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, 20 March 2020

बहुजन हिताय बहुजन सुखाय


बहुजन हिताय बहुजन सुखाय

Bahujana sukhaya bahujana hitaya cha (translates to "for the happiness of the many, for the welfare of the many")[1] is a dictum
 or aphorism enunciated in the Rigveda in Sanskrit.[2]


Context :

Taiwan's New 'Electronic Fence' for Quarantines Leads Wave of Virus Monitoring 

Extract :

Ø  Taiwan, which has won global praise for its effective action against the coronavirus, is rolling out a mobile phone-based "electronic fence" that uses location-tracking to ensure people who are quarantined stay in their homes.

 

Ø  Governments around the world are  combining technology  and human efforts to enforce quarantines that require people who have been exposed to the virus to stay in their homes, but Taiwan's system is believed to be the first to use mobile phone tracking for that purpose.

 

Ø  The system monitors phone signals to alert police and local officials if those in home quarantine move away from their address or turn off their phones. Jyan said authorities will contact or visit those who trigger an alert within 15 minutes


Ø  In Hong Kong, location-tracking wristbands are given to those put under quarantine.


Ø  In Singapore, the government uses text messages to contact people, who must click on a link to prove they are at home.

 

Ø  Thailand has rolled out a mobile app that anyone arriving at an airport must download to help monitor where they have been in the event that they test positive for the virus.


Ø  Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, this week also launched a mobile app to help track cases, and it could be used to enforce quarantines.

 

Ø  Other countries, including South Korea and Israel, are using satellite-based phone tracking for so-called contact tracing to see where infected individuals might have passed SARS-CoV-2 to others.


Ø  China has used a wide range of methods to monitor the health and whereabouts of people and enforce restrictions on movement.

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

Dear Dr HarshVardhanji,

In the list of the countries mentioned above, other than China, all the rest are very small ( population-wise ) compared to India

For them, mobile-based tracking ( of quarantined persons ), could be an appropriate technology

But , our problem is not so much about “ quarantining “ a few thousand citizen , after they test “ positive “ for Covid-19



Our problem is :

To begin with, from among a huge population ( of 1370 million persons ) , how to “ identify “ those one percent ( 13.7 million ), who are running high temperature and need to be tested, urgently ?


The only way :

     Thermal Imaging software embedded into roadside CCTV cameras  ( with Infrared Night Vision ) all over the cities / towns ( or embedded into cameras mounted on Drones ) + embedded Facial Recognition Software + Software to link each captured face with Aadhar Database ( photo + Biometric ) of all citizen



This combination of hardware and software, will instantly “ identify / detect “any citizen running a high temperature ( as soon as his face is visible on CCTV / Drone based camera ) and

 ,
#  Send him SMS on his mobile to go for VIRUS TEST at the nearest test lab ( giving
    address of that lab ). No need for any separate “authorization “ from anyone . And
    no payment of testing fees ( Govt to DBT to private labs , upon uploading of TEST
    RESULTS on Govt Health Portal )



#  Send SMS to the concerned lab , giving full details of the person


#  Send SMS to all other concerned Government Authorities / Health Portals


#  Repeated “ face image capture “ by different cameras at different times and
    different locations, will track the journey of such an individual . This path will show
    up on the Dashboard of the CENTRAL CONTROL CENTRE for COVID [ 4C ]

[ source : My email of yesterday  :  Sankalp – Sanyanm – Shastra ]





Dear Sir,


The required technology is available off-the-shelf


All that is needed is your GREEN SIGNAL to our Scientists / Technocrats and those Private Sector Companies , which have been installing road-side CCTV cameras for past decade


In an all out war , we cannot afford the luxury of inviting tenders !


In this “Relay Race “, each player need not grasp the baton and then ask of himself :


“ To run or not to run ? “


Any delay in implementing my suggestion and Covid-19 will outrun us !

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

21 March  2020

hcp@RecruitGuru.com

A Back-breaking Burden ?




In its affidavit concerning NRC ( National Register for Citizens ) , Government has argued :

“ The procedure , which puts the onus on the person claiming to be a citizen to prove the fact, is just, fair and reasonable and has been held so by the courts.

There is a good and sound reason for placing the BURDEN of PROOF upon the person concerned who asserts to be a citizen of a particular country , it contended.

In order to establish citizenship, one may be required to give evidence of ,


Ø  His date of birth
Ø  Place of birth
Ø  Name of his parents
Ø  Their place of birth and citizenship

Sometimes the place of birth of his GRAND-PARENTS may also be relevant like under Section 6A ( 1 ) ( d ) of the Citizenship Act

All these facts would necessarily be within the personal knowledge of the person concerned and not of the authorities

After he has given evidence, the state authorities can verify the facts and rebut them if necessary

If state authorities dispute the claim of citizenship by a person, it will not only be difficult but almost impossible for them to first lead evidence on these points, the affidavit contended “



Without doubt,

“… the Centre was well within its powers to identify illegal migrants and deport them as per law … “


And,


"It is the responsibility of the Centre to detect illegal migrants and follow due process of law in deporting or expelling them “

And,

Such a power conferred by the Foreigners Act, 1946, is absolute and gives unfettered discretion to the government to expel foreigners from India “

 


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

I suspect there are millions of citizen like me who know the names of their parents but have no clue as to their “ place of birth “ or even their birth-dates !

My parents passed away 48 years ago.


Do I have an option to write “ Do not Know “ against these fields ?

If I do not have such an option, I will be forced to supply FALSE data – which, government has no means to verify !

In fact , my 91 year old sister does not know her birth date !

I am afraid this “ Burden of Proof “ will break somebody’s back or turn India into a “ Nation of Liars “ !


======================================================
21  March  2020

hcp@RecruitGuru.com


Sankalp – Sanyanm – Shastra




In his address to the nation last evening, PM Shri Modiji urged the citizen to take following steps to conquer Covid-19 ,

Ø  Have a Sankalp      ( Resolve / Determination )

Ø  Observe Sanyam   ( Restraint / Self-control )


He outlined the steps to be taken by the public in both these areas , including the appeal to stay inside homes on Sunday, March 22 [ Janata Curfew ]


He briefly touched upon the fact that, as of now, there is no vaccine / medicine for preventing / curing  Covid-19 , although many countries are working on development of one


To Shri Modiji’s slogan ( Sankalp with Sanyam ) , I would like to add one more, viz:  Shastras ( Weapons )


If Covid-19 , is to be treated as World War – III, then we need “weapons “ which are much more sophisticated than the Atom Bomb dropped on Hiroshima ( Aug 06 , 1945 )  / Nagasaki ( Aug 09 )


Weapons which are tiny ( as compared to the Atom Bomb ) but capable of covering the land-mass of the entire World ( not just 2 cities )


Weapons which do not “ destroy “ the population but “ detect “ the enemy virus Covid hiding inside human bodies


Here are some of those Shastras for consideration by the Government :


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

[ A ]…….. Remotely detecting every citizen running high body temperature

In my earlier blog [ Marriage of Technologies to contain Corona ? Yes ! ], I had suggested :



Ø  Thermal Imaging software embedded into roadside CCTV cameras  ( with Infrared Night Vision ) all over the cities / towns ( or embedded into cameras mounted on Drones ) + embedded Facial Recognition Software + Software to link each captured face with Aadhar Database ( photo + Biometric ) of all citizen



This combination of hardware and software, will instantly “ identify / detect “any citizen running a high temperature ( as soon as his face is visible on CCTV / Drone based camera ) and

 ,
#  Send him SMS on his mobile to go for VIRUS TEST at the nearest test lab ( giving
    address of that lab ). No need for any separate “authorization “ from anyone . And
    no payment of testing fees ( Govt to DBT to private labs , upon uploading of TEST
    RESULTS on Govt Health Portal )



#  Send SMS to the concerned lab , giving full details of the person


#  Send SMS to all other concerned Government Authorities / Health Portals


#  Repeated “ face image capture “ by different cameras at different times and
    different locations, will track the journey of such an individual . This path will show
    up on the Dashboard of the CENTRAL CONTROL CENTRE for COVID [ 4C ]




Extract :

Ø  “ The government is exploring all possible TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS to deal with the contemporary challenge of Covid-19 “

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

[ B ]…….. Preventing persons running high temperature from entering Public Places

( Source :  Ramco Systems Announces Facial Recognition-Based Touchless Attendance System )


Extract :

Ø  RamcoGEEK’s facial recognition capabilities allow it to detect and authenticate the faces of staff members, noting their attendance as well as their temperature.


Ø  The door sensors can restrict access to individuals that register a temperature higher than normal, and the attendance tracking system can automatically register and apply a leave-of-absence for the employee based on their temperature results while communicating the information to management in real-time, Ramco says.


Ø  “We built this application to help better address a crisis through technology,” said Aggarwal, adding that “ robust containment through a robust attendance and access system “ with zero contact and temperature measurement can be key to avoid easy spread of the virus that may take place with biometric access system.”


Additional Read :

Ø  From BAD to MAD …………………………………………..  [ 01 June 2016 ]


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

[ C ]…. AI based remote monitoring system

( Source : Coronavirus pandemic | Hong Kong fights COVID-19 using device developed by

                IIT alumnus' startup  )


Extract :

Ø  Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Hong Kong is using artificial intelligence (AI)-based remote monitoring system to track the health of COVID-19 patients and detecting symptoms of disease in quarantined people


Ø  Everion, which includes biosensor, was developed five years ago to monitor heart failure patients. It is worn on the arm and can measure over 20 different biomarkers in real-time like oxygen levels, respiratory patterns, temperature and heart rate


Ø  The biosensor used in the device includes a companion smartphone app that asks questions to patients about their symptoms and a web dashboard that doctors use to observe patients, as per the report

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

[ D ]  …… Every Mobile phone sold in India must be pre-installed with ISRO’s NaVIC GPS


Ø  This will enable tracking of virus-affected citizen , 24x7

Ref :   Congrats , Shri Shivang Luthraji,                                         [ 22 Sept 2018 ]

 

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


[ E ] …… Every Mobile Phone to be pre-installed with location system of What3Words

Ø  For faster  EMERGENCY  response

Ø  For enabling  GOVERNMENT  to give everyone an address in record time

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

[ F ]  …. Urge Microsoft to enhance its mobile app SEEING AI , to be able to read / transmit
             body temperature of a person


Extract :

Ø  The app can….. recognize and describe people around you and their facial expressions….. Recognize and locate the faces of people you’re with, as well as facial characteristics, approximate age, emotion, and more.


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

The above-mentioned “ List of Technologies “ ( - nearly all , tried and tested ), is by no means comprehensive. 

I am sure, our technocrats will come up with many more


What I am not sure is :


“ Which of the following will evaluate – then make it “ It is My Job “ , to implement those found worthy ? “







“ New, Emerging and Strategic Technology “ [ NEST ] Division set up by External Affair Ministry [  03 Jan 2020  ]

Ref :  Troika of Technology ?


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

Dear Dr HarshVardhanji,

You are best placed to decide WHO and empowered to lay down target date , WHEN


In this “ Vaishwik Mahamari ( World War – III ) “, you are the GENERAL !


With regards,

Hemen parekh


====================================================
20 March 2020
hcp@RecruitGuru.com