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

Saturday, 5 August 2023

Consent Forms for Personal Data

 


 

Dear Shri Ashvini Vaishnawji ,

 

In my earlier email ( Dashboard for Data Owners / 04 Aug 2023 ) , I had

suggested :


To ensure that the Data Fiduciary collects only that data which it requires to

deliver SPECIFIC SERVICE ,


 #  DATA PROTECTION BOARD must Mandate use of only that FORM ( for each

     “ nature “ ) which the BOARD has designed ( data fields )

     

This is not a big deal .


Underneath, I have listed ( though not comprehensive ), data-fields required

 for 10 different DATA FORMS , which Data Protection Board must

STANDARDIZE and mandate the “ Data Fiduciaries “ to display on their portals


But then, there could be thousands of “ Data Fiduciary “ ( websites / portals of

 Social Media – E Commerce – Banks – Fintech – Central / State Govt Agencies –

 Departments – Search Engines – Buy / Sell platforms – Private Companies –

 Service Providers – Hospitals etc )


It is going to be difficult to ensure / monitor that each of these, use the DPB

 mandated forms


Let us not forget, that ALL fiduciaries MAY NOT need ALL types of data about a

 person. Each may use a different  COMBINATION of these 10 forms , to deliver

 some specific service


Also think of the pain of the 1400 million Data Owners


They would be required to fill in their “ SAME “ Personal Data , again and again, (

 although in identical / standard FORMS ) , in thousands of websites !


They are bound to make mistakes !


I understand, DPDP Bill has made provision for CONSENT MANAGERS , whom

 Data Owners may “ authorize “ to “ manage “ their personal data . I think

 hundreds of Consent Managers will crop up soon


I suppose this means :

 

Ø  A Data Owner need NOT fill in those ( 10 or less ) DATA FORMS on

    thousands of portals of Data Fiduciaries, but she need to fill in those FORMS

    , on only ONE portal viz; portal of a CONSENT MANAGER

 

Ø  She will then “ authorize “ that CONSENT MANAGER to “ share “( when

    requested ), her “ specific data “ to each specific “ Data Fiduciary “ (

    hundreds of Permutations / Combinations )

 

Ø  A Data Owner will ( presumably ) require to pay a small FEE to the Consent

   Manager, to manage her data

I suppose, if a Data Owner is NOT satisfied with the service of a given Consent

 Manager, she would have a right to select another Consent Manager.


What happens in such a case ?

 

Would she need to “ re-enter “ her Personal Data ( 10 Forms ? ) all over again on

 the portal of the new Consent Manager ?


OR,


Would Data Protection Board , direct the first Consent Manager to automatically

 TRANSFER user data to the second Consent Manager ?

 

(  For Diagram, refer 

>   Released : Govt Policy for Selling Personal Data   ….  05 Sept 2020 )

 

 

Now, consider how SIMPLE life will become for all :


#  Data Owners ( Data Principals – 1400 million Indian citizen )

#  Data Fiduciaries ( thousands of websites )

#  Data Protection Board


-      If there was ONLY ONE , Consent Manager !

 

All Indian Citizen to furnish their personal data on only  ONE portal , owned and

 operated by the Data Protection Board ?


Dear Ashwini Vaishnawji ,

 

To vastly simplify the lives of , not only millions of citizen but also of thousands of businesses, please consider my following past e-mails :

 

 

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

 

Only Answer : a Statutory Warning   ……………………………………………… 10 Nov 2018 

 

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

 

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

www.hemenparekh.ai  /  06 Aug 2023


PS :

Even if Data Protection Board , launches tomorrow that one CENTRAL portal

where all Indian citizen can submit their COMPREHENSIVE personal profile (

consisting of all 10 Data Forms ), it will take DECADES


But with rapid advances in Artificial Intelligence , it is now possible to

CONSOLIDATE personal data of ALL of our citizen ( lying scattered on thousands

 of sites of Data Fiduciaries ), in a matter of weeks !


 

Cannot believe ?  Please read :


Ø   I am One , I will become Many………………………….. 06 Jan 2020


Ø  India embraces SUIIC : re-named as NATGRID .. 27 Apr 2023

 

 

 

( A )  Personal Data

·        First name

·        Last name

·        Date of birth

·        Gender

·        Occupation

·         

·        ( B )  Contact Data

·        Email address

·        Phone number

·        Address

·        City

·        State

·        Zip code

·        Country

·         

 

( C )  Family Data

·        Parents' names

·        Siblings' names

·        Marital status

·        Spouse's name

·        Children's names

·        Date of birth :      of each family member.

·        Gender:               of each family member.

·        Occupation:        of each family member.

·        Remarks:            additional information

 

( D )  Social Media Data

·        Social media platforms:  that the person uses.

·        Usernames:  that the person uses on each social media platform.

·        Privacy settings:  that the person has set for their social media accounts.

·        Remarks:  additional information

 

( E )  Cultural Exposure Data

·        Travel history:  countries that the person has visited.

·        Languages :  that the person speaks.

·        Cultural events :  that the person has attended.

·        Remarks: additional information

 

( F )  Educational Qualification Data

·        Name of the educational institutions: that the person was enrolled

·        Degree or diploma:  that the person was awarded.

·        Field of study:  that the person focused on.

·        Dates of attendance:  the start and end dates of the person's enrolment.

·        Grade point average (GPA):  person's academic performance.

·        Honors or awards: any honours or awards that the person received

·        Remarks:  additional information

 

( G )  Languages Known Data

·        Native language:  the person's native language.

·        Other languages known:  that the person knows.

·        Level of fluency:  that the person has in each language.

·        Remarks:  additional information

 

( H )  Job Experience Data

·        Job titles :  that the person has held.

·        Company name:  names of the companies that the person has worked for.

·        Dates of employment:  start and end dates of the person's employment at

                                              each company.

·        Duties and responsibilities:  the duties and responsibilities that the person

                                                       had in each job.

·        Remarks:  additional information

 

 

( I )  Wealth and Income Data

·        Annual income:  the person's annual income.

·        Assets:  the person's assets, such as their home, car, and investments.

·        Debts:  the person's debts, such as their mortgage, car loan, and credit card

                      debt.

·        Remarks: additional information

 

( J )  Medical History Data

·        Current health status:  the person's current health status.

·        Past medical history:  the person's past medical history, such as any

                                             surgeries or illnesses

·        Current medications:  the person is currently taking.

·        Allergies:  any allergies that the person has

·        Remarks:  additional information

 

 

 

Friday, 4 August 2023

“ Cease and Desist “ Request

 


 

Context :

Government explores live TV on phones without mobile-data: Report  .. DNA  /  05 Aug 2023


Extract :

The government is considering a new way to bring live TV channels directly to mobile phones, a concept similar to direct-to-home (DTH) services. This technology, called "Direct-to-Mobile" (D2M), aims to enable users to watch TV on their mobiles without needing a data connection.

The Economic Times, in an August 5 report citing government sources, revealed that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), and IIT-Kanpur are collaborating on this initiative.

While this idea holds potential, telecom operators might resist due to concerns about potential loss of data revenue. Their earnings heavily rely on video consumption, and this D2M approach could impact their 5G business strategies.

One official, preferring anonymity, stated, "We are examining the feasibility, and the final decision will involve discussions with all stakeholders, including telecom operators." A forthcoming meeting is expected to involve representatives from the DoT, MIB, IIT-Kanpur, and both the telecom and broadcast sectors.

Given the imminent launch of 5G, government authorities are considering merging content delivery methods, aiming for a convergence of broadcast and broadband services.

 


My Take :


Dear Shri Anurag Thakurji

( Minister for Information and Broadcasting  /  minister.inb@gov.in )

 

I am in no position to issue to you , a “ Cease and Desist “ order but I send to you

this “ cease and desist “ REQUEST


Here is why :

In my email sent to you a few days ago (  Curbing use of Smartphone ?  ) , I had said :

 

Ø  Excessive use of Smartphones is a bigger problem for India than for the rest of the World

 

Ø  There is enough evidence that this is going to get worse

 

Ø  I have a feeling ( no proof ) that Indian parents are proving to be POOR “ Role Models “   for their children. Probably, they spend 8 hours per day on their Smartphones

 

Ø  I am afraid that , left without some fool-proof solution , this “ Smart Disease “ can debilitate our youth – much the same way as DRUGS

 

Dear Anuragji,

 

 

I am not pleading on behalf of  MSPs / TV Channels / ISPs / OTTs etc

I am speaking on behalf of SANITY

As it is, young people of India are spending ( on an average ) 5 HOURS / DAY , on their Smartphones

This is affecting their studies and causing frustrations / mental depression / anxiety etc

Forgetting about how poor people in our country struggle to eke out a living, our affluent young people are living in an ALTERNATE REALITY of glamour dished out by Youtube Videos

They have developed an ESCAPE MENTALITY

If your proposal gets implemented, these youngsters will spend 10 HOURS / DAY , on their Smartphones  !

“ TV on Smartphone “ ( a cocktail worse than drugs ),  will turn them into ZOMBIES !

Our youth will become incapable of any CREATIVE THINKING of their own

They will become living “ REPEATER STATIONS / TRANSMITTERS “ , of content created by others

 

I urge you to give up this project . Generations to come will thank you

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

www.hemenparekh.ai / 05 Aug 2023

 

 

 

 

 

Dashboard for Data Owners

 


 

Context :

Digital Personal Data Protection Bill tabled in Lok Sabha  ..  03 Aug 2023  /  Business Line

Extract :

The much-awaited Digital Personal Data Protection Bill (DPDP) was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday prescribing how personal data can be collected, processed, safeguarded and prescribing penalties up to ₹250 crore in case of breaches. The bill contains wide-ranging exemptions to the government and has provisions for setting up of a regulator — the Data Protection Board — which will be appointed by the government.

The government clarified that the bill was not being presented as a “money bill”.

What the bill offers

Digital platforms will need to take unconditional, free, specific and informed consent from users for processing their data.

The “ data principal ” ( USER ? ), shall have the right to access information about personal data for which consent has been previously given.

At any point, the data principal shall have the right to :

#  Correction,

#  Completion,

#  Updating and,

#  Erasure

-      of her personal data for the processing of which she has previously given consent.”

-      This means that users have the right to withdraw consent at any point after which the platforms must stop processing their data and erase it.

For erasure of data, “the data principal shall make a request in such manner as may be prescribed to the data fiduciary for erasure of her personal data and upon receipt of such a request the data fiduciary shall erase her personal data unless retention of the same is necessary for the specific purpose or for compliance with any law…”.

Chapter V of the Bill envisages setting up of the Data Protection Board of India.

 

My  Take :

 

Dear Shri Ashwini Vaishnawji ,

 

Congratulations on introducing DPDP bill in Lok Sabha

The bill proposes to place in the hands of a DATA OWNER ( data principal ), a lot

of CONTROLS to ensure that :

#  the Data Fiduciary does not collect any data without SPECIFIC and INFORMED

    consent of a Data Owner

#  Data owner can grant - revoke consent / correct , complete, Update , Erase her

    data at any time


The Bill envisages a Data Owner to “ make a request “ to Data Fiduciary “ as may

be prescribed

 

I request you to “ PRESCRIBE “ to Data Fiduciary,  following Dashboard , which

can be ACCESSED by any Data Owner by clicking a link ( called “ USER

 DASHBOARD “ ), which must be displayed PROMINENTLY on its website



 



Clicking on any “ Nature of Data “ ( link ) , will open up a FORM in which Data

Owner would need to submit the data


To ensure that the Data Fiduciary collects only the data which it requires to deliver

 “ SPECIFIC SERVICE “ , DATA PROTECTION BOARD must :


#  Mandate use of only that FORM ( for each “ nature “ ) which the BOARD has

    designed ( data fields )


At the bottom of each FORM , there will be clear write-up , which spells out :


Ø  How the collected data will be processed


Ø  How the collected data will be “ Used “ by Data Fiduciary ( eg : for targeted advt / selling )


Ø  In return for granting use of her data , what “ service “ will she get



This write-up will need to be APPROVED in advance by Data Protection Board . No

subsequent changes can be made in this write-up without prior permission of the

Board

 


 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

www.hemenparekh.ai  /  04  Aug  2023

 

Related Readings :


Ø  Only Answer : a Statutory Warning ………………………………………. 10 Nov 2018

 

Ø  Erasing Personal Data ? …………………………………………………………..  21  Apr  2023

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, 3 August 2023

Thanks Amarjeet Sinhaji : for thinking of Poor People

 


 

Context :

Govt panel suggests sharp hike in NREGS wage rates, budgetary outlay  ….  ET  … 04 Aug 2023

Extract :

A high-level government panel, tasked with recommending changes to make the rural job guarantee scheme more effective, has called for a significant increase in the extant wage rates--over and above the recent annual hike--and the budgetary allocation for the programme, persons aware of the details said.

Although the panel, headed by former rural development secretary Amarjeet Sinha, hasn’t suggested the precise quantum hike , the recommendation has put the government in a bind..

This is because rates under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme ( MGNREGS ) serve as the benchmark for farm / rural wages and significantly influence industrial wages as well

It ( panel ) wants such wages to be reassessed every five years, in addition to the ANNUAL HIKE

It has also proposed to peg ANNUAL INCREASE in the wage rate to the CONSUMER PRICE INDEX ( rural ) instead of the extant practice of linking it to the Consumer Price Index ( Agriculture Labour )

 

My  Take :

 

Ø  MGNREGA : Can it morph into UBI ? ………………………..  11 May 2020

 

Extract :


For most of the States, current daily wage rates under MGNREGA are around Rs 200 / day , after recent upward revision last month 

 

How do these compare with government mandated MINIMUM WAGES  ?

 

MGNREGA daily wages range from 67 % to 96 %  of Minimum Wages 

 

SOLUTION :

 

Ø  MGNREGA should be re-named, MGNRUGA ( Mahatma Gandhi National

    Rural Urban Employment Guarantee Act )

 

    Ø  Besides RURAL households, it should cover URBAN households as well

 

    Ø  Besides “ Unskilled Manual Work “, it must also cover “ Semi-skilled / Skilled 

       work as well

 

       The daily wages payable , must be the “ Minimum Wage at the start of each

       Skill level grade and periodically revised upwarddepending upon CPI

    

with regards,

hemen parekh

www.hemenparekh.ai  /  04 Aug 2023