Electoral Bonds Fully Transparent ? Not to Public

 

 

Context :

Electoral bonds fully transparent: Centre  /  HT  / 15 Oct 2022

Extract :

The Union government on Friday termed electoral bonds (EBs) an “absolutely transparent” method of political funding, even as the Supreme Court fixed a clutch of challenges to the Centre’s scheme for a detailed hearing on December 6.

 

As soon as the case commenced, advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), pressed for an extensive hearing to scrutinise how EBs are polluting the electoral system in the country, besides an amendment in the law that even allows subsidiaries of foreign companies to provide funds to political parties.

 

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing another petitioner, called EBs “the most opaque system of funding”, adding a constitution bench is ideally suited to hear this case in the wake of the impact of EBs on the constitutional mandate of free and fair elections.

 

At this point, solicitor general (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, intervened to rebut Sibal’s arguments. “Let me tell my lords that the methodology of receiving money is so transparent that it is impossible to get any money in black or unaccounted money. Everything is transparent, nothing is in black now.”

 

The bench asked the SG if the system provides for where the money is coming from.

 

“Absolutely my lords... The system is absolutely and completely transparent,” replied Mehta, adding that there is a complete chain of how money is transferred from one account to another using the draft facility.

 

Mehta reiterated that the EB is a transparent system but the government is willing to consider if there are any suggestions from the top court regarding any “loophole”.

 

The ADR claimed that EBs are an anonymous route of funding that amounted to legitimising bribery, as corporate donors could fund the party in power in a state or the Centre as a matter of quid pro quo.

 

These donations enjoy 100% tax exemption and even foreign companies can donate through Indian subsidiaries, the petitioners added.

 

“The electoral bonds scheme has opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate donations to political parties and anonymous financing by Indian as well as foreign companies, which can have serious repercussions on Indian democracy,” the ADR claimed.

 

It pointed out that the Finance Act of 2017 exempts contributions by way of electoral bonds to be disclosed even to the Election Commission under Section 29C of the Representation of Peoples Act.

 

 

 

 

MY  TAKE  :

 

Dear Supreme Court,

 

In this connection, I have sent to you – and to all Political Parties – my following suggestion :

Ø  Transparency in Political Funding ? ………………………..[ 06 July 2017 ]

 

Thereafter I followed up with my following e-mails :

           Make Me A Party…………………………….. [ 03 Oct 2017 ]

Ø  Electoral Bonds for Transparency ?.. [ 03 Jan 2018 ]

Ø  Don’t Disclose Donations …………………[ 04 Jan 2018 ]

Ø  Of Electoral Bondage ?................... [ 30 Mar 2019 ]

Ø  Please Hear and Read too……………….. [ 19 Mar 2021 ]

Ø  Thank You for “ Reading “/“ Asking “ [ 24 Mar 2021 ]

      Ø  But what is info in “sealed cover“?.....[ 05 July 2021 ]

 

I urge you to forward my suggestion of 06 July 2017 , to the Petitioners and the

Central Government, and tell them to submit on 06 Dec 2022 ( next date for

hearing ), their OBJECTIONS if any, to my suggestion

 

You may also ask them to submit in writing, MODIFICATIONS if any, to my

suggestion

This REFORM for funding of Political Parties has assumed TOP PRIORITY

considering that :

 

Ø  General Elections are due in another 14 months ( Feb 2024 ? )

 

Ø  In addition, during 2024 itself, following 7 States have their MLA elections :

Andhra Pradesh

Sikkim

Arunachal Pradesh

Odisha

Haryana

Maharashtra

Jharkhand

 

Ø  Following 9 States have their Legislative Elections due in 2023 :

1.     Meghalaya

2.     Nagaland

3.     Tripura

4.     Karnataka

5.     Chhattisgarh

6.     Madhya Pradesh

7.     Mizoram

8.     Rajasthan

9.     Rajasthan

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  23  Nov  2022

 

800 million Smart Phone : Each to become a TRP Set Top Box ?

 

Context :

Direct-to-Mobile broadcasting Roundup: Everything you need to know about this new technology / 10 Nov 2022

 

Extract :

The Department of Telecommunications and India’s public service broadcaster Prasar Bharti has been working on a technology that will allow the broadcasting of video and other forms of multimedia content directly to mobile phones, without a need for an active internet connection.

This technology is being called a ‘Direct-to-Mobile’ (D2M) service and it claims to improve the consumption of broadband and utilization of spectrum.

The technology is based on the convergence of broadband and broadcast, using which smartphones will receive terrestrial digital TV.

This would be similar to how an FM radio works on your phone, where a receiver can tap into radio frequencies. Using D2M, multimedia content will also be beamed to phones directly. OTT platforms like Netflix can also use the D2M tech to push multimedia content to mobile phones directly.

What can D2M do for everyone?

The D2M tech will help the government convey important information directly to the people, issue emergency alerts, counter fake news, and assist with disaster management.

It will help the cable and DTH sectors to broadcast now to homes without needing any intermediary.

The telecom and internet service providers will be able to offload video traffic from their mobile network onto the broadcast network. This will increase the data speeds and reduce call drops substantially.

For the consumers, it would mean access to multimedia content from VoD or OTT platforms without exhausting their mobile data and at a nominal price.

This will be more useful for those in rural areas, as they have limited or no internet access to watch videos. Users living in places with limited or no internet access will be able to watch video content without an active internet connection.

The new D2M tech will support students to access educational content for schools and colleges in remote areas. Farmers can access weather forecasts and information on different cultural practices without the internet.

What has DoT done to bring D2M?

The Department of Technology has conducted a study to find a spectrum band that will help offer broadcast services directly to users’ smartphones.

IIT Kanpur collaborated with Prasar Bharti to test the feasibility of the D2M tech and delivered proof of the concept. Prasar Bharti uses the 526-582 MHz band for terrestrial TV broadcasting and the same band is said to work in sync for both mobile and broadcast services.

When can D2M tech be expected?

The D2M technology is still in a nascent stage in the country and won’t be available before 3-4 years.

Challenges to D2M tech

Prasar Bharti’s CEO claims that bringing key stakeholders like mobile operators on board will be the biggest challenge in launching D2M technology on a wide scale.

I&B Ministry Secretary Apurva Chandra said a mass roll-out of the tech will need some changes in infrastructure and some regulatory changes as well.

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

Direct-to-mobile broadcasting pilot study in Delhi-NCR soon     /  ECO  TIMES   / 18  Nov  2022

Extract :

A pilot study on direct-to-mobile broadcasting, that has the potential to enhance the reach of the television manifold will be carried out in the Delhi National Capital Region, soon , Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra said on Thursday

 

Currently, there are about 20 crore television households in the country. India has over 60 crore smart phone users and 80 crore broadband users. Reach of the television media is set to be much higher, he said 

 

MY  TAKE  :

 

Not a day passes without some mobile phone manufacturer launching a “ Smarter

 “ smart phone having new capabilities and vastly enhanced capacities

To get some idea of the rate at which the Smart phones are getting ever more

powerful, consider this :

 

“ To put that into more concrete terms, the latest phones typically have 4GB of RAM. That is 34,359,738,368 bits. This is more than one million (1,048,576 to be exact) times more memory than the Apollo computer had in RAM. The iPhone also has up to 512GB of ROM memory. That is 4,398,046,511,104 bits, which is more seven million times more than that of the guidance computer.

 

But memory isn’t the only thing that matters. The Apollo 11 computer had a processor – an electronic circuit that performs operations on external data sources – which ran at 0.043 MHz.

 

The latest iPhone’s processor is estimated to run at about 2490 MHz. Apple do not advertise the processing speed, but others have calculated it.

 

This means that the iPhone in your pocket has over 100,000 times the processing power of the computer that landed man on the moon 50 years ago.

 

( source : https://www.business-standard.com/article/technology/would-your-phone-be-powerful-enough-to-get-you-to-the-moon-like-apollo-did-119070200272_1.html#:~:text=This%20is%20more%20than%20one,that%20of%20the%20guidance%20computer.

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

Dear Shri  Vaghelaji ,

 

[ P.D. Vaghela, cp@trai.gov.in, , chairperson of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India -Trai ]

Only 2 days ago, you said :

“ Therefore, in the new technological world of convergence, we need to

 deliberate on the possible alignment of regulatory regime keeping in view the

 scenario of ‘ multiple screens, same content ’. At Trai, we believe in policies

 and regulations that are technology-neutral."

( source : Convergence of Content )

 

The above-quoted news report talks of the following screens :

Ø  TV Screens ………………………………………… 20  crore

Ø  Smart Phone Screens ………………………… 60  crore

Ø  Desktop/Tablet Screens………………………80  crore

What it leaves out, are :

Ø  Smart Watch Screens…………………………  ?

Ø  AR-VR-MR headset Screens……………….. ?

It also leaves out Screens of billions of following IoT connected:

Ø  Eye glasses …………… ……………………………?

Ø  Devices ( Alexa / Google Mini ).………… ?

Ø  Domestic appliances…………………………….?

Ø  Medical Devices…………………………………… ?   

 

 It is only a matter of time before “ Direct – to – Mobile “ broadcasting of videos

 covers, not only those 60 crore “ Mobile Phone Screens “ but TRILLIONS of

 screens listed above

And these screens will carry ADVERTISEMENTS based on the “ Viewing History “ of

 each screen

Question :

If not based on “ Viewing History “ but based on current method of TRP (

Television Rating Points ) calculated by Bar-O-Meters, then how will advertising

 work ?

Answer :

Each screen will become a Bar –O – Meter ( a super-computing set top box )

 working on Return Path Data  ( RPD )

With billions of screens helping to compute TRP , there will be no manipulations

What is more, since thousands of VIDEO CHANNELS will be streaming videos on

 any of the above-mentioned screens simultaneously at any given time , it will be

 almost impossible for a consumer / user / device-owner, to be able to “ SELECT

 and SUBSCRIBE “ a few channels in ADVANCE ( just too many options / paradox

 of choice )

This will lead to “ Pay Per Use “ ( measured in “ minutes of viewing “ ) for

 viewers

In turn, this will enforce “ Pre-Payment “ only

 

Dear Shri Vaghelaji,

You may want to keep in mind the above-mentioned “ Technology Scenario “ while

 drawing up your “ Regulatory Framework “

No one knows it better than yourself that the Regulatory Frameworks are

 notoriously lagging behind technological advances

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 20 Nov 2022

 

Related Readings :

 

Ø  Make Every TV, a Computer ? First Step taken    [ 05 Nov 2021 ]

 

Ø  Thank You , cp@trai.gov.in............................. [ 20 June 2020 ]

 

Ø  TRP : Manipulation can be Eliminated……………….. [ 08 Oct 2020 ]

 

Ø  The Future of TV Viewing ?...............................[ 28 Mar 2019 ]

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Convergence of Content

 

Context :

Trai to roll out caller ID system to rival Truecaller in 3 weeks    /   MINT   /  17  Nov  2022

 

Extract :

He

[ P.D. Vaghela, cp@trai.gov.in, , chairperson of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India -Trai ]

told the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)’s Big Picture Summit,

 

 “The primary area which requires attention of the regulatory regime is the convergence of content. Today, the same content is available on television, smart connected screens as well as smartphones.

 

Owing to the difference in the distribution mechanism on these platforms, they pose a regulatory challenge. Therefore, in the new technological world of convergence, we need to deliberate on the possible alignment of regulatory regime keeping in view the scenario of ‘ multiple screens, same content ’."

 

“We at Trai are well aware of the challenges. Recently, we have received references from the government for OTT-based services and on matters arising due to convergence. Our experts are studying these issues with a view to creating a level playing field among various service provisioning mechanisms. Our objective will be to introduce a light-touch framework that irons out the inconsistencies created by technological disruptions. We cannot have regulatory imbalance between conventional technologies of yester-years and new technologies. Yet, at the same time, we should not stifle innovation and competition. At Trai, we believe in policies and regulations that are technology-neutral."

 

 

MY  TAKE :

 

Dear Shri Vaghelaji,

 

When you talk about “ Convergence of Content “ , it is not a day too soon !

But talking about any “ REGULATORY REGIME “ that can regulate this “ convergence “ , is an exercise in vain !

To know why I say this, I urge you to consider the following “ Shape of Things to Come “

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  19  Nov  2022

 

 

Ø  2024 ! – V 2.0 of Orwellian 1984 ?.....................   [ 07 July 2017 ]

 

Extract :

And it is happening faster than you think !

  

 “ SOUND WAVES “ ( Audio ) :

These got captured / encapsulated and got broadcast / narrow-cast , all over the

World to anyone of your choice , using landlines / mobile phones , in a matter of

seconds

 

 “ LIGHT WAVES “ ( Video ) :

These too got captured and transmitted to anyone , anywhere in the World , as

your Selfie Photo / Video , using a lowly smart phone – and again , in matter of

seconds

 

And only yesterday , digital camera maker RED, announced that it’s building the

Hydrogen One, and they’re calling it the world’s first “holographic” phone. It is

expected to have a retina-display screen that can switch from 2D content to

holographic multi-view content, 3D content, and interactive games – without

needing special glasses !

 

I suppose , that would enable you to conduct “ Holographic Conferences “ from

your living room or office !

 

Let us not forget that , ISPs / MSPs and other SERVICE PROVIDERS , are already

storing all of your CONVERSATIONS and your LIFE EVENTS , when you use a

Mobile Phone !

 

 

“ TOUCH WAVES “ ( Feel the SKIN ) :

Hepatic devices are already enabling you to feel the skins of friends ( or patients )

from thousands of miles away

 

“ SMELL – TASTE “  WAVES  :

With arrival of Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality , day is not far when , sitting in

your sofa , you can smell / taste that pizza , from across the World

 

But Japanese firm FutureLeap says : this is nothing !

 

It claims it has just the thing for the in-the-mood couch potatoes with a Virtual

Reality System so realistic you’d swear that cyber date just whispered sweet

nothings in your ear !

 

 “ BRAIN WAVES “ ( EEG ) :

 Scientists are attaching a few sensors to your head, capturing your Brain Waves ,

and accurately interpreting these as “ Specific Thoughts / Sentiments “ !

 

It is only a matter of time before the bulky wired headset gets replaced by a

mobile or a wrist band , capable of capturing your “ BRAIN WAVES “ and (

without your explicit permission ), transmitting any of your thoughts which it

considers “ EVIL “  to a CENTRAL SERVER of the ESTABLISHMENT !

 

And it will do this SURVEILLANCE , 24*7  ! – even when you are asleep !

Those who managed to escape the “ 1984 “ of George Orwell , were lucky

Those who will be around when 2024 arrives , may not be so lucky !

 

Ø  Nostradamus could have said ?...................  [  08 Nov 2018 ]

Extract :

In twenty hundred and twenty four

A Sea of Waves will roar,

Light will follow sound :

And , in Smell and Taste

Earth will abound ,

Brain will hide no more

Your secrets gore  !

------------------------ 

Question :

Can we assume that “ Privacy is dead “ , given that ,

OUTDOOR

     *   Governments around the World are installing millions of CCTV cameras at

          every nook and corner , to protect its citizens against terrorism

             

INDOOR

·       *  Each and every Internet of Things [ IoT ] connected device ( ALEXA / Google

           Home  do not even remotely resemble a camera ) , would capture our videos

           24*7 , and transmit it to the servers of Device Manufacturers / Owners of

           Operating Systems / App Developers / Service Providers ( ISPs / MSPs )

 

How much protection would our proposed DATA  PROTECTION  LAW  provide us  ?

Those needing some proof , may want to look up :

Big Brother is watching us ! And how !  [  09  Feb  2018  ]

 

Related Readings :

Your favorite sound as a pleasant picture

 

Can you envision the image by the sound? The answer is Yes! Learning Visual

 Styles from Audio-Visual Associations. This is an experiment in computer

vision to test the extent to which sight and sound are intertwined.

 

Sound of science

Extract :

 If you have a large set of data and there are patterns hidden in it, finding them could be overwhelming. Of course, computers can do it for you, but scientists are toying with another way — music. 

 

Suppose you assign a musical note to each data point and play them on an instrument, you can actually hear the data.

A trained musical ear can identify patterns or spot an anomaly. 

Your DNA can be your own personal song. 

 

In a recent report, the Smithsonian says that experts from various fields have “sonified” viruses, hormones, proteins, spider webs and even flames, using a variety of techniques. Some, like Your DNA Song Ltd, have turned their efforts into commercial enterprises.  

Extending the principle, in this data-centric world, any set of data can be converted into a tune or a melody.

 

To a data scientist, this should be, literally, music to the ears. 

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

Direct-to-mobile broadcasting pilot study in Delhi-NCR soon     /  ECO  TIMES   /

   18  Nov  2022

Extract :

A pilot study on direct-to-mobile broadcasting, that has the potential to enhance the reach of the television manifold will be carried out in the Delhi National Capital Region, soon , Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra said on Thursday

Currently, there are about 20 crore television households in the country. India has over 60 crore smart phone users.  and 80 crore broadband users. Reach of the television media is set to be much higher, he said 

 secy.inb@nic.in