How they get their income ?

From where do candidates ( contesting elections ) get their income ?

How do they manage to increase their wealth by 300 % - 500 % in those 5 years that they are MPs / MLAs / Corporators ?

Do voters have a right to know about such details before deciding to vote for a candidate ?

Such questions were bothering Indian voters but ( sitting ) MPs / MLAs were just not ready ( ? ) to pass any law that would make it mandatory for the candidates to declare such info and place it in public domain

That made me incorporate following provision in my suggested Mobile App “ Votes App “ [ 19  Aug  2013  ], as follows :

  

·         Upon selection, user will be presented with the list of candidates contesting , from which , he can select only one by ticking a checkbox. There will be also a choice , labeled “ None “

*   A long press on a candidate’s name will display details of his declared assets as also his criminal record

Then , in ,

Candidates / Spouses / Kids : Assets ? [  16  Feb  2018  ] ,

I wrote :

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

Dear Hon Supreme Court :

There is no need for  “ setting up a permanent mechanism to keep tabs on and probe the assets of law-makers and their immediate families “

All that is required is to add one more field in the Income Tax Form ( revised one introduced in 2016 ) , which says :

“ If either yourself or any member of your near family ( spouse / children / son-in-law / daughter-in-law ) have held any position in Parliament or State Legislature or Municipal Corporation , at any time during past 5 years , provide full details below :…………………. “

For 2016-17 assessment year, the tax department has unveiled new income tax return form

For persons with income above Rs 50 lakhs, it requires submission of following details ( with cost of each item ) :

*  All immovable assets ( such as land / buildings etc )

*  All movable assets ( such as Cash, Jewellery , Vehicles , Yachts etc )

*  All liabilities ( such as loans )

For rest of the “ permanent mechanism “ and “ informed choice of the candidate  “ , find

Solutions at :

Electoral Reforms Through Backdoor ? [ 03 April 2016 ]

https://myblogepage.blogspot.in/2016/04/electoral-reforms-through-backdoor.html

 

Filtering Candidate Information ?  [  18  Sept  2016  ]

 

https://myblogepage.blogspot.in/2016/09/filtering-candidate-information.html

 

 

Reforming Elections and Lok Sabha [ REaL ] [ 20 Dec 2016 ]

 

https://myblogepage.blogspot.in/2016/12/reforming-elections-and-lok-sabha-real.html

 

From following news report , it seems that my emails ( to Cabinet Ministers – NITI Aayog – PM-EAC – Supreme Court etc ) might have got read !

“ Local polls may be India’s first where candidates will reveal income source “

Extract :

Now, a candidate who wishes to contest local body elections  in Maharashtra will have to disclose his and his family’s sources of income as part of the election affidavit that he files with SEC

So far , a candidate would only have to mention , his and his family’s liabilities and assets besides personal details like qualifications and police cases.

But now on , information regarding the source of income for the last 3 years, details of income tax returns and even PAN card number will have to be mentioned in the affidavit 

An affidavit filed by any candidate is put in the public domain so that voters can make an informed choice during elections

The information will have to be given in a prescribed format and all income sources – farming , employment , business or rent generated from properties among others – will have to be mentioned

 
Thank  You , Hon Supreme  Court  !

You are  the common man’s , ” Court of Last Resort “

But please remember that the common man has no money to hire expensive lawyers to bring his plaint to your doorsteps

Most he can do is to send you emails !  ( supreme@Supremecourt.nic.in  )

I urge you to treat as a PIL , my following earlier email suggesting transparency / reforms in the funding of the Political Parties :

https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2018/01/electoral-bonds-for-transparency.html

19  Aug  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs 

Wealth of Nations

Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or valuable material possessions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating old English word weal, which is from an Indo-European word stem.^[1] An individual, community, region or country that possesses an abundance of such possessions or resources to the benefit of the common good is known as wealthy.

The United Nations definition of inclusive wealth is a monetary measure which includes the sum of natural, human, and physical assets.^[5][6] 

Natural capital includes land, forests, energy resources, and minerals.

Human capital is the population's education and skills. Physical (or "manufactured") capital includes such things as machinery, buildings, and infrastructure.

[ Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth  ]

Way back in 1776 , Adam Smith wrote a book , popularly known as “ Wealth of Nations “

I have not read it so I do not know what Smith included among a nation’s “ Wealth “

But way back in Feb 2016 , I wrote following blog :

Needed - some Simple Answers !

There , I listed the following “ natural resources “ :

    *   Oil / Coal / Shale Gas etc  (  Fossil Fuels )

      *   Ores of Iron / Copper / Zinc / Aluminum etc

      *   Trees ( timber ) that grow in our jungles

      *   Any number of minor minerals / chemicals

And I asked whether the following too , should not be included as “ natural resources “ belonging to a nation – and therefore be subjected to the same treatment as others :

·         Air  /  Wind  blowing over our country

·         Sunlight  that falls on our vast land

·         Water  flowing in our country's rivers

·         Oceanic Tides , capable of generating power

·         Airwaves  (2G / 3G / 4G / 5G  Spectrum )

Sometime back , to the above list , I added “ Private / Personal Data “ of the citizens of our country , as an important item of “ National Wealth “ , which must be exploited for  “ empowering / enriching “ the citizen concerned

{  See : Privacy For Sale  [  26  Aug   2017  }      

I felt very elated when my own earlier / similar , thoughts got echoed by none other than Shri Nandan Nilekani  !

Yesterday , speaking at ET Start Up Awards function , he said :

Europe has focused on the downsides of data flows to ensure  a strict data protection regime

We should not just mimic the west , the European Model .

In India , we should design policy to also enable people to use their data to benefit themselves

Nilekani said we should look at an empowerment model. 

“ We will become data rich before becoming economically rich

So , how do we use our data to get better healthcare, better education , better credit ?

Look at our digital lending platforms , where the customer gives his payment data , business data and gets credit in return

[  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/india-should-focus-on-data-empowerment-says-nilekani/articleshow/65446883.cms   ] 

Thank You , Shri Nilekaniji,

I urge you examine my following suggestion and , if you feel that it provides for a “ distinctly Indian solution “ to empower / enrich the data-owners , then persuade the Central Ministers to adopt it ( - with changes deemed necessary by you )

A Matter of Motive   

18  Aug  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

  

Google does not ask !

Or if it ever does , it is “ sotto voice “  ( a faint whisper designed so that you cannot hear ! )

If you do not believe , read :

Google  may  still  be  tracking  you , even  if  you  opted  out

 

But then , when it comes to tracking you is concerned , it is not only Google

Every search-engine , every Mobile App , every E Com web site , every online service , every Internet connected device ( which will , soon include anything you have on your body - clothes included ) , will be tracking you !

By the end of 2020, our smartphones, AR glasses, watches, medical wear-ables and smart dust are expected to constitute  50 billion connected devices , hosting a total of 1 trillion sensors.

And just as the number of connected devices is increasing exponentially, the number of sensors per connected device is also increasing exponentially.

So far, sensors on phones have doubled every four years.  This means we can expect 160 sensors per mobile device by 2027, and a world jam-packed with near 100 trillion sensors.

There will be no place where you can change your clothes in privacy  !

I wish , members of ShriKrishna Committee had read my following email before submitting their report to Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji :

Just  Ask  Google  !  [  28  Nov  2017  ]

It is still not too late for Shri Prasadji to consider my following suggestion for safeguarding the personal / private data of Indian Citizens under the proposed DATA PROTECTION LAW :

A Matter of Motive  [  04 Aug  2018  ]

This is the only way to make Google ask for “ informed consent  “ –  openly  /  transparently /  legally  !

16  Aug   2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

Americans call it “ Voatz “

Some 5 years ago when I proposed voting using a Mobile App , I called it :

VotesApp   [  18  Aug  2013  ]

Now American state of West Verginia is about to launch it , by calling it “ Voatz “

Some Americans will get to vote via Blockchain this November 

Extract  :

According to a CNN report published Monday, the state plans to let soldiers who are permanent residents of the state but are serving overseas vote via their smartphones using a blockchain voting app called  Voatz.  It will mark the first time U.S. citizens can vote via mobile app.

To use Voatz, soldiers will first need to prove they are who they claim to be. The registration process involves uploading a photo of their government-issued ID and a video of their face, taken like a selfie.

The app’s facial recognition software will look at both the photo and video to ensure they depict the same person.

{  On 15 Dec 2015 , I edited my VotesApp blog to add :

   “  Vote will get recorded only when that Voter takes a Selfie - which will get matched automatically , with his Aadhar Card photo  “  }

After this verification process, the soldiers will be all set to cast their vote. Once they do, the app anonymizes the ballots and records the votes on a blockchain, a secure digital ledger that’s nearly tamperproof.

West Virginia’s Secretary of State Mac Warner insists Voatz is secure. Historically, election security has been one of his top priorities — earlier this year, he secured $6.5 million in federal funding to spend on equipment, cybersecurity, and training to ensure the state’s elections are safe and secure.

West Virginia already tested Voatz in two counties during the primary elections, and several audits of the voting app revealed no issues. We’ll just have to wait to see if the same holds true in November. If it does, more governments could adopt blockchain-supported voting apps in the future.

Related blogs ( sent as emails to Cabinet Ministers / NITI Aayog etc ) :

How to save Rs 5511 Crores  ………………………..[  12  Dec  2015  ]

One day Polling is Possible  ……………………………[  31  March  2016  ]

 

The Greatest Reform ?  …………………………………..[  12  June  2016  ]

 

ONE POLL ; ONE TIME ? ……………….. ……………….[  06  Sept  2016  ]

 

One Nation , One Vote ?  ………………………………….[  29  Nov  2016  ]

 

Electoral Reforms Capsule : A Bitter Pill ? ………..[  05  Feb  2017  ]

 

A Blue Print for VotesApp ?  ………………………………[  25  April  2017  ]

 

Block Chain for Voting ?  …………………………………..[  11  March  2018  ]

 

Of late , there is considerable debate on holding of “ Simultaneous Polls “ of the State Assemblies with the Lok Sabha in 2019

 

This dream cannot be realized without implementing  “  Votes App “

 

14  Aug  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs