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Thursday 3 March 2016

Citizens' Grievances ?

Following is a news report from DNA ( 03 March 2016 ) :

" Citizens' grievances against the central government ministries have increased over three fold in 2015 as compared to the previous year

A total of over 8.81 lakh complaints have been received by the government , which attributed the surge to a number of citizen friendly measures

These grievances were received online through Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System , against central government ministries

This was a written reply in Lok Sabha given by Shri Jitendra Singh , Minister of State for Personnel , Public Grievances and Pensions "

I wonder if that reply provided following " Analysis " :

* No of Complaints : Ministry wise / Public Service wise / Period wise / Pendency wise

* Ave time / Max time / Min time , taken to redress the complaints

Leaving that aside , Shri Singh may want to consider the following :

* In a population of 1.25 BILLION , not more than 200 million can access the govt web site through a computer ( no internet connection )

* Even those who may find the concerned web site after a lot of online search as I did ( pgportal.gov.in ) , they will get stumped / overwhelmed by the GRIEVANCE SUBMIT FORM !

* As against this , we have already 200 million persons having smart phones and that number will reach 651 million in 3 years ( all internet-connected )

In light of this , I request Shri Singh to consider implementing my suggested mobile app , described below in my blog [ 29 Dec 2012 ] :

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I SIN><U SIN

That could be the name of an android app

( I Seek It Now > < U Solve It Now )

To be developed by India’s Central Home Ministry for successful implementation of proposed,

“ Delivery of Services Act “

The app will come pre-installed on those mobile phones which Government of India plans to distribute FREE , to some 400 million “ Poor People “ of India , before the 2014 National Election (and on those 220 million Aakash Tablets )

Issuer will enter the Mobile No and that person’s Aadhar Card No, in a computerized central database , before issuing the phone

Hence , no need to login to the App , whose screen will read :

I wish to send my complaint to the following department :

· National Commission for Women

· Garbage Clearance

· Water Supply

· Electricity Supply

· Roads Repair

· Rationing ( Food Distribution )

· Police

· Bus Transport

· Railways

· Post

· Employment

· Education

· Irrigation

· Building Permits

· Revenue / Land Records

· Anti Corruption

· Other ……………………………………….etc

(List should not exceed 50)

Touching name of any department name will open a SMS message box where the user will type out his complaint ( in a language of his choice )

There will be option to speak-out and record voice message , for illiterate users

Touching SEND button will transmit the complaint and within minutes, user will receive SMS reply , giving,

· Name of Officer responsible

· Office Landline No

· Mobile No

· Email Id

· Complaint No

· Expected date of solving

Bingo !

Then publish online , a tabulation of departments , arranged in the descending order of the no of complaints received / cleared / pending

This frugal innovation will bring in Good Governance all over India

Request Nandan Nilekani / Sam Pitroda to help out , even though they may be busy implementing my earlier suggested app ,

“ VotesApp “

I have no doubt that the political party which promises , “ I SIN >< U SIN “ , will get voted to power in 2014 (now change this to 2019 )

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hemenparekh.in / blogs

04 March 2016

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Wednesday 2 March 2016

Whom to Train ? How to Train ?

A report in Economic Times ( 24 Feb ) talks of the exercise undertaken by NITI Aayog to ,

* Map the skill requirements of 22 industry sectors ( " Make in India" listing )

The exercise is expected to be completed in 6 months , after which , NITI Aayog will prepare a sector wise road

map with targets to be achieved across sectors in the given time

The road map will lay down a process for training ( skilling / re-skilling ) some 402 million youth by 2022

The report adds that the Skills Ministry ( headed by Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy ) has outlined :

* 1500 job roles ( like trade classifications / vocational designations ? )

* 6,700 qualifications ( job descriptions ? )

I suppose much of those trainings will be imparted in following Industrial Training Institutes ( ITIs ) :

* 13,105 ( existing as on 2014 )

* 1,150 ( set up by Skills Ministry in 2015 )

* 7,000 ( targeted to be set up in 2016 )

MY SUGGESTION :

In India , we have :

* 4300 Degree level Engineering Colleges

* 700 Diploma level Engineering Colleges

All of these colleges have WORKSHOPS equipped with different types of machines needed for " Skills Training "

These ASSETS are used / occupied only for a maximum of 8 hours ( daytime ) and remain idle for 16 hours

Through a partnership with these colleges , NITI Aayog should consider using these UNDER-UTILIZED assets for

imparting skills to those who need

Such an arrangement will :

* Enable NITI Aayog to accelerate this program , without a long mobilization time

* Save thousands of crores of rupees in constructing new buildings / buying new machines

* Boost " Make in India " initiative by making available skilled manpower at short notice

* Increase ASSET UTILIZATION of scarce resources

* Foster INDUSTRY - EDUCATION INSTITUTES cooperation through closer interaction

* Enable College Faculty involved to earn extra income through charging PLACEMENT FEES to industry

What about Schools ?

* We have 1.3 million schools in India . But these schools do NOT have workshops / machinery

* Between them , these Schools have millions of class rooms which too remain unutilized for 16 hours per day

MY SUGGESTION :

* Ask Sundar Pichai ( Google ) to convert all of these Schools into Wi-Fi Hot Spots ( of course , free of cost ! )

* And Tim Cook ( Apple ) to provide iPAD-Pro tablets ( no doubt , free ! )

* And Satya Nadela ( Microsoft ) to provide software support ( ex-gratis ! )

Then use these 1.3 million schools to provide basic COMPUTER SKILLS to future DATA ENTRY OPERATORS

Where there is a WILL , there is a WAY ( even a Super Highway , if there is a Political Will )

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hemenparekh.in / Blogs

03 March 2016

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Tuesday 1 March 2016

Don't Want to Pay Taxes ?

An interview in Hindustan Times ( 02 March 2016 ) quotes Shri Jayant Sinha ( Minister of State for Finance ) as follows :

" People in India don't want to pay taxes .

In many societies, people recognize that you have to have a level of taxation for society to flourish

India's top tax rate now is 35 % for the super rich , which is very much on the low side

In the US, depending on the state , it is above 50% .

Our tax to GDP ratio is 16-17% , China has 21-22% , while the US has 25%.

The OECD average is 35%

That is why we are not able to provide the public services people need

We don't have enough resources .

The citizens have to decide the kind of society they want "

HT report also mentions that Shri Sinha is an MBA from Harvard and also headed a consulting firm before becoming a Minister .

So , we must pay attention to his views

Especially , his view that " People in India don't want to pay taxes "

But if he were to ask these people , " Why don't you want to pay taxes ? " , they would tell him :

Sir , for all the taxes that we patiently paid for past 68 years , what public services have we got ?

Sure , you ( NDA / BJP ) may not be responsible for the TRILLIONS of tax rupees that the Establishment and the corrupt politicians pocketed over these years ,

But then , don't blame us for having lost ALL faith in government's ability to use our tax money for delivering any worthwhile public service !

Will you please care to also compare the public services that people in those other countries get from their respective governments , with the service that we get in India ?

Your comment that we don't " want to pay taxes " , comes as an insult . We feel like crying at this humiliation !

We wish , you were a little more charitable !

At least as charitable as you have been to those hundreds of rich people who are enjoying their holidays in Europe while defaulting on repayment of Rs 4 lakh*crores worth of loans !

If Bapu were around , he would have launched a " Satyagraha " and told people NOT to pay taxes !

We would rather NOT pay taxes and use that money to get whatever service that we want, directly from non-government agencies in private unorganized sector - agencies ,

* which we don't have to VOTE for

* over which we have total CONTROL

* with whom we can negotiate the QUALITY / QUANTITY / DELIVERY TIME / PRICE of service that we expect

* which we can SACK at will at short notice

* whom we pay , " AFTER " the delivery of DESIRED service

Dear Shri Sinha :

Just abolish Personal Income Tax and let us fend for ourselves !

We will be happy to start paying income tax once again , if public services reach even 50 % of what the government of US delivers to its citizens !

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hemenparekh.in / blogs

02 March 2016

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Make Yourself Heard

Dear Visitor :

It is time for YOU to speak up - and demand that YOU are heard

By emailing this suggestion - incorporating your OWN improvements - to the following Policy Makers

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Monday 29 February 2016

Quantum Jump ?

While inaugurating the " Make in India " week in Mumbai on 13th Feb , Shri Narendra Modiji told the industrialists :

" Incremental changes will not suffice . We need a quantum jump "

Perhaps doubling of outlay on Agriculture / Rural Development / Highways / Railways etc, in the budget which Shri Jaitley announced yesterday , was what Shri Modi had in mind when he said this

But what about the issue of unearthing of BLACK MONEY ?

Do you consider the following announcements as a QUANTUM JUMP ?

# BUDGET 2015

" Declaration of Undisclosed Foreign Assets Scheme "

Restricted to " foreign assets " only

30 % tax + 30 % penalty

Yield : Rs 10,000 crore

# BUDGET 2016

" Income Disclosure Scheme "

What is that QUANTUM JUMP ?

* Chance to declare " Domestic " undisclosed assets

* 4 month window / pay within 2 months

* 30 % tax + 7.5% surcharge + 7.5% penalty

* No scrutiny or inquiry under Income Tax Act / Wealth Tax Act

* Immunity from prosecution / benami transactions

* Yield ? Rs 20,000 crore ( my guess )

If past is any indication of the future , expect following ( incremental ? ) jumps in :

# BUDGET 2017

* " Voluntary Disclosure Scheme "

* Will cover , both foreign as well as domestic undeclared assets

* No penalty / Just pay 30% tax / No prosecution / 6 month window

* Yield : Rs 100,000 Cr

# BUDGET 2018

* " Perpetual Amnesty Scheme "

* No tax / no penalty / no scrutiny / no prosecution / no questions / no window

* Cash deposited in ATM ( Automatic Taker Machines ) will be used for Infrastructure SPV

* Depositors will get tax free interest of 5 % , directly credited in their Jan Dhan Bank Accounts

* Yield : Rs 340 lakh*crores ( all the BLACK MONEY stashed in bank lockers / locked up in gold / land etc )

( details at w..w...hemenparekh...in )

Remember , 2018 will be the last budget for the present NDA government , before the 2019 General Elections !

But then , waiting till 2018 may prove to be a political harakiri for BJP !

Announcing this " Perpetual Amnesty Scheme " in 2017 Budget will ensure that BJP gets 400 seats in Lok Sabha in 2019 elections !

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hemenparekh.in / blogs

01 March 2016

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Make Yourself Heard

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It is time for YOU to speak up - and demand that YOU are heard

By emailing this suggestion - incorporating your OWN improvements - to the following Policy Makers

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Sunday 28 February 2016

Don't Expect This in Budget

Don't expect my following suggestion to figure in the Budget speech which, Shri Jaitleyji will read in Lok Sabha , a few hours from now

But then it does not have to be !

First break the unwritten rule : " If a reform was not announced in Budget , then it cannot be implemented "

My suggestion is about ATM V 2.0

Many decades ago , ATM were first introduced in America when banks found long lines of customers waiting to withdraw cash at the CASH COUNTER

In America , cashiers are called TELLERS . So these CASH DISPENSING machines came to be called AUTOMATIC TELLER MACHINE ( ATM )

In India , we call these ANY TIME ( cash ) MACHINE , which give out cash upon

* entering a few details / code numbers into ATM screen

* amount of cash you want to withdraw and

* inserting your ATM Card in the machine

ATM prints out a slip of paper incorporating full details of the transaction / customer name etc

I believe , nowadays , any ATM accepts ATM card issued by any bank , so you need not worry to find a ATM belonging to YOUR bank ( where you have YOUR bank account )

MY SUGGESTION :

* Come out with ATM V 2.0 ( call it , " Automatic Taker Machine " ? )

* Install one in every bank branch and at 145,000 post offices ( India Post's Payment Banks )

* ATM V 2.0 does NOT " dispense" cash . It only " accepts " cash !

* Cash depositor will enter personal details ( Aadhar No / Jan Dhan Bank A/C No etc ) and amount being deposited

* ATM V 2.0 will count the cash ( much like currently used CASH COUNTERS at most bank branches )

* It will print out a RECEIPT , giving full details

* All ATMs ( V 2.0 ) will be inter-connected in a Network having a CENTRAL server

* All cash deposited ( by every user ) will be used for Infrastructure SPV

* Depositor will earn annual interest @ 5 % on CASH deposited ( Receipt wise )

* Cash Receipts can be en-cashed upon maturity of 10 years ( like FIXED DEPOSIT receipts )

* Interest will be TAX FREE and get directly deposited in depositor's Jan Dhan Bank A/c

* No questions ( as to the source of the cash deposited ) will be asked ( Perpetual Amnesty Scheme )

I understand , Jan Dhan Yojana managed to garner deposits of approx Rs 30 thousand crores in 18 months

ATM V 2.0 , will bring back those Rs 34.4 lakh*crores of undisclosed assets that are lying in foreign banks ,

AND

Rs 340 lakh*crores of unaccounted BLACK MONEY lying in domestic bank lockers ( or locked up as gold / land )

In deep space , there are BLACK HOLES which suck in all matter . Even light cannot escape from a black hole

ATM V 2.0 will be our WHITE HOLES which will suck in all black money Indians have stashed anywhere !

Let us use this INNOVATION , which is simply re-configuring well-established and straight forward HW / SW !

Dear Shri Jaitleyji ,

There is no need to worry about how to raise revenue to fund those Infrastructure Projects to generate jobs

No need to widen tax net ( from 4 % to 23 % ) or borrow money from market or abroad

No need to announce in your budget speech this morning ! No passing of any BILL in Rajya Sabha !

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hemenparekh.in / blogs

29 Feb 2016

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Make Yourself Heard

Dear Visitor :

It is time for YOU to speak up - and demand that YOU are heard

By emailing this suggestion - incorporating your OWN improvements - to the following Policy Makers

( Just multiple copy all the following Email IDs into the Recipient column of your Outlook and Copy / paste this suggestion in the Message Box ) :