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

Tuesday, 30 November 2021

Thank You, Smt Sitharamanji

 


For What ?

For considering my suggestion to introduce IndiaBit ( my favorite name ) – a RBI backed crypto-currency

 

What makes you think your suggestion is under consideration ?

Following news report :

No plan to recognize Bitcoin as currency , says FM  /  Business Line  /  30 Nov 2021


Extract :

The government has no plan to recognise Bitcoin as a currency in the country, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the Lok Sabha on Monday.

In response to another question, the Finance Ministry said the Reserve Bank of India has urged the Centre to amend the RBI Act, 1934 to widen the definition of bank notes to include digital currency. This will facilitate the introduction of the Central Bank of Digital Currency (CBDC).

Asked “whether the Government has any proposal to recognise Bitcoin as a currency in the country,” Sitharaman said in written response, “No Sir.” This response comes at a time when the government is planning a Bill to regulate cryptos in India.

On the CBDC, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhury, in a written reply, said: “The government has received a proposal from Reserve Bank of India in October, 2021 for amendment to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 to enhance the scope of the definition of ‘ bank note ’ to include currency in digital form.”

It is believed that the RBI’s request will be incorporated in ‘ The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021’, scheduled for the Winter Session.

Chaudhury said the RBI has been examining use-cases and working on a phased implementation of the CBDC with little or no disruption.

“Introduction of CBDC has the potential to provide significant benefits, such as,

#   reduced dependency on cash,

#   higher seigniorage due to lower transaction costs,

#   reduced settlement risk

It could also lead to a more robust, efficient, trusted, regulated and legal tender-based payments option,” he said while admitting that there are also associated risks that need to be evaluated.

The RBI has indicated doing a pilot of the CBDC in the first quarter of FY23. With the RBI considering it for retail and international trade payments, the CBDC could have a larger impact on the financial ecosystem, say experts.

While many see CBDCs as a legalised replacement of crypto-currencies, in reality, the CBDC could just be a digital replica of the physical cash in circulation.

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

What exactly did you suggest ? – and when ?

I sent following e-mail to our Cabinet Ministers :

Crypto : Corruption : Corona : China ………………………..[ 17 June 2020 ]

-       Where , I wrote :

 

Dear Smt Nirmala Sitharamanji / Shri RaviShankar Prasadji / Shri Piyush Goyalji,

 

 

I have no clue as to what mechanism could be used ( Inter-Currency Exchange Rate ) for payment for Imports and remittances for Exports , if – and when – we introduce IndiaBit

 

 

 

But if IndiaBit can ,

 

 

#   To begin with bring out all BLACK MONEY ( stashed away as paper currency notes )

 

      and deploy the same into mainstream economy for productive purposes , and

 

#   Put a Full Stop to any future generation of Black Money ,

 



-      then my proposal deserves a debate

 

 

 

What will convince RBI / Government to issue OFFICIAL VIRTUAL CURRENCY ?

Here is a brief ( non-comprehensive ) suggestion for proposed Law :

 

Ø  While banning Private Crypto, introduce IndiaBit ( Govt Virtual Currency )

Ø  With some effective date, withdraw all Paper Currency ( forget coins )

Ø  Minimum denomination will still be called a RUPEE ( easy to convert from paper to digital )

Ø  As of a given date, bank balances in everyone’s bank account gets converted to IndiaBits

Ø  Set time limit within which people can deposit their paper currency into banks for instant conversion

    into IndiaBits

Ø  After set date, paper currencies held by anyone ( individual or any legal entity such as a Company ),

    loses all value and become illegal for any sell / purchase transaction

Ø  All future financial transactions ( sell / buy of any goods or services ) can only be through mobile-app

    based DIGITAL transactions

Ø  Since all transactions will become DIGITAL, Govt would have full / life-time LOG of each citizen’s “ Sale

    or Purchase “ [ Who bought What , When , from Whom , at What price , Where etc ] .

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

Dear Smt Sitharamanji,

 

A word of caution :


Implementation of my suggestion ( described above ), is bound to meet with strong resistance / opposition from persons holding BLACK MONEY ( stashed paper currency in Rs 2,000 notes )

Expect opposition to quote the “ failure “ of De-Monetization to get rid of Black Money

They will strongly oppose total replacement of paper currency, citing enormous inconvenience / hardship this will cause the poor people . I agree with them

Please enable a JPC ( headed by Opposition Member ? ) to draft the Crypto Bill, with full unanimity

I agree that the objective should be limited to : “ Reduced dependency on cash “

And not : “ Replacement of Cash “

May be, 5 years after introduction of IndiaBit, this ( larger ) objective would find acceptance

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh / hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 30 Nov 2021

 

Related Readings :

 In the Eyes of the Beholder ? ………………………………………[ 06 Aug 2017 ]

Virtual Currency ? Time to get Real  …………………………….[ 17 Aug 2017 ]

One  More  Reason ………………………………………………………..[ 22 Nov 2017 ]

What is holding back ?  ………………………………………………….[ 06 Dec 2017 ]

Bursting Bitcoin Bubble ? ……………………………………………….[ 10 Dec 2017 ]

Bitcoin : Illegal in India  …………………………………………………[ 02 Jan 2018 ]

LIBRA : The coming battle of Currencies ?  …………………[ 29 June 2019 ]

LIBRA : Am I the only one worried ?  …………………………..[ 05 July 2019 ]

Who is afraid of the Big Bad Wolf ( aka LIBRA ) ?........ [ 07 July 2019 ]

Latest word on LIBRA : though not the last word………….[ 10 July 2019]

Will China Reign Supreme ?   …………………………………………..[ 15 Oct 2019 ]

Elephant Bonds vs Dragon Bonds …………………………………….[ 04 Nov 2019 ]

 

India’s Draft National Strategy On Blockchain Calls For Official Cryptocurrency[28/01/2020 ]

Time to Un-Block the Blockchain Technology  …………………..[ 30 Jan 2020 ]

 

 

 

Sunday, 28 November 2021

Point : Counter-Point // MSP : MPQ

 


 

Lok Sabha’s winter session starts today. Govt will introduce a bill to repeal 3 Farm Laws

Opposition party members will get vociferous by echoing the demands of Kisan Netas, which are :

Ø  Withdrawal of Electricity Amendment Bill

Ø  Scrapping of provisions of fines for stubble burning

Ø  Withdrawal of cases against farmers ( during protests )

Ø  Sacking and arrest of Shri Ajay Mishra ( for Lakhimpur violence )

Ø  Compensation to kin of 700 farmers who died during the protests

Ø  Allotment of site to construct a memorial

None of these are un-surmountable / non-negotiable, and I urge Shri Tomarji and the Farmer Leaders to reach compromise-solutions for each of these, in the spirit of “ Give and Take

In that same spirit of “ Give and Take “ , a WIN-WIN solution can also be reached in the matter of the most important demand of  MSP for 23 crops guaranteed by an appropriate new law

Both sides have reasonable arguments, viz :

FARMERS :

In APMC mandies, cartels of traders / middlemen / adatias etc., fix very low prices ( sometimes, even  below the cost of production ) and force the farmers to sell at huge loss ( cause for suicides ? )


GOVERNMENT :

We have following problems :

#   Against our current storage capacity ( FCI ) of 41 million tons, last season, we

     were required to purchase 120 million tons of food-grains from farmers ( at

     MSP ) .

     

     This meant storing food grains, in open ( covered by tarpaulins ). This results

     in millions of tons getting damaged ( rain-rats-insects ) and rendered unfit for

     human consumption- entailing a loss of lakhs of crores of rupees

       

#   We just have enough money ( funds ) to support a few crops with MSP. If as

      many as 23 crops were to be  guaranteed MSP, we just won’t have enough

      funds to buy out all 23 crops .

     

#   Fixing MSP and guaranteeing purchase of 23 crops, will further aggravate the

     storage problems and consequent damage problem

     

Dear Kisan Netas / Shri Tomarji,


Here too a Compromise Solution is possible in the spirit of Give and Take


It is : MSP linked with MPQ


Where, MPQ = Maximum Purchase Quantity ( separate figure for each of those 23 crops )


This means, in each year, Government shall not be obliged to purchase more than the MPQ ( at its MSP ), for any crop


The MSP and MPQ shall be worked out and announced by the govt. 6 months in advance of the coming year


As suggested in my following earlier blog-email, it is possible to automate this entire process of computation of MSP, by using Geo-Spatial Technology :


Agri Reforms : an Ongoing Process…………………….[ 20 Nov 2021 ]

 

Using same technology, it is possible to also calculate ( automatically and without human intervention ), the MPQ for each of those 23 crops for the upcoming year

 

Both, the Government and the Farmers should be happy with such an AUTOMATIC – SCIENTIFIC – UNBIASED – TECHNOLOGY BASED – DYNAMIC process, which announces its results on a Govt website within a specific time - frame

 

This way, Govt will know in advance, the total amount of FUNDS that will be required for the coming season


And, knowing in advance, the MPQ / MSP for each crop, farmers will decide WHICH crop to plant and HOW MUCH to plant ( Demand / Supply / Price, dynamics in regulated manner )


On Govt web site, each purchase ( at MSP ) will be published ( individual and cumulative ) for each crop


This will show, how much total has been purchased ( for each crop ) and how much still remains to be purchased


When Govt purchase for an MSP crop reaches its stipulated MPQ ( for a given season / year ) , the Govt will stop buying and declare in all media


Irrespective of this provision, farmers will be free to negotiate with any trader / middleman / business , any SALE QUANTITY at any negotiated price ( whether higher or lower than published MSP )


Based on State-wise distribution ( of production ) of any particular crop, Central Government will work out State-wise QUOTAS of purchase quantities for each crop

 

23

msp_1 x mpq_1  =  Funds needed for Crop 1………..( insert data for all 23 crops, one by one )

0

 

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh  /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  29 Nov 2021

 

Related Readings :

2021

 Agri Reforms : an Ongoing Process………………………………… …..[ 20 Nov 2021 ]

 “ Tractor-Pulled “ to “ Technology-Pushed “ ………………………..[ 20 Sept 2021 ]

Finally Announced : Agri Infra Fund to APMC ……………………….[ 08 July 2021 ]

 Agristack: The New Digital Push in Agriculture  …………………..[ 26 June 2021 ]

Digital Farming ? ……………………………………………………..[ 15 April 2021 ]

Kisan Sabha gets Constructive ………………………………………………[ 20 Feb 2021 ]

Monetizing Geospatial Data ……………………………………………………[ 16 Feb 2021 ]

 

  

2020

Congratulations, Shri P K Purwarji  ………………………………………[ 21 Dec 2020 ]

 e-NAM ; reimagined to resolve farmer agitation……………………[ 10 Dec 2020 ]

 How about introducing a PLI for agricultural produce ?.........[ 08 Dec 2020 ]

Production Linked Incentive for Rice ( Paddy ) ……………………..[ 09 Dec 2020 ]

Thank You, Shri Tomarji ………………………………………………………..[ 28 Sept 2020 ]

Selling Farm Laws before selling Farm Crops………………………. [ 24 Sept 2020 ]

 

2019

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

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

Copy to :

Akhil Gogoi

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS)

secretarykmss@gmail.com

Dr Ashish Mittal

All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS)

aikms.cec@gmail.com

Atul Kumar Anjaan

All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS)

atulanjaan@gmail.com

Avik Saha

Jai Kisan Andolan (JKA)

avik@saharay.com

Dr Darshan Pal

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU Dakaunda)

darshanpal1@gmail.com

Hannan Mollah

All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS Canning Street)

mollah.hannan@gmail.com

Kavitha Kuruganti

Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA)

kavitakuruganti@gmail.com

Kiran Vissa

Rythu Swarajya Vedika (RSV)

kiranvissa@gmail.com

K. Chandrasekhar

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS)

kodihallichandrashekar@gmail.com

Medha Patkar

National Alliance for People’s Movements (NAPM)

medha.narmada@gmail.com

P. Ayyakkanu

National-South India River Interlinking Agriculturists Association

Pratibha Shinde

Lok Sangharsh Morcha (LSM)

loksamanwaypratisthan@gmail.com

Raja Ram Singh

All India Kisan Mahasabha (AIKM)

rajaramsingh18@gmail.com

Raju Shetti

Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana (SSS)

rajushetti@gmail.com

Satyawan

All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sangathan (AIKKMS)

kisansangathan@gmail.com

Dr Sunilam

Kisan Sangharsh Samiti

samajwadisunilam@gmail.com

Tajinder Virk

Tarai Kisan Sangathan

tajindersamajwadi@gmail.com

VM Singh

Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan (RKMS)

vmsingh@vmsingh.com

Yogendra Yadav

Swaraj Abhiyan

yogendra.yadav@gmail.com