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, 25 September 2017

Electrifying : Smartly



During yesterday’s launch of “ Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana “ , Shri R K Singh ( Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy ) said :


“ Under the scheme, smart and e-meters will be installed at every village and one would be able to recharge them with the phones, just like their telephone connection. One can even do a recharge of Rs 50. 


I hope those  “ smart e-meters “ conform to the design described in my following email :



From:          Hemen Parekh

Sent:             19 May 2017  13:12


To:                 narendramodi1234@gmail.com; ajaitley@del5.vsnl.net.in; jayant.sinha19@sansad.nic.in; piyush.goyal@gov.in; nitin.gadkari@nic.in; spprabhu1@rediffmail.com; bandaru@sansad.nic.in; smritizirani@nic.in; nsitharaman@nic.in; ravis@sansad.nic.in; sureshprabhu@irctc.co.in; prakash.j@sansad.nic.in; secy-ipp@nic.in; amitabh.kant@nic.in; shaktikanta.das@nic.in; rsecy@nic.in; adhia1981@gmail.com; ceo-niti@nic.in; atul-chaturvedi@nic.in; uma.bharati@sansad.nic.in; d.pradhan@sansad.nic.in; rprudy.office@gmail.com; rudypr@rediffmail.com; eam@mea.gov.in; mosvks@mea.gov.in; mvnaidu@sansad.nic.in; mnaqvi@sansad.nic.in; rao.inderjit@sansad.nic.in; mljoffice@gov.in; sadananda.gowda@sansad.nic.in; ministerminority@gov.in; minister-ca@nic.in; amitabhk87@yahoo.com; ramvilas.paswan@sansad.nic.in; gandhim@sansad.nic.in; hm.moca@nic.in; geete@sansad.nic.in; simratbadal@yahoo.com; ns.tomar@nic.in; rmsingh@sansad.nic.in; tc.gehlot@sansad.nic.in; dr.harshvardhan@sansad.nic.in; arunbjp13@gmail.com; arunbjp7@rediffmail.com; 14ashokaroad@gmail.com; invitefvg@gmail.com; ferozevarun.gandhi@sansad.nic.in; UP Ministers; adr@adrindia.org; BJP National Executive


Cc:                 Business Leader; Economics; Editors; Loksabha1; Loksabha2; Rajyasabha; TV Anchors; ficci@ficci.com; assocham@nic.in; info@cii.in; Pradeep Talpade; Gurudatt Kundapurkar; Sanjay Karnik; Haridas Shenoy; GLADYS VAZ; Suniti Desai; arthakranti.ad@gmail.com; Sudhir Rao; deepak.karanjikar@gmail.com; nandan.nilekani@nic.in; cmbihar@nic.in; cm@maharashtra.gov.in; chiefminister@maharashtra.gov.in; cm@ap.gov.in; cmo@nic.in; cmo@ori.nic.in; cm@mpchiefminister.com; Dilip Ghosh; ssbhalla@gmail.com; corporate@seci.co.in; media@nextracker.com; info@nextracker.com; JASMEET.KHURANA@bridgetoindia.com; VINAY.RUSTAGI@bridgetoindia.com; contact@bridgetoindia.com; rishi@jcbl.com; rangan@iitb.ac.in; rangan.banerjee@gmail.com; mayank.a@livemint.com; vikram@ndtv.com; jugsuraiya@gmail.com;


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

Subject:      Nothing can get Simpler !

A  Pre-paid  Electricity  Meter  ?

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

In an interview with Economic Times ( 15 May ) , Minister for Power / Renewable Energy , Shri Piyush Goyalji says :

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

“ UPA has been a sad example as during its tenure , people used to receive high power bills all of a sudden . In some cases, the poor will not receive bills for months together and one day , he will receive a bill for last two years
 Then he is harassed to pay up
We are talking to all the States that they have to ensure monthly bills , so people don’t get a shock  
If there is a default, then action can be taken on a monthly due amount  “

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

 As compared to those old days , of course , things are much better now

 In case of many DISCOMS , people can make an Online Payment from their web sites I believe , some of these DISCOMS have even launched their own AEPS mobile wallets / apps , using which , power consumers can make payments against their monthly bills


 But , how about a Prepaid Electricity Meter , with following features / functionality ?



*                     It will be a Tablet look-alike device


*                      It will show daily – weekly – monthly , power consumption of the premises


*                      It will show the “ average / highest / lowest “ monthly consumption 

            
*                      It will also show how many UNITS remain to his BALANCE , at any given time


*                      It will show a GRAPH comparing consumptions during any two “ periods “


*                      It will have facility to enter ( type in ) , customer’s Aadhar Number ( of course, linked to his Bank Account Number )


*                      After login ( using biometric identification of Finger + Iris + Voice ) , customer can “ Re-charge “ his “ Account “ with ( say ) ,
Rs 1,000 / - at the beginning, using the built-in Virtual Keyboard ( Device will have built-in camera )

          
*                      When the “ balance “ to his credit falls to ( say ) Rs 100 / - , an alarm will ring and he will also get Email / SMS / WhatsApp
Reminder 

                         
*                      If he fails to “ Re-Charge “ his account , power will get disconnected upon the balance falling to Rs 10/-  !


*                      Power will start flowing again as soon as consumer “ re-charges “ through device



 None of this ( hardware + software + wireless telecom ) , is a Rocket Science !


 Any Start Up can come up with such a total , end-to-end , solution within 6 months !


 Only thing , this device cannot stop is UN-METERED THEFT of power , where wires get pulled from a power-line , bypassing the
meter !


Other than this one limitation , this suggestion has the potential to dramatically improve the Financial Positions of the State DISCOMS !


 Dear Shri Goyalji ,

 Would you like to pose this challenge to our Start Ups ?

19  May  2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs
 

After a long time , we have a set of Ministers and Bureaucrats who , not only read your emailed suggestions , but go ahead and implement the same , if found useful


I am sure , they will read this email as well and implement the following innovation which got reported in today’s Economic Times :


Scientists have developed a new artificial intelligence ( AI ) system that can detect ELECTRICITY THEFT and meter misreadings –  a common problem in developing countries


A team from the University of Luxembourg looked at the energy use of 3.6 million Brazilian households over FIVE YEARS


The researchers specifically focussed on nearly 200 Million monthly readings made by professional meter readers


They then developed an algorithm that , after sifting through the readings, could recognize when energy use at a property was suspiciously low


Researchers verified their results with data on past inspections , checking if their tool was correctly highlighting potential cases of fraud or faulty metering


The most accurate versions of the system were able to identify problem cases just over 65 % of the time , News Scientist reported



26  Sept  2017



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

Added  on  08  Aug  2022 :

Pune: MSEDCL to introduce smart meters for domestic consumers


Extract :

“With smart meters, a system similar to the prepaid/postpaid system used for cellphones will take effect. Consumers can recharge their meters using the MSEDCL app. They will be able to control their consumption of electricity…”

MSEDCL officials said the move could be a gamechanger as power thefts and associated losses will be brought down. “The biggest gain will be in terms of arrears, which are pending in crores with all categories of consumers. The consumers will not have to pay the bills but can recharge their meters as per their requirement. They will get what they want and we won’t have huge arrears pending, which is what is happening currently,” Pawar said.

Sunday, 24 September 2017

Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana



What  will  it  look like  ?



Today evening ,  Shri Narendra Modi  will launch :


“ Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana “,


to provide last mile electricity connectivity to all rural and urban households



Full page advertisements in news-papers quote Shri Modi as follows :


“ We must be sensitive towards the environment . To meet the increasing demand , we need affordable and reliable sources of energy “


There is no clue anywhere in the advertisement that this YOJANA is centred around ,



ROOF  TOP  SOLAR  PANELS



But , from the “ quote “ , it is safe to assume that it is so


In which case , I hope it covers my following suggestion ( earlier sent as E Mail ) :



GreenBuildings ? Put Greed to Work !  [ 05  June  2017  ]


HIGHLIGHTS :

·         Individual building owners or Societies will install the plants on their roofs ( model / size / supplier etc to be decided by each consumer )



·         Plants will need to be installed only by Channel Partners ( supplying agencies ) which are empanelled by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy , who have submitted installation data ( Project Completion Report for grid connected rooftop projects ) on the SPIN portal



·         Submit “ Bill / Certificate of Grid Connectivity “ to govt  for “Green Solar Loan 



·         Loan will be repayable at 5 % interest rate , over a 15 year period



·         SOCIETY WILL BE ABLE TO PAY THE  EMI  FROM THE SAVINGS IT WILL MAKE  BY NOT HAVING TO BUY THE GRID POWER FROM STATE DISCOM



·         Societies will even be allowed to repay the EMI in the form of the solar power it generates and FEEDS into the State Grid , under the “ Reverse Metering “ Scheme



Those interested in knowing how “ Harnessing of Human Greed “ can transform

India , may want to look up ( before tuning into TV at 6 pm  ):

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

Sun : Our Soul ( A New SOS )  [  05  Jan  2017  ]


https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/01/sun-our-soul-new-sos.html

 

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

 

Solar Power at Rs 1 per Kwh ?  [  29  Jan  2017  ]


https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/01/solar-power-at-rs-1-per-kwh.html

 

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

 

25  Sept  2017











Saturday, 23 September 2017

Are You Really Serious ?



Hindustan Times ( 20 Sept ) carries following news report :




“ Govt names and shames directors of Shell firms “



At least 17 Registrars of Companies of States have released these names


Prior to that , it struck off 200,000 companies that were suspected to be shell firms and directed banks to restrict operation of bank accounts of such companies by the directors of such companies or their authorised representatives


RoC Mumbai , which has at least 39,000 names , has released only the director identification number ( DIN ) while most others have released their names as well





Anyone interested to find “ List of Shell Companies “ ?



Try this ( to only find 355 links ! )





And as to finding those 39,000 DIN , will anyone tell me the URL of the web site of RoC – Mumbai ?



Do some officers of this government still believe that :


You can fool all the people , all the time  ?



If they are really serious ( in the cause of TRANSPARENCY ) , then they should launch the Mobile App “ Beware “ that I suggested in my following email :


Be Aware!  Beware !  [ 30 Aug 2016 ]







24  Sept  2017



Friday, 22 September 2017

In a State of Denial ?



Today’s Business Standard carries a news report titled :




Narendra Modi likely to announce big-bang economic package on Monday



Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to announce some big-ticket measures on Monday — also the birth centenary of Sangh Parivar icon Deendayal Upadhyaya — to stimulate the economy, which saw growth plunging to a three-year low of 5.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2017-18. 


Modi might announce a package for power, housing and social welfare programmes to generate jobs and perk up demand. The package is being pegged at Rs 40,000-50,000 crore. 




If anyone thinks this stimulus will turn the economy around , he is in a State of Denial  !



Last quarter , “ Manufacturing Sector “ grew at 1.6 % , whereas “ Service Sector “ grew at 8.7 %



Two years back , NDA government was obsessed with the idea of increasing the share of manufacturing in our GDP from 15 % to 25 %



Now , 2 years later , exactly the opposite seems to be happening !



It was argued that such a shift ( from SERVICES to  MANUFACTURING  ) , will provide jobs to those 12 million youth joining the ranks of UN-EMPLOYED , each year






But PRIVATE investment in Manufacturing is just not happening  !  Nor likely to happen , any time soon !



And , if and where , it is happening , very few new jobs are getting created ( - what with creation of just ONE job in large organized sector , requires CAPITAL of around Rs 1 CRORE  ! )



With ever-rising wages , more and more , industrialists are going in for AUTOMATION through deploying ROBOTS – which do not demand salary-raise / do not get tired / work for 24 hours / do not take leave or go on strike or mind being laid off …etc 

 !





And when the businesses  do need some humans ( to work in factories / offices / shops / warehouses etc ) , they are hiring TEMPORARY STAFF from companies like TeamLease etc )



Business Line ( 16 Sept ) reports :



“ Yet , organized temp staffing is expected to touch 2.9 million by 2018 from 2.1 million a year ago , making India the third largest employer of such staff after the US and Japan , where 7 – 11 per cent of the work force is under this model “



Why such a sudden “ love “ for temps ?



Temps are not a permanent liability, governed by umpteen unwieldy labour laws



They can be “ let go” , if there is a downturn in business ( without inviting problems associated with retrenchment related laws )



May be , such TEMP STAFFING is neither governed by Contract Labour ( Abolition and Regulation ) Act  - which carries onerous conditions in respect of wages to be paid / absorption into permanent cadre after continuous service of 11 months / leave ..etc !



Just pay some , mutually agreed upon lump sum for an OUTCOME ( - and not hours worked , with or without outcome ! )




I suppose the TEMP STAFFING providers take care of all of these headaches , leaving the business free to focus on its core activities



It is not difficult to see why our SERVICE SECTOR is growing at a rapid pace



Because , it is largely consists of SELF EMPLOYED , who



·         Deliver to you their services at your home for a lump sum


·         Need very little CAPITALINVESTMENT to create a job for themselves






Here are a few examples :



Cook  /  Carpenter  / Driver / Electrician / Florist / Housemaid / Housekeeper / Yoga Instructor / Tutors / Maid / Nurse / Painter / Personal Trainer / Physiotherapist  / Plumber / Repairer / Singer / Social Worker / Street vendor / Delivery Boys / Cleaner / Mason / Scrap Collector etc 



When will our Policy Makers realize that they need to
 :

·         stop chasing the MIRAGE of MANUFACTURING


·         just get out of the way of the Self Employed by trying to “ regulate “ their businesses


·         encourage temporary employment by abolishing the Contract Labour ( Abolition and Regulation ) Act


·         Totally re-write the Apprentice Act / Factory Act


·         Introduce “ Human Enterprise Act “ which turns our economy around by making it a “ Low Cost Economy “


·         Make India , the “ BackFactory of the World






·         First “ CreateWealth to Create Jobs




This is the  STIMULUS  PACKAGE  that will revive our economy





23  Sept  2017