONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSED POLICY

04  March  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs 

Wormholes Across the World ?

Can Indian businesses / industries / Start Ups , create Wormholes across the World ?

Although  , at 22 million , Indians constitute the largest diaspora in the World , it is getting difficult by the day , even for the skilled Indian Professionals to travel to other countries , in search of jobs / work

All over the World , job opportunities are shrinking . Robots are replacing workers – even knowledge workers

In each country, local citizens are resenting foreign nationals eating up their jobs

Soon enough , they will prevail upon their political leaders to pass laws that will prohibit foreigners from working in their countries

These forces are far more vocal and powerful than Donald Trump , who wants to cut back on H1B visas !

How can India prepare for such an “ Isolationist “ world ?

In  my following blogs , I have talked about  such ways :

·         BackFactory of the World ?

       { https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2015/09/back-factory-of-world.html }

·         CanIndian IT re-invent itself ?

{ https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/02/can-indian-it-re-invent-itself.html }

·         WillHolograms beat H1B visa ban ?

    { https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/01/will-holograms-beat-h1b-visa-ban.html }

Following news appearing in MINT ( 03 March 2017 ) confirms my belief :

Forget email, Slack and the humble telephone.

When workers at one Australian company want to talk to colleagues in China, they just turn their heads and look down the "wormhole".

Large screens at the end of each row of desks offer a digital window between offices in Melbourne and Xi'an—7,000 kilometers apart—at real-estate company REA Group Ltd.

“You really do feel you are looking through a window,” said Nigel Dalton, chief inventor for REA

"Email is not an efficient mode of communication and nor is it very humanistic. ”

The always-on video conference, also known as a wormhole or portal, is part of an evolution in office design with efficiency in mind.

Other innovations soon to be seen at an office near you include augmented reality office spaces, real-time translation tools and super-fast 5G internet, which should allow many workers more flexibility to work remotely.

The wormholes help colleagues communicate and get to know each other

But when you think you’re the last one left in the office, someone could still be “there,” in virtual form.

Seeing things: Augmented reality

Virtual- or augmented-reality headsets aren't just for gamers, Minnett says. They could actually be used at work.

A device, like Google Glass or Microsoft’s HoloLens headset, could overlay digital images onto the real world.

AN EMPTY OFFICE COULD BECOME A CONFERENCE SPACE, WHERE PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT PHYSICAL LOCATIONS CAN WRITE ON DIGITAL WHITEBOARDS OR EXAMINE VIRTUALLY REPRODUCED PRODUCTS.

Speak to me: Real-time translation

Here’s one that isn’t ready for prime-time just yet: real-time language translation for video conferencing. While advances are being made, the technology to converse smoothly with a non-native speaker remains elusive for now, REA’s Dalton said. “That will change the world,” he said.

Faster than a speeding bullet: 5G

The next evolution of mobile networks, known as 5G, is expected to roll out in the next few years and could do much more than just make it easier to work from home.

AT&T’s chief strategy officer John Donovan says the technology will open the doors to “new experiences in virtual reality, self-driving cars, robotics, smart cities, health care and so much more.”

03  March  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

Poverty Alleviation – the Chinese Way

During and after recent Union Budget , there has been a lot of public debate re desirability of introducing UBI ( Universal Basic Income )

A monthly guaranteed income of Rs 5000 to the poor families was being talked about

Idea is to enable our poorest to “ eke out a minimal existence “

Whereas there can be no quarrel re need to provide succour to our poor , I believe , this might lead to the development of a “ Dependency Culture “ ! – for everything , people looking up to the “ Sarkar Maa Baap “ !

In this background , following news report ( Times of India / 26 Feb 2017 ) , makes interesting reading :

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“ CHINA  TO  SHIFT  7  LAKH  POOR  FOR  BETTER  LIFE “

“ Over 7 lakh people in China’s southwest Guizhou province will be relocated this year at a cost of $ 6.6 billion as a POVERTY ALLEVIATION measure

A total of 1.81 lakh families will be moved from remote inhospitable areas in the hope of providing them a better life in the province which is one of the most impoverished provinces in the country

Over 3,600 villages will be moved , accounting for about 30 % of those to be relocated

China plans to lift 10 million people above poverty line this year “

The report does not say whether the Chinese Government will provide “ jobs “ to these people

But ,

They will need to be housed ( even if in 250 sq ft flats )

And they will need schools / hospitals / roads / electricity / gas / public transport / garbage clearance / water / telecommunication / markets and a hundred other amenities

And constructing / providing all of this “ Infrastructure “  facilities would create “ jobs “ !

Enough jobs for each adult family member getting displaced !

So , by spending $ 6.6 billion ( approx. Rs 46,000 crore ) , China is ,

·         Creating lakhs of jobs

·         Alleviating Poverty without handing out a “ dole “

Shri Vankaiah Naidu , might want to visit Guizhou province of China to assess if this Chinese Model would work for us

03  March  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

Thank You , Varun Gandhi !

Financial Express ( 28 Feb 2017 ) carries following news :

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“ Are your MPs, MLAs not performing ?  Varun Gandhi introduces private bill in Lok Sabha to recall them “

MPs and MLAs should be recalled within two years from being elected if 75 per cent of those who voted for them are not satisfied with their performance, according to a bill moved by BJP MP Varun Gandhi.

“Logic and justice necessitate that if the people have the power to elect their representatives, they should also have the power to remove these representatives when they engage in misdeeds or fail to fulfil the duties,” Varun said.

As per the legislation, recalling process can be initiated by any voter of the constituency by filing a petition before the Speaker, signed by at least one-fourth of the total number of electors in that constituency.

After confirming its authenticity, the Speaker will move the application to the Election Commission for its verification and authentication of the voters’ signatures on it. The Commission will verify the signatures on it and will organise the voting on 10 places in the respective constituency of MP or MLA, it says.

If three-fourth of the votes that member was polled in his election, go in favour of the recall process, the member will be recalled, the bill proposes.

Within 24 hours of the receipt of the result, the Speaker will notify the result to the general public. Once the seat gets duly vacated the Commission can organise a bypoll in that constituency.

“A free and fair election is the right of the citizens of the country and in the event of their elected representatives no longer enjoying their confidence, the people must have a right to remove them,” Varun said. It is on the edifice of accountability of politicians that the true idea of democracy can be achieved, he added. At present there is no recourse to the electorate if they are unhappy with their elected representative.

For ensuring that a recall process is not frivolous and does not became a source of harassment to elected members, the entire process has several safeguards incorporated in the bill.

Recall petition will kickstart the process and electronic based voting to finally decide its outcome, the bill says.

The bill provides for verification of signatures and first review by the Speaker of the House concerned. At the same time to ensure that a representative cannot be recalled by a small margin of voters, the threshold for success of a recall petition is accordingly high.

Dear Varun Gandhi :

Even though there is very slim chance of this bill getting passed ( even in a diluted form ) , you deserve congratulations for this initiative !

Should you face the inevitable stiff resistance ( including from the BJP MPs ) , I request you to get them to , at least support introduction of the following / non-binding , Mobile App suggested by me in Aug 2015 :

ROMP– ( Recall Our Member of Parliament ) – a Panacea ?

{ https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2015/08/romp-panacea.html }

And as to the matter of setting some “ PERFORMANCE TARGETS “ for the MPs / MLAs , you may request Shri Amit Shah to refer to the examples listed at :

TheThin Line – Sample Objectives

{ http://latterstolntemployee.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-thin-line-sample-objectives.html }

I do hope that millions of Indian Voters come forward to support your bill , which , if passed , would go a long way to increase our parliament’s productivity

02  March 2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

Future Home is Here !

Extract from a news in DNA ( 03 March 2017 ) :

·         140 room hotel Urbanpod started operations in Andheri ( Mumbai ) on 02 March

·         Each room is 50 sq ft ( single guest ) –or 90 sq ft ( two guests )

·         18 rooms for female guests and 106 rooms for male guests

·         Room facilities include : A comfortable bed / TV / locker / lights / free WiFi / adjustable Air Conditioning / dresser / lockable sliding door

·         60 seater café for mini meals like ones on “ on-board “ a flight

·         Total project cost = Rs 9 crore

·         Per room cost = Rs 8-9 lakhs ( Rs 16,000 per sq ft )

·         Room Tariff = Rs 2,000 – 2,500 ( includes breakfast )

·         Target Customers = Single , transit and group travellers

·         Prefabricated rooms designed by Formwerkz ( Singapore ) and supplied by some Chinese firm

·         THE HOTEL GOT “ ASSEMBLED “ ( ON SITE ) WITHIN 9 MONTHS OF GETTING SITE

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Now consider the following :

·         In last Union Budget , “ affordable housing “ ( in 4 metros ) , is defined at carpet area of 30 sq meter ( 323 sq ft ) which equals approx. 6 rooms ( pods of 50 sq ft each ) of Urbanpod hotel ( costing Rs 52 lakhs )

·         BUT THE CURRENT GOING RATE FOR A 323 SQ FT FLAT IN MUMBAI IS RS 100 LAKHS !

·         All over India, millions of families are in search of “ affordable “ houses

·         All that they can “ afford “ for a 323 sq ft house is Rs 10 lakhs !

·         Can price of 6 pods of Urbanpod be brought down from Rs 52 lakhs to Rs 10 lakhs ?

ANSWER :

Constructing buildings using mass production technique of 3 D Printing , pioneered by WINSUN ( China ) , can bring down the cost ( of a 323 sq ft house ) to well below Rs 10 lakhs – more likely to Rs 5 lakh !

Remember , we are scaling up from 140 pre-fabricated rooms to 140 MILLION affordable homes !

In case of doubt , look up following report of World Economic Forum ,

 http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shaping_the_Future_of_Construction_Inspiring_Innovators_redefine_the_industry_2017.pdf

HOW  TO  GO  ABOUT  ?

·         For a detailed FRAME WORK for constructing 200 million homes by 2022 , read,

 #  3 DPrinted Office ( 27 May 2016 )

{ https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/05/3d-printed-office.html }

#   Good  Policy :  Devil is in Details (  10 Dec 2016 )

{ https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/12/good-policy-devil-is-in-details.html }

#  QUANTUM JUMPOF 50 MILLION HOUSES ( 13  Feb  2016 )

{ https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/02/cheap-houses.html }

 

 

#  A  Dream House  by  2020  ? ( 01 Sept 2015 )

{ https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2015/09/dream-house-by-2020.html }

 

 

03  March  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs