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

Wednesday, 20 May 2020

E-Pass : By no means , an Easy Pass


  

In the past few days, I heard some horror stories about people who tried to get an E – pass , to move out of their homes, for some or other reason


Some never got it , some were denied and lucky few got that permission ( pass ) after a few weeks after applying for it online and filling up lengthy forms


 So , I decided to do some search on web and came across following portal , hosted by National Informatic Centre ( NIC / Govt of India ) :






It carries a drop-list of 19 States ( I presume others are working on this )


Selecting any one State, reveals the “ Reasons “ for E – pass that State issues

 .
Some state issues for only 1 “ purpose / reason “ , whereas some other State issues for 2 / 3 different reasons


Following is a consolidated list of these “ reasons “ ( includes similar / identical reasons )  :


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

·         issuance of covid-19 epass
  • covid-19 vehicle pass for essential service
  • covid-19 application for epermit for stranded person and migrant labourers from rest of india stranded at lohit district
  • covid-19 application for e-permit for exempted activities during lockdown
  • covid-19 vehicle pass for essential service
  • covid-19 application for epermit for stranded person and migrant labourers from rest of india stranded at lohit district
  • covid-19 application for e-permit for exempted activities during lockdown
  • issuance of essential service pass
  • issuance of e-pass for delivery of essential commodities
  • e-pass for inter state stranded persons
·         issuance of e-pass for covid-19 disaster
·         movement pass for covid-19 curfew/lockdown
  • issuance of covid-19 curfew epass for vehicle movement
  • surveillance of quarantine persons-entered from outside hp
·         issuance of covid19 movement epass – jk
  • covid-19: apply here to travel to karnataka from other country
  • covid-19: apply here to travel to karnataka from other indian states
  • covid-19 : apply here to travel to other indian states from karnataka
  • issuance of covid-19 epass to travel to kerala from other states
  • issuance of covid-19 epass to travel to other states from kerala and inside kerala
·         issuance of covid-19 epass for vehicle movement – ladakh
  • covid19 movement pass
  • covid19 stranded person registration
·         issuance of passes to goods vehicle
  • issuance of e-curfew pass
  • etransit pass for citizens of meghalaya
·         issuance of e-pass for people movement
·         issuance of covid-19 epass for odisha
·         epass system for puducherry
·         e-pass for covid 19 curfew
·         epass for movement amid covid-19 pandemic
·         epass management system by up
=========================================================


Clicking on the “ reason / purpose “, takes you to the related website of the concerned State , where a form is displayed ( for filling up / submission , online )


Depending upon the “ reason / purpose “ chosen , the form displayed carries anywhere between 20 to 30 “ data fields “ to be filled in !


Each form has “ permutations / combinations “ of the following sections :



Ø  Applicant’s Personal Data , including ID proof (  could be 6 / 8 fields )


Ø  Applicant’s Contact Data / Current Address / E mail ID / Mobile No etc ( 5 / 8 fields )


Ø  Destination Address ( 5 / 6 fields )


Ø  Whether trip is ONE way or ROUND trip


Ø  Category ( purpose )  of the Traveler / Applicant ( 8 / 10 fields ) shown below ;

#   Govt Employee /  Public

#   Student

#   Pilgrim

#   Essential Service Provider

#   Delivery of Essential Commodities

#   Emergency / Medical

#   Tourist

#   Marriage

#   Stranded Person

#  Govt Duty

#  NGO

#  Goods Carrier

#  Migrant Labourer …….etc



Ø  Route to be taken  (  4 / 5 fields )


Ø  Whether travelling within the State ( Inter District )


Ø  Whether travelling to another State


Ø  Whether coming in from other State / Country


Ø  Period for which E-pass required  (  5 / 6 fields ) / Leaving-Arrival time ( date-wise )


Ø  Details of Vehicle – including name of owner (  4 / 5 fields )


Ø  Details of Driver ( 3 / 4 fields )


Ø  Details of Passengers  (  4 / 5 fields )


Ø  “ Health History “ of applicant/family ( incl. recent travels ) ( 4 / 5 fields )


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


I wonder whether Aarogya Setu Team has dropped the idea of developing / launching its “ E – pass “ feature as a part of that mobile app  !


For the following reasons, I strongly urge them to go ahead with integration of E – pass :


Ø  Eliminate all those permutations / combinations of FORMS by different State Govts

Ø  Standardization of “ Reasons / Purposes “

Ø  Standardization of  “ Sections “ and the “ Data Fields “under each section

Ø  Standardize User Interface – common across States

Ø  Eliminate need for an applicant to visit State websites – No separate websites

Ø  Centralize all data, submitted by all applicants, in one single central database

Ø  Transmit applicant data submitted to concerned State Authorities for decisions

Ø  Transmit to applicants ( thru Aarogya Setu app ), permissions / rejections

Ø  For a given applicant, store all permission / rejection history on Setu app itself

Ø  When stopped on road by police, applicant can show permission on his mobile


However , above-mentioned advantages ( of integrating E pass into Aarogya Setu ) pale when you consider its potential in the form of an “ ACCESS  CONTROL  APP  







“ Granting Online Permission “ is one side of the coin


Second side is :  “ Actual Use of that permission by the applicant “


These days, most offices / factories / establishments / public places etc ., some sort of ,

BIO-METRIC  ATTENDANCE  DEVICE


Some day, even public transports , such as Buses / Metros / Trains etc., too will get similar devices installed at their entrances


I suppose even today , Railways stick outside each carriage,


“ SEAT / BIRTH ALLOCATION CHARTS “,


-      which passengers look up before boarding


Why not ask passengers to hold their mobiles ( carrying E pass details ) against this BIOMETRIC DEVICE , which will confirm the authenticity and let the passenger board ?




For full potential , read :

MAD goes to Mandi    …………………………………[  02  Jan  2020  ]

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


Dear Shri Piyush Goyalji,

Please examine my suggestion in view of those thousands of MIGRANT workers rushing to bus-stops / train stations, based on rumors of some SHRAMIK  BUSES – TRAINS,  leaving for UP / BIHAR

Why make them fill-in OFFLINE paper forms ? 

And providing no indication of their seat-allotment ,

Ø  on ( say ) 24th May
Ø  in a Shramik Train leaving from Bandra Terminus
Ø  at 4 pm
Ø  in carriage no 4326
Ø  and seat no 27


  If you agree with my suggestion, kindly forward this to the Aarogya Setu Team


with regards,


hemen Parekh

hcp@RecruitGuru.com    /   20  May  2020





Monday, 18 May 2020

Another “ hesitant “ Step towards Self Reliance ?




Following are the reforms ( ? ) that FM , Smt Sitharamanji announced two days back :




Extract :

Atomic energy reforms
·         Research reactor to be done in PPP mode ( for medical isotopes )
·         PPP mode facility for irradiation tech for food
·         Startup ecosystem to be linked with nuclear sector


Space Reforms
·         Pvt sector gets co-pilot seat in space sector
·         Regulatory ease to be extended to firms
·         Pvt firms can use Isro facilities
·         Space exploration opened for pvt players
·         Liberal geo-spatial policy









Tariff policy reform for power
·         Discoms in Metros ( Union Territories ?  ) to be privatized
·         You won't have to suffer for discom inefficiencies
·         Load shedding will face penal action
·         Discom functions to be streamlined to improve accountability












New wings for Aviation
·         6 more airports up for auction
·         Pvt players get investment room, expected money: Rs 13,000 cr
·         6 more airports to be identified
·         Rationalising air space to reduce flying time, save fuel
·         Air space curbs to be removed
·         Green efforts to be boosted





Make in India push for Defence
·         Indigenistion of imported spares
·         List of weapons/platforms to be notified for import ban
·         Separate budget for procurement
·         Improve autonomy, accountability in ordnance
·         FDI limit raised from 49% to 74%





Mineral boost
·         Seamless mining, exploration regime
·         500 mining blocks to be offered
·         Joint auction of bauxite and coal blocks
·         Distinction between captive, non-captive mines removed
·         A mineral index to be made
·         Stamp duty to be rationalized





Govt lets go of Coal
·         State monopoly goes
·         Pvt players to be allowed
·         Entry norms to be liberalised
·         Nearly 50 blocks to be offered
·         No eligibility conditions
·         Only upfront payment with a ceiling
·         Any party can bid
Rs 50,000 crore alloted for creating evacuation infrastructure for coal


Eight Sectors In Focus
·         Coal
·         Minerals
·         Defence Production
·         Airspace management,
·         Airports
·         Power distribution companies in Union Territories
·         Space
·         Atomic Energy



All industrial parks to be ranked




Steps to be taken for Investment reboot
·         Fast tracking investment clearances
·         Special cell for seamless approvals
·         Upgrade of industrial infra
·         Providing land solution










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

Better late than never  ?


I urge the Cabinet Ministers to click the links above – then ask of themselves :


Should the REFORMS suggested in these links wait for another COVID to strike ?


Shall our POLICY MAKERS , always remain REACTIVE than PRO-ACTIVE ?


Do we always need an EXTERNAL THREAT to spur us into a “ too late “ action  ?


Is too much analysis produces a paralysis in our thinking ?


Are we so mortally afraid to carve out for ourselves, a NEW PATH  { “ where mind is free from fear and head held high “ },  that we seek refuge in well-trodden :

The Calf-Path 


With regards,

Hemen Parekh

hcp@RecruitGuru.com   /  19  May  2020





Sunday, 17 May 2020

Seize this Opportunity : FAST




Context :



Extract :

Ø  India’s information technology sector is seeking revisions in the country’s taxation and labour laws as over half the workforce in the $191 billion industry could begin to deliver services remotely as part of the changes being wrought by the ongoing pandemic.


At a meeting with government officials earlier this month, 
IT industry leaders, who estimated that close to 50% of the country’s 4.3 million IT workers will soon work from home, were asked to detail the legislative changes required to facilitate this significant transition.


Ø  The industry has also requested the government to make permanent several recent concessions extended until July, including relaxation of telecom regulations that allow back-office companies to work from home and move equipment out from designated special economic zones to facilitate remote working.



Ø  India’s IT industry contributes 8% to the country’s gross domestic product and has a 46% share in the country’s services exports, the lobby said in February.



Ø  The country’s software exports stood at $147 billion in fiscal year 2020.



Ø  Since the lockdown in March, India’s IT industry has moved nearly 90% of its workforce to deliver services from home 



Ø  The successful transition is now prompting large-scale shifts in work models across the industry, with India’s largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) looking at 75% of its workforce working remotely by 2025.



Ø  CP Gurnani, CEO of Tech Mahindra, said that in the first phase, the company may start “with 25% employees” working from home. “Most organisations will break away from large campuses to distributed centres. Work from home doesn’t mean work from home forever. There will be a Friday meeting, etc. But instead of my campus being 10,000 people in one place, it can be 500 people in a smaller town.”



Ø  “If the government wants to fast forward this from five years to say 2-3 years, it will have to quickly enable a long-term policy regime for it,” he said { Nasscom’s Aggarwal }


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



Dear Friends,


Ø  Mr. Amit Aggarwal- IT-ITeS Sector Skill Council, aaggarwal@nasscom.in

Ø  Shri U B Pravin Rao – COO , Infosys  /  Pravin.rao@infosys.com


Ø  Shri Ashish Aggarwal – Head Publicity , NASSCOM  /  ashish@gmail.com

Ø  Shri C P Gurnani – CEO , Tech Mahindra  /  cp.gurnani@techmahindra.com


Ø  Shri Vijaykumar – CEO , HCL Technologies  /  vijay@hcl.com 


As per above-mentioned news-report

,
Nasscom is reviewing labour laws from WFH perspective and will submit a report next week.



While preparing that report, I urge you to consider the suggestions listed under the links



With regards,


Hemen Parekh




18  May  2020

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