Block Chain for Voting ?

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji posted following on LinkedIn, two days back :

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Ravi Shankar PrasadMinister for Law & Justice & IT at Government of India2d

Met Ms. Urve Palo, the Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology of the Republic of Estonia in my office today. We discussed ways to deepen the bilateral relationship between India and Estonia, which are both recognised as IT superpowers. We have identified cyber-security as an area for closer cooperation in addition to promoting exchange of students and facilitating our start-ups.

That elicited 1183 Likes and 44 comments , where I commented :

hemen parekh   Director  at  RecruitGuru

Totally support Devanand in matter of learning from Estonia on how to conduct online elections

And now , BLOCKCHAIN technology guarantees transparency . Pl read :

 https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2018/01/simultaneous-polling.html

Today , I found further confirmation of possibility of using BLOCKCHAIN for elections at :

Sierra Leone just held the World’s first Block-Chain powered election

https://futurism.com/sierra-leone-worlds-first-blockchain-powered-election/

where, the following paras are worth reading :

Permissioned block-chains aren’t quite the same as public block-chains, like those supporting the crypto-currencies bitcoin. While anyone can validate transactions on a public block-chain, only authorized persons can validate transactions on a permissioned block-chain.

In the case of the Sierra Leone election, the authorized parties included people from Agora, the Red Cross, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), and the University of Freiburg.

However, like a public block-chain, anyone can view transactions recorded on a permissioned block-chain. That means that once the groups managing the block-chain verified the Sierra Leone votes, anyone — voters, candidates, or just interested third parties — could see the election results.

Agora’s use of block-chain for the Sierra Leone election isn’t the company’s ultimate vision for the technology. Eventually, the start-up hopes to eliminate the use of paper ballots altogether, allowing voters to cast their votes via personal electronic devices. This will cut down on election costs, increase voter accessibility, and eliminate a potential avenue for corruption.

( Ref : https://www.coindesk.com/early-returns-sierra-leones-first-blockchain-vote/  )

Dear Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji,

Only in Nov 2017 , you said :

Ravi Shankar Prasad
‏ Verified account @rsprasad

I urge you to consider incorporating this Block-Chain Technology in the following Mobile App proposed by me :

VotesApp  [  18  Aug  2013  ]

http://www.hemenparekh.in/2013/08/votesapp.html#.WqX70uhubcc

This incorporation would be even better ( as far as transparency is concerned ) than the current method of V-VPAT in EVM  !

VotesApp will ensure that any voter can get to see ( proof ) of who ( which person ) he voted for , in which election ( Municipal or State or National ) and when – apart from ensuring “ No fake / invalid votes “ !

A complete history of his voting during lifetime – but, which he alone can access on his mobile through his biometrics !

Now imagine aggregation of the voting behaviour of 800 million voters at gross / macro level and totally anonymized – and accessible to anyone on EC’s web site  !

 This could reveal following types of trends / analytics :

·         No of Votes

·         Percentage of voters

·         Vote share ( party wise )

·         State / Region wise

·         Gender wise

·         Vote swings / Anti Incumbency factors………. Etc

Such BIG DATA analytics might even make it possible to “ predict “ the future voting patterns !

With incorporation of Block-Chain ( into VotesApp ) , opposition will be left with no arguments to oppose SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS !

12  March  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

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Added on 15 April 2022 :

Digital voting innovation Polys ticks the box for democracy

Who will fix salaries of MPs ?

At least , we know one thing

Going by the following news report ( DNA – 08 March ) , salaries of MPs will not be fixed by an “ independent commission “ :

“ Centre won’t set up panels to fix MP salaries “

 Attorney General KK Venugopal submitted that the Centre had ruled out the idea of setting up independent commissions to fix salaries of MPs and MLAs. This, the top law officer said, would lead to complications as similar demands would be raised from other quarters.

Following Venugopal’s submission, the top court bench, comprising Justices Jasti Chelameswar and Sanjay Kisan Kaul, reserved judgement on a plea filed by NGO Lok Prahari, challenging the amendments made by the Parliament to the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, along with pension and other facilities granted to former Parliamentarians.

At the previous hearing, the court had observed that benefits accorded to most lawmakers who have largely worked a lifetime in order to represent the public in the Parliament ensure they lead their lives in a dignified manner.

“For securing that tenure, quite a lot of them have dedicated their entire lifetime,” Justice Jasti Chelameswar had said. However, the bench acknowledged that the practice of parliamentarians determining their salaries was a ‘moral’ and ‘ethical issue’.

“ Lead their lives in a dignified manner “  ?

I don’t know if the Supreme Court was referring to their ( MPs ‘ ) lives outside the parliament or how they behaved inside the parliament , the whole of last week  !

But, when I proposed that we enable an Artificial Intelligence based software to fix “ monthly variable pay “ of the MPs , I had clearly included for consideration , those MPs ‘s lives , both within and outside the parliament !

Find my fool-proof  / unbiased / impartial / logical “ Formula “ at :

ArtificialIntelligence to fix MP / MLA Salary ?  [  22  Feb  2018  ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2018/02/artificial-intelligence-to-fix-mp-mla.html

11 March  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

Highways to Hyper-loops / #GST #EWay

Where each goods-carrying vehicle becomes a POD , travelling non-stop to its destination !  Like packages on a conveyor belt in modern warehouses

Some 8 MONTHS back , E-Way Bill process had become a headache for the Centre , the States , GST Council and of course , for the traders and manufacturers

That is when, I sent following suggestion to GST Council Members / other Policy Makers

A NewWay to E-Way ?  [  15  July  2017  ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/07/a-new-way-to-e-way.html

Following news report in Business Line ( 09 March 2018 ) confirms the acceptance of my suggestion,

“ How vehicles will stay on govt’s radar on highways, and on GST e-way bill  “

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/policy/how-vehicles-will-stay-on-govts-radar-on-highways-and-on-gst-e-way-bill/article22986645.ece

MY  SUGGESTION :

·         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

    BUSINESS  LINE  NEWS  REPORT :

    The government has mooted a proposal to link the unique number embedded in FASTags with the e-way bill generated by the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN). The move will effectively prevent chances of vehicles transporting goods to places other than those declared.

FASTag employs radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to enable electronic payment at tolls on national highways.

The mechanism provides unique numbers for vehicles, ensuring that they can be tracked at over 400 toll plazas located on the national highways network.

MY  SUGGESTION  :

       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 )

BUSINESS  LINE NEWS  REPORT :

In the e-way bill generated by GSTN, transporters have to declare the origin, destination, time at which vehicle has to depart, and the number of days it will take to reach its destination, among other particulars.

Effectively, FASTags can apprise the GSTN and other State enforcement authorities of the route that the vehicle is taking on the national highways, and whether it is as declared.

MY  SUGGESTION  :

    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

#   GPS based NaviC 

     https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/05/leveraging-navic.html 

#   Internet of Things ( IoT )

     Internet ofVehicles ( IoV )

     https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/03/internet-of-vehicles-iov.html

#   BlueTooth / NFC

BUSINESS  LINE  NEWS   REPORT  :

Moreover, if the vehicle is stuck mid-way for some reason, an application for extension of time can also be expected in advance. Also, if the transporter asks for an extension of dates in the e-way bill, the data can be cross-checked, explained an official.

“If a vehicle is to go from Delhi to Chennai, and it goes to Chandigarh [instead], the reason for such deviations can be mapped, which will help the [law] enforcement agencies,” he added.

The government has already mandated that all vehicles with four or more wheels — including trucks and buses — sold from December 1, 2017, have to be fitted with FASTags or RFID tags.

After December 1, the number of FASTags has almost doubled to 14 lakh from 7.5 lakh.

These tags store data such as vehicle registration and class of vehicle, which help arrive at the exact toll to be charged.

The tags have encrypted vehicle data such as engine and chassis number as well. These are also enabled to store other vehicle compliance-related data, including those related to emissions or pollution and insurance.

MY  SUGGESTION  :

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 :

( Internet ofVehicles  /  https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/07/fast-forward-to-iov.html  )

,

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 !

BUSINESS  LINE  NEWS   REPORT  :

No mention of elimination of the “ Inspector Raj “ [ aka, Hafta Toll  ], by letting the unbiased / impartial / fool-proof / instant technology to take over the reins from those corruptible humans  !

Dear Shri Jaitleyji :

Can I expect a 10 minute discussion on this in today’s meeting of GST Council  ?

10  March  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

Scam ? #EESL #NDA #BJP #MNRE

autoNDTV ( 07 March ) carries following news :

EESL To Issue Fresh Tender For 10,000 e-Vehicles Tomorrow 

https://auto.ndtv.com/news/eesl-to-issue-fresh-tender-for-10-000-e-vehicles-tomorrow-1820841

EESL concluded the first tender from procuring 10,000 e-vehicles last year. Following the successful completion of the first tender, EESL, envisions a growing demand from various government departments. The new tender for 10,000 e-vehicles will cater to this growing demand.

With these 20,000 electric vehicles India is expected to save over ₹ 5 crore litres of fuel every year, leading to reduction of over 5.6 lakh tonnes of CO2 emissions. 

EESL also mentioned that it already has in place charging infrastructure at 150 government offices which will be able to charge 500 cars at a time.

R K Singh, Minister of State for Power, New and Renewable Energy said, "After the successful tender of 10000 electric cars last year, the demand for e-vehicle constantly rising across various departments of the Union and state governments.

 To cater to the growing demand, EESL will issue a fresh tender tomorrow for procuring additional 10000 electric cars. This second tender is testimony to the fact that India offers a huge market potential for e-mobility"

CONTEXT :

Only 2 days back , Business Line ( 03 March ) reported that many Municipal Corporations are taking Electric buses on “ Wet Lease “ ( from manufacturers like TATA / Goldstone ) , instead of  outright “ buying “

“ With prices skidding, electric buses on road to making a mark “

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/with-prices-skidding-electric-buses-on-road-to-making-a-mark/article22911695.ece

TATA Motors are offering on “ Wet Lease “ of  Rs 37.5 / Km – an Electric bus whose outright selling price is Rs 85 lakhs !  Wet lease includes the salary that TATA would pay the driver

MOVE  TO  EESL :

TATA Motors had won that last tender of EESL for 10,000 Electric Cars at Rs 11.2 lakh each ( - which price was later matched by M&M ) – just  ONE EIGHTH  the price of an Electric Bus

In “ Wet Leasing “ , the main cost is the “ interest on capital “ – driver / maintenance costs remaining minor components

So , for an electric car selling for Rs 11.2 lakh , what “ wet lease “ price would have TATA offered to EESL ?

May be Rs 15 / km ?  May be Rs 8 / Km  ?  May be Rs 4 / Km  ? 

At this point , it is worth remembering that the governments ( Central + States )  have , between them , a current fleet of some 500,000 petrol / diesel cars , all of which are planned to be replaced by Electric Cars

Instead of outright purchasing , “ wet leasing “ of these would save the country , Rs 2,300 Crore  PER YEAR !  Year after year  !

Despite this , why does EESL want to go for “ Outright Purchase “ in its second tender ?

So that , come Feb 2019 ( just when all the political parties would be holding election rallies, all over India ), opposition parties can get an opportunity to shout “ BJP Electric Vehicle Scam – BEVS “ and approach the Supreme Court to order a CBI – PAC – CAG – CVC probe ?

Would it not be much better for Shri R K Singhji, to raise this question NOW and demand logical explanation – rather than wait until someone cries , SCAM  !

Nation needs to know !

For that potential saving of Rs 2,300 Crore / year , readers may refer :

EESL  ,  lease  cars , do not buy  !  [  16  Aug  2017  ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/08/eesl-lease-cars-do-not-buy.html

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Waiting  to be provedwrong  !   [  30  Sept  2017  ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.in/2017/09/waiting-to-be-proved-wrong.html

 

To Buy or not to Buy ?  [  11  Oct  2017  ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/10/to-buy-or-not-to-buy.html

09  March  2018

www.hemenparekh.in  /  blogs