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

Friday, 13 April 2018

#Parking #HighCourt #Law #Corruption


A  Law  on  Parking  ?



Following news appeared in today’s Hindustan Times :




“ Time for a separate law on parking : HC “



It reads :


The time has come to have a separate law on parking, the Bombay High Court said on Friday , when it directed the State to clarify its stand on making it compulsory to show a proof of having parking space for new vehicles before registering them



“ Why can’t you make a provision…… show your parking place and get your new vehicle registered “ , the division bench of justice Naresh Patil and justice Girish Kulkarni asked the centre and the State



“ Why can’t you ask one question to the person seeking to get his new vehicle registered – if he has the necessary space to park the vehicle “






On 21 Dec 2016 , Livemint reported :



Car buyers may need parking space certificate in future  :   Venkaiah Naidu



Afraid that such a law would open up , a PANDORA’S  BOX , I was prompted to write :


A KneeJerk Approach ?  [  22  Dec  2016  ]


Excerpt from that blog :



Next , will the government come out and say :


" If you cannot prove that you have adequate means to support / bring up a child , you cannot bring her to life " ?


In fact , our constitution promises certain " fundamental rights " to every child born , irrespective of the financial condition of its parents





I am not suggesting that it is a fundamental right of every " new-born " car that the government provide it with a " parking space " !



Would you go so far as to tell the car manufacturers :

" Thou shall not sell a car to a person who cannot produce a certificate that he actually possesses , a parking space " ?






Or , tell Washing Machine manufacturers :

" You shall not sell a washing machine to a person , who does not have " Certificate of Adequate Water Supply " ?





If so , how about telling the doctors in hospitals :

"  You will not permit a baby to be born in your hospital , till the would-be parent produces a statement of his bank balance " ?






And prey , who will be that " CERTIFYING AGENCY " ?


By enacting " Un-implementable " laws , are you not giving rise to corruption ?


How much would I need to bribe that " CERTIFYING AGENCY " ( no doubt , with new Rs 2,000 note ! ) , to get such a permit ?



And how much more ( by way of monthly " haftas " ) to " IMPLEMENTING AGENCY " ?


And having obtained a " parking space "  , can I ,


*  " TRANSFER " it to someone else when I move to another street or town ?

*  " SELL " it or " RENT " it , if I sell my car and do not need a parking space ?

*  " GIFT " it to a relative / friend ?

*  " WILL " it to my children when I die ?

*  " INHERIT " it from my grandfather ? ( like " Purush-Dhan " ? )



Dear Shri Venkaiahji ,


Before rushing in with such a draconian measure , I urge you to upload a online OPINION SURVEY , inviting citizens to tell you whether it will provide a solution or increase corruption


14  April  2018



#ISRO #NaviC #India #TransportRevolution


#ISRO  #NaviC  #India #TransportRevolution



Yesterday , ISRO launched India’s own Navigation Satellite , named NaviC



Following are excerpts from media re how NaviC can help in civilian applications :





Further, ISRO officials said the crucial miniaturisation of chipsets that go into the wireless devices such as cell phones and wi-fi receivers has been achieved. Initially, the ISRO had invited industry to design and develop the chip-sets.




“ Very recently using the NavIC applications we have created an app that will be released very soon. I request industry and institutions to come forward to take these applications to the user community".




The constellation will also provide signals in a space covering India and its surroundings, which could be utilised by using receivers on ground to determine position and time accurately.




“The NavIC system enables providing position, navigation and timing information that could be utilised for a large range of civil and strategic applications and services that include terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation; precise timing; disaster management and alert messages; mapping and Geodetic data capture; vehicle tracking and fleet management; visual & voice navigation for drivers, etc,” according to the Department of Space (DoS).




Now , it is the turn of the Central and State Governments to use that ISRO App ( based on NaviC capabilities ) , to transform India’s Vehicular Transport


My following suggestions are already emailed to the Policy Makers :



Internetof Vehicles ( IoV ) ?  [ 04  March  2017  ]

 

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

 



 

 LeveragingNaviC ?  [ 30  May  2017  ]

 

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

 

 

Who says IMPOSSIBLE ?  [  31  May  2017  ]

 

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/05/who-says-impossible.html

 

 

UrbanTransport Policy  [  09  June  2017  ]

 

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/06/urban-transport-policy.html

 

 

RevolutionizingTransport ?  [  14  July  2017  ]

 

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/07/revolutionizing-transport.html

 

 

IntelligentTransport System  [  07  Oct  2017  ]

 

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/10/intelligent-transport-system.html

 

 

13  April  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

 

 

 





Thursday, 12 April 2018

#AirIndia #DisInvestment #IndianAviation


#AirIndia  :  A  Basket  Case  ?



It seems no Airline is interested in bidding for take over of Air India



These include :

Indigo – Jet Air  - Spice Jet – TATA SIA  - Emirate – Etihad etc



Not surprising at all , considering the terms stipulated by the Government while inviting  EOI



I am afraid , on those terms , no one will come forward



I believe , Government has realized this , going by the following news which appeared in today’s Hindustan Times :








I understand why Minister for Aviation , Shri Jayant Sinha , could not implement my suggestion in following email :


Findinga Bakra ? Possible ?  [  04  June  2017  ]


It would have proved a very unpopular suggestion , which would be “ politically incorrect “

But , unlike Air India , other Air Lines have to answer their shareholders and bankers , for profit and loss !


Let me repeat once again , what I wrote 10 months back


The only way Government can interest someone , is by :


*  Writing off  ALL the debt ( to be taken over by the Indian Tax Payers ? )

*  Transferring all 21,000 employees on Govt payroll ( including all past liabilities of PF –
    Gratuity etc )



Only other way is to keep the “ terminally ill patient “ AI on a life support system ! 




13  April  2018


FDI in Tobacco Industry ?





Business Line ( 11 April ) carries following news :










I request DIPP to include me as a “ Stakeholder “  , as far as , any policy decision in respect of the tobacco industry is concerned



I believe , DIPP is opposed to any FDI in tobacco industry



But “ being opposed “  is a mere “ Reactionary “ response !



What 10 lakh persons dying  premature deaths due to tobacco usage in India , is concerned , they expect a far aggressive and “ ProActive “ attitude on part of DIPP



They expect DIPP to lay down a long term plan ( supported by adequate legislation ) for total dismantling of the tobacco industry , over the next 20 years , as suggested by me in my following earlier email  :





Going  Up in  Smoke   [ 18  Aug 2013  ]






If India can lead the world in Solar Power by promoting “ International Solar Alliance “ , why can it not take the lead to form :


International Alliance for Freedom from  Tobacco   ?




Or else , 20 years from today , we will end up with a mess similar to what we are going through right now , in relation with pollution caused by plastics  !



And tobacco related deaths would have gone up to 20 lakhs / year !



I hope Dr Harsh Vardhan finds time to read this email




12  April  2018



Wednesday, 11 April 2018

#TRAI #FakeNews #DataPrivacy #BOTS


How  Do  You  Control  Wind  ?




So far , mankind has not found any method to stop wind from blowing where it likes



It is getting the same for “ Content “ ( - often in the form of NEWS – real or fake )


Times of India ( 11 April ) carries following news :








HIGHLIGHTS :


*  Twitter’s policy on automated accounts, last updated in November, allows bots to operate but with limitations.

The policy allows for bots to “automatically broadcast helpful information” or “run creative campaigns that autoreply to users.”



EXAMPLES OF AUTOMATED ACCOUNTS


  #   Netflix bot which tweets when new shows are added to the online streaming service, and another which posts random images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.


 #   CNN operates a “breaking news” bot 



#   New York Times has one that provides live analysis of NFL games





Let no one have doubts that there must be thousands of similar ( but , less well-known ) AUTOMATED BOTS , broadcasting all kinds of news ( fake or real ) , over the internet


Our IB Ministry had recently set up a committee to formulate a policy for digital broadcasting and news portals




Each passing day confirms what I said in my earlier blog :




Parallel to the ”  Theory of  Thermodynamics “ , I would like to propound the
 following , as far as the  “ Theory of Information “  is concerned :

     
     “  Like Entropy , content keeps growing with each and every human
     interaction , either with other humans or with his environment , and content
     can no longer remain hidden , nor can it be destroyed  “







On same day ( 11 April ) , Economic Times carried following news :





This report reads :


“ Trai likely to define what is personal data and who owns it “



I urge TRAI to find time to read :


Privacy  For Sale  [ 26  Aug  2017  ]






12  April  2018