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, 8 April 2022

Thank You, Shri Kailash Gahlotji

 


 

What for ?

For implementing my 6 YEAR old suggestion to provide subsidy in e-cycle segment

Context :

Delhi govt offers subsidy of Rs 5,500 for first 10,000 buyers of e-cycles  /  BS  /  07 April 2022

 

Extact :

Ø  In a big push to electric vehicles, Delhi government on Thursday announced that it will provide a subsidy of Rs 5,500 each for the first 10,000 buyers of e-cycles in the city.

Ø  The first 1,000 buyers of passenger e-cycles will also be given an additional subsidy of Rs 2,000 under the Delhi Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, transport minister Kailash Gahlot said, claiming that Delhi has become the first state in the country to provide subsidy in e-cycle segment.

Ø  The Delhi Cabinet has also okayed subsidy on purchase of heavy duty cargo e-cycles and e-carts for commercial uses, Gahlot said. The subsidy on cargo e-cycles will be Rs 15,000 each for first 5,000 buyers. The subsidy was earlier provided to individual buyers of e-carts but now a company or corporate house buying these vehicles will also be provided a subsidy of Rs 30,000, he said.

Ø  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said e-cycles will help the residents reduce the use of polluting vehicles.

MY  TAKE  :


Ø  A Radical Radial Revolution !...................... [ 18 Aug 2016 ]

 

Extract :


#  ROLE  OF   CENTRAL  GOVERNMENT


    Encourage " Bike Share Taxi " ventures using Electric Bicycles by offering them

    all sorts of incentives , Such as :

    

        *  50 % subsidy on refitting of newly purchased plain bicycles with

           GeoOrbital  Front Wheels


#  ROLE  OF  CITY  MUNICIPALITIES


   *   Municipalities to make available free " Parking " spaces , all over their cities

       for such ventures .

   *   Give 10 % rebate in Property Tax to Co-op Housing Societies which provide

       400 sq ft space to " Bike Share Taxi " ventures , within their compounds ,

       FREE OF  RENTAL

        

   *   " Bike Share Taxi " scheme may be modeled around similar successful

        scheme  BIXI  of Montreal Municipality

        

This simple innovation / intervention , has the potential to :


#    Dramatically reduce traffic congestion in big cities

#    Reduce demand for new air-polluting cars using fossil fuel

#    Even reduce dependence on Public Transport ( Bus / Metro / Local trains /

      Taxis )

#    Reduce need for car parking spaces on streets

#    Improve health of citizens who switch over from car driving to

      GeoOrbital  bicycle pedaling !

#    Become a Flag-Bearer to National Electric Mobility Mission

      Plan ( NEMMP ) which aims to put 6  million Electric Vehicles on our roads by

     2020 ; totally possible if those vehicles are " Electric Bicycles ", not Cars !

       

      

 

Ø  A Sensible Solution ……………………………[ 03 Sept 2017 ]

 

Extract :


Ø  I urge BMC / Maharashtra Government to consider following suggestions :


#       Construct 40 Meter wide , light-load-carrying ( LLC ) roads over all

         the railway tracks in Mumbai ( may be totalling 100 Km ? ), 

              exclusively for bicycles ( not for those 17 lakh motor-cycles )


       #     These “ Overhead Bicycle Tracks ( LLC = OBT ) “ could be covered

              with roofs made of TESLA’s Solar Roof-Tiles , to generate Solar

              Power .

              

              In Gujarat , some irrigation canals have been covered by Solar Panels

             , in order to generate power and reduce water-loss due to

              evaporation .

              

              With TESLA Roof-Tiles , there is no need to install separate

              conventional Solar Panels


      #      Besides generating Solar Power , the slanting roofs over LLCs ,

              will prevent the train tracks below from getting flooded during heavy

              rains .

              

              Rain-Water-Collection gutters along both sides of the roof will enable

              “ Rain Water Harvesting “


      #     Provide  LIFTS ( to take the bicycles , up or down ) at all Entry – Exit

             points


      #     Also provide along the LLCs , “ Bicycle Stands “ at every 1 km

             distance for parking “ Bicycle Taxies 

             BIXI  /  http://montreal.bixi.com/en  )


      #    On the LLC , provide a separate LANE / TRACK ( in each direction )

            for ordinary bicycles fitted with Geo-Orbital Electric Wheel , which

            would enable a rider to go 20 miles at a speed of 20 MPH – and 50

            miles if you also pedal a little bit  !

 

             

             

Ø  Connecting the News …………………………………….[ 18 June 2018 ]

 

      Extract :

Dutch may soon get paid for cycling to work

Highlights :

One innovative idea is to compensate employees for cycling to work, with Van Veldhoven proposing a reimbursement of 19 cents ( Rs 15 ) per kilometre cycled from home and back

Van Veldhoven is to discuss the proposal and other ways of promoting bicycle use through fiscal rewards such as subsidies to buy bicycles " with major national employers and small and medium enterprises," her ministry said in a statement

More than half of people's daily trips in the Netherlands are less than 7.5 kilometres and more than half live less than 15 kilometres from work.

"With the development of the electric bicycle, this distance can easily be covered," the ministry added, saying nearly 100 million euros have been budgeted to increase bicycle roads and its parking space.

Now , let us assume that Mumbaikars travel 10 km each way to and from work place

That is 20 km per day

If we were to reimburse a Mumbaikar  opting to use an ELECTRIC BICYCLE , at just Rs 5 per km , he would get Rs 100 per day ( @ Rs 5 per km ) by way of reimbursement .

For 300 days in a year , they would earn Rs 30,000 

Now , under FAME Scheme , government is already giving a subsidy of Rs 29,000 to a buyer of Electric Motor Bicycles

But India’s ATHERENERGY  E Bike is priced at Rs 1.09 Lakh  [ e340 model ]

That means , after the subsidy , a buyer would need to put up Rs 80,000 from his own pocket

But, in 3 years’ time, a buyer would get Rs 90,000 by way of reimbursement

Then there is a cheaper alternative in the form of :

*  a  GeoOrbital  wheel , selling for $ 1000 ( approx. Rs 70,000 ) , to be

    coupled to

*  a standard 26 inch bicycle ( HERO / HERCULES etc ) selling for Rs 10,000

   - total of Rs 80,000 / - ( Range of 12 miles / recharge of 3 hours from domestic

     outlet )


Dear Shri Gahlotji,

 

There is no doubt , before long, your initiative will be copied by other States –

 quite possibly by incorporating the other suggestions listed above


But the success of your just announced electric bicycle subsidy scheme depends

 on making every building a “ Battery Charging Station “ , as suggested in my

 following e-mail :


> Every Building : a Battery Charging Station ?                    [ 26 Oct 2018 ]

 

Although Central Housing Minister has talked about this on a number of occasions,

 there is no progress


I urge you to implement this at the level of Delhi Government, without waiting for

 Central initiative


With regards,

Hemen Parekh / hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 09 April 2022

Related Readings :

In a Bid to Combat Pollution, Delhi Govt Plans to Build an Elevated Cycling Track  /  18 April 2017

Extract :

Ø  The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has given its approval for the construction of an elevated cycle track between Geeta Colony and Shastri Park.

Ø  In an attempt to keep cyclists and pedestrians away from the congestion and pollution of the motor traffic, the National Highways Authority of India has proposed a plan to construct the track vertically above the proposed highway. It will allow them to move without any obstruction from the traffic on the road.

Ø  The elevated cycle track will also mitigate the safety concerns of the cyclists, as it will be completely segregated from the motorised traffic.

 

Ø  If all goes according to a proposed plan by the city authorities of Delhi, then the capital will soon get a first-of-its-kind 6-km elevated cycle track.

 

Ø  And since it will be completely covered, it will even sport a solar paneled roof !

 

Ø        The spacious corridor, which would be 20-feet-wide

 

 



China has just built the world’s longest elevated cycle path ……….[ 19 July 2017 ]

 

Extract :


Ø  We’ve heard of Beijing’s nine million bikes and China referred to as the “Kingdom of Bicycles”.


Ø  However, the emergence of popular bike-sharing schemes, frustration with gridlocked roads, and efforts to tackle the country’s air pollution crisis are all helping to rekindle China’s love affair with cycling.


Ø  The southeast city of Xiamen has gone even further with the construction of a 7.6km elevated skyway for bikes – the world’s longest elevated cycle path.


Ø  Connecting the major residential and business sectors of the city, the aerial cycleway sits below Xiamen’s existing overhead bus transport system. At 4.8 m wide it has capacity for over 2000 bikes at a time, and will join up with 11 bus stations and two subway stations. As well as space to park bikes, it will also have bikes available to hire.


Ø  Designed and completed in six months, the project was the latest in a number of raised cycleways by Danish architects Dissing+Weitling. Another project, the ‘Bicycle Snake’, was completed in 2014. The 230 m bridge connects Copenhagen’s harbour area to the city.


Ø  Copenhagen had already cemented its status as a bike-friendly city with a cycle super-highway that connects the city with the suburban town of Albertslund, 22 km away. The eventual aim is to build a network of 28 cycle superhighways, covering 500 km. It is estimated the network will increase the number of cycle lanes in Greater Copenhagen by 15% and reduce public expenditure by €40.3m annually thanks to improved health.


Ø  Meanwhile, London is among other cities considering proposals for elevated bike paths. Architect Norman Foster unveiled plans to create a 220 km car-free cycle network around the city and surrounds. The city has already introduced a network of cycle superhighways on roads.

 

Designing Cycling Infrastructure  

Urban Bikeway Design Guide

 

Wednesday, 6 April 2022

New Legal Structure ?

 


Context :

New legal structure needed to counter cyber challenges: IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw / ET / 05 Apr 2022



Extract :

Union Minister of Information and Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday called for a new “ dynamic legal structure “ which balances :

 

#   Right to Privacy and freedom of expression

 

   and,

 

#   Demands for Regulations and Control,

 

-        to meet challenges from unscrupulous elements in cyberspace.

Speaking on legal strategy to counter cyber crimes, Vaishnaw said the country needs to overhaul the legal structure in a big way. “ I don’t think any incremental changes will help. The changes has to be substantial, significant, fundamental and structural “ , he said

 

 He said legal structure has to be a totally new legal structure, which is dynamic, which is in tune with the times, which addresses aspirations of our generations as well as keeps people’s say, social media accountable and keeps people away who want to swindle away hard earned savings

 

“ All those things are part of that big regulatory structure that need to be overhauled “ , he said

 



Related Readings :


Your Digital Footprint: It's Bigger Than You Realize   /   cnet.com   /   04 Apr 2022

Extract :

Just about everything about you is online, whether you put it there or not.

Today, your digital self includes your social media accounts, biometric identifiers, usernames and passwords. Possibly most creepy: Your smartphone records the location data of your daily life as you tote it around. 

They're used by marketers trying to get you to buy something, to support a policy or to vote for a candidate. There are oodles of data about you. Most of that info is largely free for the taking.

As you'd expect, there's no shortage of companies looking to profit from it. At last count, there were about 540 data brokers operating in the US

The skyrocketing amount of consumer data online has also given cybercriminals new opportunities to exploit your personal details for identity theft, online scams or other kinds of fraud. Once cybercriminals get your data, they use it to try to bust into your accounts or sell it to other cyber-crooks

Creating massive databases of consumer profiles has gotten easier in recent years because of advances in artificial intelligence technology that allow for better cross-referencing and correcting of data, says John Gilmore, Abine's head of research. The databases are bigger and more accurate than ever.

Vast majority of information comes from voter registration rolls, property and court records, and other conventional public sources.

The digital footprint produced by the average person goes well beyond Facebook oversharing. Keeping tabs on the data created by online shopping, online entertainment and simply surfing the internet goes well beyond the capabilities of most people.

Curbing the amount of data stored would reduce the impact of data breaches. 

SPECIFICALLY, THE TECH NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING PEOPLE CHOOSE TO OPT INTO, AND THE BIOMETRICS DATA ONLY GETS USED WITH A PERSON'S CONSENT.

Privacy advocates, however, have serious concerns about other ways that biometric data can be used. For example, tech startup Clearview AI has been targeted by investigations and lawsuits because of its creation of a facial recognition tool powered by billions of images it scraped from social media sites without consent.

MY  TAKE :

 

Dear Shri Vaishnawji,

 

From your statement , it seems :

#  Current IT Act needs scrapping

#  Draft Data Protection Bill will require to be re-written

 

I urge you to consider my following e-mails for crafting the “ New Legal Framework “ envisaged by you


With regards,

Hemen parekh / hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  07 April 2022

 

[ A ]     Surveillance

Surveillance : make it a “ Compromise Issue “ ?

 

[ B ]     Ownership of Personal Data and its Monetization

 Privacy for Sale  ……………………………………………………………………….[ 26  Aug  2017 ]

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

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

 

[ C ]   Accountability of Social Media

Only Answer :  a  Statutory  Warning  …………………………………….. [10  Nov  2018 ]

 

[ D ]   Legal Frame-Work


Tim Berners-Lee Speaks …………………………………………………………….[ 30 Sept 2018 ]

 

Internet Bill of Rights………………………………………………………………….. [ 07 Oct 2018 ]

 

Contract for the Web……………………………………………………………………. [ 06 Nov 2018 ]

 

Slow and Steady ? Sure Way to Nowhere !.............................. [ 05 Jan 2019 ]

 

Data becomes an Air Molecule : Free to travel anywhere …………..[ 30 July 2019 ]

 

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

 

Chasing a Mirage ? ………………………………………………………………………….[ 27 Jan 2021 ]

 

“ Super Follows “ thinks “ Super Clever “ ?................................ [ 26 Feb 2021 ]

 

Delayed Data Protection : a blessing in disguise ?....................... [ 25 Apr 2021 ]

 

An “ Act of Defiance “ ? …………………………………………………………………….[ 28 May 2021 ]

( compilation of my earlier 111 e-mails links on this subject  )

 

Fresh legislation may replace data protection bill  / Eco Times / 17 Feb 2022

India needs a new digital law: Rajeev Chandrasekhar  /  TNN  /  Feb 17, 2022

 

 

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

Added on 09 April 2022 :


New data governance policy planned for government’s institutes

( Hindustan Times  /  09 April 2022 )


 Extract :

The governance framework will deal with all " non-personal data and information

 created / generated / collected / archived , by the Govt of India directly or

 authorised agencies of various Ministries / Departments / Organizations /

 Agencies and Autonomous bodies


A core component of the Data Governance Framework will be the formation of an 

India Data Management Office ( IDMO ), under the IT Ministry

 

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

Added on 10 April 2022 :


Intersection of tech, law a major challenge: Minister  / Pakkikhabar / 10 Apr 22


Intersection of tech, law a major challenge    /   TOI   /   10 Apr 22

Consumer internet services and social media platforms should be built around the concept of openness, safety, trust and accountability, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for electronics and technology, entrepreneurship and skill development said at the inaugural ceremony of Bennett University’s Centre For Law and Computing Technology.

“We have just unveiled the national data governance framework and policy that is undergoing public consultation. We will shortly be rolling out cybersecurity policies and guidelines, and hopefully down the road, we will also be working on a new Digital India Act or a new policy for the digital ecosystem and cyberspace.”

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


 /  Eco Times  /  10 April 2022

The government will shortly roll out the Digital India Act, which will be a renewed policy for the digital ecosystem and cyberspace in the country, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said


He said cyberspace is currently governed by the IT Act, which is a 22-year-old piece of legislation, and that there was a need for a more contemporary Act.

“There is a need for a new contemporaneous law that is global standard and is consistent with India's ambition to be a preeminent nation in the coming decades, in all matters - technology and all aspects of the innovation and technology ecosystem,” he added.

“We have just unveiled the national data governance framework and policy that is undergoing public consultation.

 We will shortly be rolling out cybersecurity policies and guidelines, and very shortly down the road, we'll be working on a new Digital India Act which will be a renewed policy for the digital ecosystem and the cyberspace in India,” he said.


He also said that Big Tech platforms and all platforms that provide products and services online are accountable to citizens who are users.


“I think the challenges going forward in jurisprudence (and) on the regulation of cyberspace are considerable,” Chandrasekhar said. “They range from informational protection and privacy on one end to ethical use of technologies like AI on the other end of the spectrum, then you have challenges of openness and competition, vis a vis the big tech platforms, especially in the context of monopolies and duopolies is in app stores and search engines.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 Added  on  28  May  2022 :


Govt releases revised Draft National Data Governance Framework Policy

 

 Extract  :


It also said this policy would be applicable to all non-personal datasets and data and platform, rules, standards governing its access and use by researchers and start-ups; and State governments would also be encouraged to adopt the provisions of the Policy and rules, standards, and protocols as applicable.

“An ‘India Data Management Office (IDMO)’ shall be set up under the Digital India Corporation (DIC) under MeitY and shall be responsible for framing, managing and periodically reviewing and revising the Policy,”the MeitY said.


For instance, earlier, different States would send data through different agencies, so now a single point is being made so that all data come there and quick decisions can be made after collating the data received.


For data anonymisation, the IDMO will set and publish data anonymisation standards and rules to ensure informational privacy is maintained, it said.