Where is the need ?

What is the need for linking Aadhar ID with Voter ID ?

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji ,and the Election Commission  seem to be asking that

Here are relevant news :

Shri  Ravi Shankar  Prasadji :

I don’t favour linking Aadhaar number to voter ID, says Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

https://scroll.in/latest/874142/i-dont-favour-linking-aadhaar-number-to-voter-id-says-union-minister-ravi-shankar-prasad

Prasad said the government did not want to be accused of spying on citizens.

“The larger issue is that if everything is linked to Aadhaar, then the great supporters of anti-Aadhaar will say that the Narendra Modi government is snooping on everything, boarding, what you are eating, which cinema you are going. I don’t want that,” he said, according to PTI.

But then ,

Aadhar Card and Voter Card , carry pretty much the same data about a citizen

I suppose  government can “ match “ the two databases and calculate the “ probability “ that those data belong to the SAME person !

But leaving that aside , Election Commission’s suggestion to offer a powerful  “ Incentive “ to the voters to come forward and voluntarily ask for such linking , makes more sense !

 “  Let Aadhar – Voter ID link be voluntary , EC may tell SC “

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/let-aadhaar-voter-id-link-be-voluntary-election-commission-may-tell-supreme-court/articleshow/63604139.cms

The Election Commission of India is likely to plead in the Supreme Court that linking of Aadhaar number with voter ID-cards be made voluntary and not mandatory.

The Supreme Court is set to hear a public interest litigation that seeks to link Aadhaar with electoral voter ID cards later this month.

According to insiders, EC is looking at offering  incentives such as online voting rights  or option of voting through postal ballots to voters who would link their Aadhaar numbers to voter ID card 

There is a high probability that voters would opt for such “ voluntary “ linking since no one likes to walk down to the polling booth in hot sun or torrential rain , and stand in a queue for voting

Since all voters do not possess internet connected computers ( to be able to vote online ), I strongly urge the government to immediately develop and launch , mobile app :

VotesApp  [  18  Dec  2012  ]

http://www.hemenparekh.in/2013/08/votesapp.html#.WsYE-ohubcc

There is no way , Supreme Court or the Opposition parties can object to this , since the linking , is entirely “ voluntary “

If anything , telling the Supreme Court  about all the advantages of VotesApp , will ensure full backing by the judiciary !

05  April  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

#FakeNews ? An Obsolete Concept ?

Last few days , media ( online + offline ) is full of debate surrounding some govt circular on fake news and its subsequent withdrawal

Today’s Economic Times carries following news :

“  I&B Ministry looks at regulating Online News “

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/information-and-broadcasting-ministry-looks-at-regulating-online-news/articleshow/63619859.cms

Highlights :

The ministry had recently set up a committee to formulate a policy for digital broadcasting and news portals

 

“I&B ministry officials pointed out in a meeting of the committee that there was no online regulation, so the code of conduct that applies to print and TV media cannot be imposed on online news portals,” said an official.

 

The set of regulations has to come out first, after which the code of conduct for online news portals can be worked out. The committee is basically looking at how to go about it,” the official said.

 

Brainstorming over regulation of online news content had started because the ministry felt that a large number of people were depending on online media for news and that there should be some mechanism to check spread of misinformation on the internet. 

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

An article in yesterday’s Times of India says :

“ What exactly is fake news ?

Fake news is news that’s been created knowing it isn’t true .

Unlike inaccurate reporting, which news- papers , by and large correct and / or apologize for , fake news isn’t accidental or a genuine mistake

It isn’t even bias .  It’s plain false and purposefully crafted to mislead “

Of course , in today’s supercharged political climate ( CBSE exam / Dalit agitations etc ), it was a wise decision to withdraw that notification

But , I have a feeling that , before long , we will fail to distinguish between :

*    Fake  /  True

*    Real  /  Imagined

Here is why :

*   Artificial Intelligence is advancing rapidly

     Google Clips ( Google’s tiny camera ) uses AI and Machine Learning ( ML ) to know

     when and whom and what to capture – and start photographing on its own !

*   Machine Learning Algorithms are teaching computers to “ think / infer / argue “

*   Robots capable of sensing “ Anger – Love “ and being able to respond accordingly ,

     are appearing

*   Computers ( assisted by BIG DATA / AI ) have started being “ Creative “ and

     publishing poems / essays and even do better job than Van Gogh in painting !

    

*   Virtual “ avatars “ of  humans have already started “ interviewing “ candidates !

*  2 billion humans , possessing 10 billion , internet-connected devices ( mostly

    smart phones ) , are creating “ Content “ ( text – speech – videos – images etc ) and

    are uploading on a billion web sites . And this content flows from person to person ,

    making each person , a human “ Conductor of Contents “ ( like zero resistance in an

   electric super-conductor ) .


{  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_phnyfF0es&utm_source=socialmedia&utm_term=.b85c75c60ced  }

   And before long , as it flows , it will morphs along the way ( from text to speech to

   touch to image to smell to taste ? )

   We have all , turned into “ Repeater Stations “ / “ Conveyor Belts “ of content  !

   And that endless belt goes non-stop , round and round ! With neither the beginning

   nor the end in sight !

    

    Before long, they will succeed in uploading even their “ thoughts “ - without typing !

    Who can decide ( and how ? ) in all of these content , what is  FAKE  / REAL ?

*   Computers controlling ( print )  News Papers , will pick up and publish such FAKE

    content  automatically, and without any human intervention ( reporters – journalists –

    editors etc. getting replaced by algorithms / robots ? ) .

    Who will you catch and punish  ?

     

*  ANA AVATAR X-PRIZE will unleash a revolution in “ remote working “ from thousands

   of Km

 In nutshell , we are headed for a future where “ duality “ will cease to exist !

There will be no distinction between “ Real “ and “ Imaginary “

Ancient Indian Seers spoke of “ Adwait-waad “ ( Singularity )

They also spoke of “ Maya-Waad  “ ( The Ultimate Illusion )

Modern day scientists are veering around to this thinking

Before long , using QUANTUM COMPUTERS , we might exist in two – or more – parallel universes , simultaneously !

And ask : 

Which one of us is “ Real “ ?  Who is “ Fake “  ?

05  April  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs 

#Aadhar #UIDAI #VirtualID

Where  Angels   Fear  to  Tread   ?

Today’s Times of India carries following news :

“ Aadhar  privacy concerns : UIDAI launches Virtual ID “

 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/uidai-launches-virtual-id-to-address-privacy-concerns-related-to-aadhaar/articleshow/63605078.cms

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched the much-awaited 'Virtual ID' which will be a random  16-digit  number mapped to a person's Aadhaar number.

The concept of Virtual ID was announced earlier this year to address privacy concerns. The new feature will allow Aadhaar holders to quote their Virtual ID (VID) number without actually disclosing the 12-digit Aadhaar number for authentication or verification purposes.

UIDAI had stated that it will be compulsory for all agencies that undertake authentication to accept the VID from their users from June 1, 2018.

According to UIDAI in the beta form, users can generate their Virtual ID and use it to update address in Aadhaar online for the time being.

..Soon, service providers will start accepting VID in place of Aadhaar number.

For now, you can use this for online address update in your Aadhaar," the UIDAI said in a tweet.

The tweet urges the users to generate their VIDs and gives a link of the Aadhaar website for the same. The VID would give any authorised agency details like name, address and photograph, which are enough for any verification.

After the concept of Virtual ID was announced , on 12 Jan 2018, I sent following questions ( as email ) to UIDAI , hoping that they will come forward with clarifications :

AadharVirtual ID Compromised ?  [  12  Jan  2018  ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2018/01/aadhar-virtual-id-compromised.html

QUESTIONS  :

     Are VIRTUAL ID numbers generated using some Random Number Generator ( such as PRNG =  Pseudo Random Number Generator / TRNG = True Random Number Generator ) ?

·         Do both types of Generators depend upon some software algorithm ? ( - a somewhat deterministic logic )

·         Considering the Aadhar Virtual ID requirement ( viz : generation of data encryption keys ) , is it more likely that  UIDAI is using TRNG ?

·         If , given a starting number ( original / real Aadhar Number ) , TRNG generates a “ linked “ RANDOM NUMBER , is it possible to REVERSE this process ?

·         Using BIG DATA  /  DATA ANALYTICS  /  Artificial Intelligence /  MACHINE LEARNING etc , can one figure out the ORIGINAL / REAL Aadhar Number , from its counter-part Virtual Number ?

Over a period of few months, it is likely that the servers of those Agencies , may have billions of  sets of linked “ Real Numbers / Virtual Numbers “

   

Could such a large enough database ( if some hacker can lay his hand on it ) , be enough for a software geek to design a Neural Network ( backward propagation / forward propagation ) , to reverse the process ?

I am tempted to believe that such a scenario is entirely possible !

Since there is no reply from UIDAI , today’s Question (  to  the  Users  of  Aadhar  ):

Is someone trying to pull the wool over our eyes  ?

04  April  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

Buy or Lease ?

That ought to be the question for EESL which just announced its plan to “ purchase “another 20,000 Electric Cars before March 2019

I suppose , this is on top of the 10 , 000 cars for which , it tendered a few months back and placed orders for 500 cars on TATA and 150 cars on Mahindra

Why is EESL keen on “ outright purchase “ when , recently several Municipalities have been opting for wet-leasing of buses ?

For details, read :

“ Govt to assess cost of Electric Buses, but won’t cancel contracts awarded “

 

https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/commercial-vehicle/mhcv/govt-to-assess-cost-of-electric-buses-but-wont-cancel-contracts-awarded/63589689

Highlights :

Goldstone-BYD placed bids as low as ₹29.28 per km for a 9-meter AC bus to Bengaluru, followed by ₹36 per km bid for a similar one for Hyderabad.

Tata Motors won a similar contract in Jaipur with ₹70 per km bid. The Centre is evaluating the per bus cost in such cases to derive subsidy outgo, the official said.

And these prices are for a tender for 230+40  buses only  !

In my following earlier blogs ( sent as emails to Policy Makers + EESL ), I have strongly urged EESL to “ wet lease “ those 20,000 Electric Cars , rather than buy

I have estimated that “ per km “ lease-charge could drop below Rs 15 per km !

And , if wet lease was resorted , Government can save thousands of crore of rupees annually !

I hope better economic sense will prevail !

EESL: Lease cars , do not Buy !  [ 16  Aug  2017  ]

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

Waitingto be proved wrong !  [  30  Sept  2017  ]

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

 

To Buyor not to Buy ?  [  11  Oct  2017  ]

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

 

Logical toLease  [  06  Mar  2018  ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2018/03/logical-to-lease.html

 

03  April  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs