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

Thursday, 18 February 2021

Understandable ? Yes

 


 

Reasonable ?  No


Context :

Mandate tech giants to share revenue   /  ET Editorial  /  19 Feb 2021

Extract :

In the ongoing tussle between the government and tech giants Google and Facebook in Australia over sharing revenue with news media, Google and Facebook have adopted different strategies. While Google is trying to sidestep a direct confrontation by striking deals with the bigger media companies of the region, and elsewhere, by enrolling them in the Google News Showcase and paying them for that participation, Facebook has decided to not let members share news in Australia and bar Australian news elsewhere in the world.

Implicit in this aggressive bargaining position is the understanding that Australia is too small a market for the tech giants for its potential loss to force these companies to change their conduct.

This is the right time for India to join the battle and bring in a law mandating tech giants that harvest advertising revenue by displaying news stories to share revenue with those who create the content they display.

India is a huge market, as it is. It is an enormous market in the making and no company would willingly forsake a share of this growing pie.

The threat that might work against Australia, accounting for $4 billion of Google’s annual $181 billion revenue. But India promises much, much more, whatever its current  yield.

Google will be persuaded to strike the kind of deal it has struck with French publishers and now with Australian ones with Indian news media as well. True, with the equalisation levy, the government does collect some tax from the likes of Google.

But by mandating the tech giants to share revenue with the content creators, the government would gain additional tax revenue as well, as Indian companies make additional profits and pay additional taxes.

But that is not the main point. A financially healthy news media is essential for democracy to function.

Discouraging practices that erode news media’s revenues is an essential task of good governance. Microsoft has supported the official Australian stance.

A similar law in India would find powerful allies, as well, from within the tech world and outside.

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

Dear Shri Bodhisatva  Ganguliji

( Editor , Economic Times / Bodhisatva.ganguli@timesgroup.com ),


There can be no quarrel with your statement :

 “ A financially healthy news media is essential for democracy to function “


It  is also understandable when you write :

“ … bring in a law mandating tech giants that harvest advertising revenue by displaying news stories to share revenue with those who create the content they display……. “


But ,

News Media should first agitate for the benefit of masses before trying to advance their own interests


Print Media earns millions from companies which advertise on them. That income enables Media to sell print copies at very cheap rates (often below the cost of paper / printing )


Look upon it as a kind of “ REVENUE SHARING “ with the readers


It is precisely this “ Low Sale Price “ which enables you to get millions of people to “ buy “ news papers


In turn, it is this “ Circulation Size “ ( of millions ) that motivates companies to give you advts !


How are online Social Media ( Google / Facebook etc ) managing to offer FREE services to millions of their users ?


By “ harvesting and selling “ personal data of these millions of users to their advertisers / other DATA BUYERS


I believe , media like yours , should agitate for Social Media to “ compensate “ these millions of CONTENT CREATORS


I urge you to :


Ø   Study my suggestions at :

 

     #   Digital Dividend from Demographic Data [ 4 D ]………[ 14 Feb 2019 ]

 

     #   SARAL( Single  Authentic  Registration for Anywhere  Login )… 10 Feb 2019 ]

 

Ø  Launch a campaign ( much like your , very successful “ LostVotes “ campaign ) for Social Media to compensate its uses for their data


This would not appear merely as some kind of “ altruism “. It would demonstrate your willingness to fight for the cause of the common men 


  

With regards

Hemen Parekh  /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 19 Feb 2021

 

Related Reading :

“ Pods ” ; Prescribed by ( Dr ) Tim Berners-Lee………………….[ 23 Jan 2021 ]

 

Wednesday, 17 February 2021

Co-WIN 2.0 : a “ Work-in-Progress “ ?

 


 

Context :

Co-Win 2.0 soon for self – registration  /  Times of India  /  18 Feb 2021

( hyperlink could not be found / extract from print media )


Extract :

Ø  The govt is also set to launch the version 2.0 of the Co-WIN digital app for  SELF-REGISTRATION  of vaccine beneficiaries above 50 years of age

Ø  Besides, many more private hospitals will join the drive going forward. At present, about 2,000 private hospitals are already engaged in the vaccination effort

Ø  For  the next phase, the govt plans to increase immunization sessions four to five times of the current 10,000 – 11,000 sessions that are being conducted per day

Ø  To enable priority population to SELF REGISTER on Co-WIN, the govt has put in place necessary systems such as,

#   Stabilizing the Co-WIN platform to handle the huge demand

#   Finalizing APIs for interfacing with Co-WIN platform

#   Deciding on relevant databases for POPULATING the data-details about

     the citizen such as, AGE – ADDRESS – ID etc

#   Keeping TRACK of progress on Co-WIN platform

#   Delivery of SECOND DOSE

#   Issue of vaccination certificate

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


I am glad, this Co-WIN 2.0 , will incorporate most of the features / functionalities suggested by me in my following earlier e-mail :

Voting and Vaccination : Compare and Contrast …………………….[ 19 Oct 2020 ]

 

However , I am worried about a ( reported ) “ deviation “ from my following suggestion in that e-mail

 

MY SUGGESTION

      #     Based on the  “ Registration Data “ submitted, the Central Server ( of

             Aushman Bharat ) will issue a UNIQUE  PRIORITY NUMBER to the person (

             by SMS on mobile ) . The message will also assign a specific   “ Vaccine

             Delivery Centre – VDC “ ( a nearby Hospital–Nursing Home–Lab – Doctor )

             

              

           

     #     Server will, simultaneously send notification to that particular VDC ,

            providing full registration details of the concerned citizen – indicating his

            PRIORITY

           

    #     Based on the “ Number of Citizen “ assigned – and the PRIORITY of each

           such citizen, software installed will send an SMS to the citizens ,

           assigning  SPECIFIC DATE / TIME to each person for visit .

           

          This automatic / rule-based “ SCHEDULING “ by the software, will ensure “ No

          crowding / maintenance of Social  Distancing “

    

   #     Concerned VDC will fill in details such as : Vaccinated on ( …..  ) /  Did not

          turn up

           ( This will alert health worker to visit residence of person for follow-up /

           reschedule visit )

 

DEVIATION REPORTED

 

“Officials told The Economic Times that the Co-WIN platform is being updated to let people book appointments for vaccinations by choosing a centre and time of their convenience. Once it is opened up, people above 50 years of age will be able to register and authenticate their age.


Source :

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/cowin-2-0-in-the-works-for-covid-vaccine-self-registration/articleshow/81081264.cms 


Question :

If ( say ) , Mumbai has 200 vaccination centres to choose from ( by, say 5 million citizen of 50 yrs + ),

Will Co-WIN 2.0, display ( on a tiny mobile screen ), a “ droplist “ which reads :

“ Select your preferred Vaccination centre from the following list ( only one choice ) “

 [  Names / Addresses of 200 centres ]

And will that tiny screen also have another “ droplist “ which reads,

“ Select your preferred Time by clicking below ( only one ) “

[  7 am / 7:10 am / 7:20 am ………………….. 8 pm  ]


The probability that 9,876 persons choose :

>   Nanavati Hospital - Andheri

>  9 am 

>  23rd March 2021 ,

is VERY HIGH  !

Expect a PANDEMONIUM  !

And, if the software has built-in LIMITATION RULES ( eg : not to exceed XYZ number for each Vaccination centre / each session / each time ), then there is a distinct possibility that the process of  self - registration , can take 4 hours on the mobile !


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

Dear Dr Harshvardhanji,


Without doubt, your team has done a commendable job of our Vaccination Drive


But the task ( before the mutant COVID strikes ) is to ramp up daily vaccination number , from current ( ave ) of 400,000 to 4 MILLION ( TEN TIMES ) ,in order to cover our entire population within ONE YEAR


This just cannot be achieved if Co-WIN 2.0 lets self-registering ONE BILLION persons to CHOOSE their desired vaccination centres and timings


I am afraid, such a choice will lead to a lot of confusion and software glitches, especially when the App / Central Server / APIs / Databases etc., will need to dynamically upgrade in respect of :


Ø  Additional brands of vaccines ( beyond the current two )

Ø  Thousands of additional Vaccination Centres

Ø  Thousands of NEW sessions

Ø  Registration from Common Service Centres (for persons not having smart phones )

All of these continuous changes will need AUTO UPDATING of Co-WIN , every day !


With regards,

Hemen Parekh  /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  18 Feb 2021   

Tuesday, 16 February 2021

Monetizing Geospatial Data

 


 

Context :

Centre deregulates geospatial data and map-making in India  /  Mint  -  16 Feb 2021

Extract :

Ø  Indian companies can now buy geospatial data and modern mapping technologies, the department of science and technology announced on Monday, part of liberalized measures it said would introduce “ sweeping changes " to the country’s mapping policy.

Ø  The ministry of science and technology on Monday issued guidelines for acquiring and producing geospatial data and geospatial data services, including maps.

Ø  “The availability of comprehensive, highly accurate, granular and constantly updated representation of geospatial data will significantly benefit diverse sectors of the economy and will significantly boost innovation in the country and greatly enhance the preparedness of the country for emergency response," said Ashutosh Sharma, secretary, department of science and technology.

Ø  According to the new guidelines, there will be no requirement for approval, security clearance, license or any other restrictions on the “ collection,  generation,  preparation,  dissemination,  storage,  publication, updating  and / or digitization " of geospatial data and maps.

Ø  Individuals, companies, organizations, and government agencies shall be free to process the acquired geospatial data, build applications and develop solutions in relation to such data; and use such data products, applications, solutions, etc by way of “ selling, distributing, sharing, swapping, disseminating, publishing, deprecating and destructing," the guidelines state. However, self-certification will be used to convey adherence to these guidelines.

Ø  “In every economic endeavor, spanning agriculture, finance, construction, mining and local enterprise, India’s farmers, small businesses and corporations alike stand to gain tremendously from the application of innovative technologies based on modern geospatial data technologies and mapping services," said Sharma.

Ø  Maps and accurate geospatial data are crucial for national infrastructure projects such as linking rivers, creation of industrial corridors and deploying smart power systems, the guidelines state.

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

 

Hindustan Times reported following tweets from PM Shri Modi , on this deregulation :

Ø  Our government has taken a decision that will provide a huge impetus to Digital India. Liberalizing policies governing the acquisition and production of geospatial data is a massive step in our vision for an Atmnirbhar Bharat or Self-Reliant India

 

Ø  The reforms will unlock tremendous opportunities for our country’s Startups, private sector and research institutions to drive innovations and build scalable solutions. This will also generate employment and accelerate economic growth

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

MY TAKE :

Ø  This deregulation opens up unprecedented opportunities for solving some of our most difficult problems

Ø  I have no doubt that , as envisaged by PM, this will enable our Startups to take up following problems using data that could be made available by our series of GPS satellites ( NaviC ) :

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

[ A ]   Automatic collection of Parking Charges of vehicles on the roads ( 24x7 )

             by sensing / detecting,  their precise location on roads and deducting the

             parking charges from FasTags pre-installed on vehicles

             

             For technical frame-work,  read :

             Un-Implementable Laws : Unstoppable Corruption  ……[ 20 Feb 2017 ]

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

 [ B ]  Motivating vehicle owners to switch-over from Petrol / Diesel vehicles to

              Electric Vehicles and from use of PRIVATE vehicles to using PUBLIC

              transport.  NaviC will continuously track each and every vehicle on

              the roads / calculate its HARM QUOTIENT and deduct Transport tax ( in

              lieu of Road Taxes / other taxes ) from FasTag

                      

             

            For framework , read :

            Transport : an Integrated Logistic Plan ? ……………………….[ 20 Nov 2018 ]

            Gadkariji : Green Tax is Good………………………………………….[ 26 Jan 2021 ]

 

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

[ C ]  Road Accident Prevention

            For framework , read :

            Young : and dying on roads ………………………………………………[ 13 Feb 2021 ]

 

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

[ D ] … Converting our Highways into Conveyor Belts of Commerce, to reduce

            logistics costs


            For framework , read :

            Highways to Hyper-loops ……………………………………………………[ 09 Mar 2018 ]

 

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


And one Startup [ Skylotech India ], has developed a Satellite Data-based platform to enable a 1,000 Startups !


In a first,BSNL launches world’s largest NB-IoT to benefit traditional sectors/BL 11 Dec 2020


Extract :

Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL), in partnership with Skylotech India (Skylo), on Thursday announced a breakthrough in satellite-based narrow band-Internet of things (NB-IoT) starting with fishermen, farmers, construction, mining and logistics enterprises


“ This is the world’s first satellite-based NB-IoT network,” Parthsarathi Trivedi, Chief Executive and Co-founder, Skylo, said.


      BSNL said in a statement, this new ‘Made in India’ solution, which is indigenously developed by Skylo, will connect with BSNL’s satellite ground infrastructure


With this solution, India will now have access to a ubiquitous fabric of connectivity for millions of yet unconnected machinessensors and industrial IoT devices, it said.


A small, smart, rugged box, the Skylo ‘User Terminal’ interfaces with sensors and transmits data to the Skylo Network and into people’s hands.


A small, smart, rugged box, the Skylo ‘User Terminal’ interfaces with sensors and transmits data to the Skylo Network and into people’s hands.


It gives users the ability to take immediate and appropriate action, no matter where they are.


This connectivity layer will complement smartphone-centric mobile and WiFi networks, and bring online new applications for the first time.

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


Following are some applications of BSNL / Skylo tie-up, which Indian Startups may want to examine :

 

[ E ]   Farming

         For framework, read :

         Influence farmers and win Votes ?.........................[ 04 Feb 2019 ]

 

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

[ F ]   Health

         For framework , read :

          Shri Indu Bhushan has a dream …………………………………..[ 29 Nov 2020 ]

 

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

[ G ]  Skilling of our Youth

         For framework, read :

          Organizing the Unorganized …………………………………………[ 04 Feb 2019 ]

 

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

[ H ]   Real-time Employment Data

 

          For framework, read :

           Quarterly Labour Survey : A Still-born Child ?.............[ 22 Mar 2017 ]

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

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

 

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

[ I ]  Transport

 

         For framework , read :

          Intelligent Transport System ………………………………………..[ 07 Oct 2017 ]

         Internet of Vehicles  (  IoV  )  ?  …………………………………..[ 04  Mar 2017 ]

 

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

Dear Dr HarshVardhanji,

[ Minister for Science and Technology ]


Through this deregulation, you have , no doubt , “ Uncorked the Bottle “

But, in order to get the “ Genie out of the Bottle “, you may want to publish above-mentioned APPLICATIONS on following portals :

Ø  StartupIndia  ( to take this message to 44,059 DPIIT recognized Startups )

Ø  www.StartupAssociation.in   

with regards,

Hemen Parekh / hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  17 Nov 2021

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

Copy to :

Ø  Prof. Ashutosh Sharma ( Sec – Dept of Science and Technology / dstsec@nic.in )

Ø  Shri Rohan Verma ( CEO- MapmyIndia / rohan@mapmyindia.com )

Ø  Shri Ajey Lele ( Senior Fellow-Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses / ajey.lele@gmail.com )

Ø  Shri Purwarji ( CMD- BSNL / cmdbsnl@bsnl.co.in )

Ø  Shri Parth Trivediji ( CEO – Skylo )

[ parth.trivedi@skylo.tech/parth@skylo.tech/Andrew@skylo.tech /tarun@skylo.tech /parth@gmail.com 

 parth@mit.eu / support@skylo.tech / info@skylo.tech   


Ø  dipp-startups@nic.in