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, 15 July 2017

A New Way to E-Way ?



Economic Times ( 14 July ) carries following news report :




“ Govt Bets Big on Tech to Ensure E-way Bill Does Not Bring Back Inspector Raj “


The proposed e-way bill for moving goods within the country would rely heavily on technology, employing RFID chips and QR codes, to ensure that monitoring of goods movement does not bring back inspector raj and slow down goods traffic on highways, officials said. 


The e-way bill is proposed as a permit of sorts in electronic format, which will have details of the goods carried on a vehicle.


"Effort is to have high technology interface," said a government official, adding that it would ensure that all data regarding an e-way bill is captured on it.


Having it embedded on RFID chip or a QR code will help in checking these in a non-intrusive manner without holding up a vehicle.


" These would be checked with hand-held devices or RFID chip readers,"  the official said. 


A group of officers from state and union finance ministry will work on the tech and design of e-way bill, the person said.


According to the proposed framework, GST Network will generate e-way bills that will remain valid for one to 15 days, depending on the transport distance.


One-day permit will be for a distance up to 100 km while a 15-day permit will allow more than 1,000 km transit, as per the proposed law.


A tax officer can intercept any conveyance to verify the e-way bill or the physical goods for all inter-state and intra-state movement of goods 


Rules governing the e-way bill have not yet been approved by the GST Council and are expected to be taken up when it meets next month on August 5. 


Express Industry Council of India (EICI), which represents small and large express delivery service companies engaged in domestic and international door to door transport services of parcels and documents, had expressed concerns about it, saying it could prove a logistical challenge. 



My request / suggestion to GST Council :


·         Aim to turn India’s highways into friction-less “ Conveyor Belts of Commerce


·         Look up conveyor belts in the warehouses of Amazon / Flipkart / UPS / FedEx etc , which carry hundreds of packages per minute – with each package carrying dozens of different items ( can we replace “ packages “ with TRUCKS and “ conveyor belts “ with HIGHWAYS ? )


·         Each item within each box , has RFID chip and QR code ( interlinked )


·         Sensors placed along the conveyor belt “ reads “ each package and each item inside each package . No need to stop the flow of the packages


·         E-way Bill too , will have all the QR Codes / RFID data , of each item loaded onto the truck ( Price / Origin City / Destination City / Supplier with GSTN registration number / Recipient with his GSTN registration number / GST – ISGST – SGST amount for each item / Date of Dispatch / Validity of E Way Bill etc )


·         Just like today’s Mobile Apps of UPS / FedEx enable online tracking of each package and of individual items within each package , that “ high technology interface “ being proposed by the Government should incorporate the following technologies :


   #   QR code / RFID chip





#   Internet of Things ( IoT )






#   BlueTooth / NFC


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


Dear Members of GST Council :


Here is YOUR opportunity to lead the way ( - in this case , the HIGHWAY ! )


There is no technical reason why Software Super Power India , cannot lead the world in ,

“ Ease of Doing Business “



If you guarantee the business / industry that “ NO INSPECTOR “ will stop the truck along its journey , they will willingly implement ANY / ALL technologies to serve the purpose of E Way Bill



Remember , all corruption starts by permitting HUMANS to “ interpret “ whether a given process was “ correct / incorrect “ as prescribed – and collect their “ hafta “ for offering to interpret it in favour of the Business / Industry , violating the process !



By implementing my suggestion



,
technology will SHUT DOWN the truck engine , upon detection of a violation !



And automatically unlock the engine when the violation gets corrected by EDITING the E-Way Bill , on GSTN web site !



16  July  2017



Friday, 14 July 2017

Making Aadhar Omnipresent ?



And making it a  FAIT  ACCOMPLI  ?


A 5 judge bench of the Supreme Court well soon hear a petition on the alleged “ illegality / un-constitutionality “ of Aadhar


In the meantime , following news caught my eyes :




Hindustan Times ( 14 July ) headline :


“ Govt slams states over slow progress in Aadhaar linking “


Scores of students in government schools across the country may be deprived of mid-day meals if their states continue the slow progress in getting them enrolled under Aadhaar





Business Line ( 14 July ) headline :


“ Open Aadhaar enrolment centres in branches , UIDAI tells banks “



The Unique Identification Authority of India ( UIDAI ) has asked private as well as public sector banks to set up Aadhaar enrolment facility in at least one out of 10 branches in the coming weeks


At present , there are 25,000 active enrolment centres across the country….


There are 120,000 bank branches………..



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


Now consider this :

·         Aadhaar enrolment centre consists of,

A physical space ( 10 feet by 20 feet room ) for waiting of applicants


#  2 / 3  computers to enter data ( name / address / DOB etc ) , of applicant


A device to record Finger-Print and Iris Scan


#  6 / 8 employees to man the Centre



Already Smart phones are available with Bio-metric Readers ( Finger print + Iris scan )




If these phones were pre-loaded with an app { OMNI-DHAAR ? } , where the owners ( and their friends ) can enter ( type ) the desired DATA , then such a Smart phone can morph into a Aadhaar Enrolment Centre !


Omni-dhaar will instantly transmit the data entered to the Central Server of UIDAI for verification / confirmation ( ie: no duplication ) / dispatch of Aadhaar Card



Imagine , millions and millions of Aadhaar Enrolment Centres – without incurring of any expense on part of the government !



And those millions of students will persuade their parents to buy them a smart-phone , loaded with “ Omni-dhaar “ !



Only last week , Karbonn has already come out with a smart phone with


#   pre-loaded BHIM mobile wallet app


#   Biometric Reader


 So , what I am suggesting is not much “ out of place “ !



And the government would not have to worry about the Supreme Court striking this down , as “ un-constitutional “ !




15  July  2017





Revolutionizing Transport ?



Shri Nitin Gadkariji would have nothing less than full implementation of :


·         Internet  of Vehicles [ IoV ] [ 04  March 2017  ]



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·         Can  Technology Outsmart  Traffic  Offenders ?  [ 16  June  2017  ]




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·         UrbanTransport Policy  [ 09  June 2017  ]




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He has made a beginning by setting a target of issuing Radio Frequency Identification ( RFID ) or FAST-ags to 5 MILLION vehicles in ONE YEAR , to minimize cash transactions at toll plazas



The Transport Ministry will make all toll lanes RFID enabled and FAST-ags will be provided for all vehicles sold at dealerships



The Ministry has already asked automakers to fit DIGITAL TAGS in all vehicles


Toll lanes would also be enabled for a touch-and-go prepaid card system soon



A FAST-ags is linked to an account where the user adds money. When the vehicle approaches the lane at a toll plaza , a sensor reads the tag attached to the front windscreen of the vehicle , deducts the fee and the gate opens



The Ministry is also looking at more technology-based solutions


Soon , a GPS based toll collection system would be piloted at the Eastern Expressway , which will do away with the concept of toll gates



 Let no one doubt Shri Gadkariji’s determination to implement  :


·         Whosays Impossible  ?  [ 31  May  2017  ]




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

·         Leveraging  NaviC ?  [  30  May  2017  ]


14  July  2017





Thursday, 13 July 2017

Roof Top Solar : Stuck at Plinth Level ?



Here is  how :


·         Government target for 2022 …………………………………………  40,000   MW


·         “ Bridge to India “ consultancy Estimate for 2021………… 13,200   MW


·         Actual reached by March 2017………………………………………..   1,396  MW


·         Expected Addition in 2017 – 18………………………………………    1,232  MW



Dear Shri Piyush Goyalji :


I am afraid , things will not be very different in case of Land-based Solar Power parks either , for which your target is 100,000 MW by 2022



UNLESS ,


You convince Shri Narendra Modiji and Shri Arun Jaitleyji , to at least CONSIDER my following suggestions ( sent earlier as emails ) :











14  July  2017





Noise Complaints ?



DNA ( 14 July ) reports :


The Bombay High Court on Wednesday , directed the State government to immediately set up a GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL MECHANISM , before the festive season begins, for citizens to complain about violation of noise pollution rules by mandals and pandals , via email , telephone calls , and text messages



Had the Hon Judge read my following suggestions , he would have simply said :



“ Dear Shri Chief Minister ,


You are , hereby directed to launch before 30 July , following mobile app :








Further to eliminate police intervention ( - and consequent ‘ hafta ‘ ) , you are directed to implement a technology-based infrastructure , which automatically switch off all those loud speakers , the moment they exceed 80 db , as explained in ,









14  July  2017



An Appropriate Response



Two days back , newspapers reported Principals of some Maharashtra schools advising their students to boycott Chinese stationary items , in view of skirmishes with the Chinese troops on India-China-Bhutan border


That prompted me to write :






Today’s DNA carries following news report :


Chandigarh to China : Schools to teach Mandarin


Chinese is to be introduced as one of the four optional languages for students of senior secondary in Punjab’s government schools


Said an official :


“ This is to augment more employment opportunities for the youth from the State, which witnesses a high rate of youth migration to different countries “



Congrats !  Captain Amrinder Singhji :


No one can forget your :







Yours is an appropriate response to the Chinese Invasion !


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14  July  2017