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Saturday 28 January 2017

The Mini Wall of Mexico

Two days back, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to immediately start construction of a wall along the USA / Mexico border

The wall will be 1000 miles long , 50 / 60 feet high and take 5 years to build , at an

estimated cost of $ 14 billion. It might possibly employ 1000 workers

Despite being a mammoth project, this pales before the Great Wall of China, which stretches for almost 3900 miles along the northern border of China

That Chinese wall was built some 2000 years ago and engaged 1.5 Million labours over a period of 200 years

It is recorded that some 3-5 lakh soldiers were stationed along that Chinese wall to guard against invaders from the north

President Trump plans to post 5,000 border patrol along the wall to prevent entry into USA, of Mexicans in need of jobs and trying to escape poverty

Now Mr Trump cannot build a wall along the vast sea-coast of America , nor build a wall in the sky , to prevent internet penetration !

So, he has also threatened to drastically cut back on H1-B visas under which , currently some 300,000 Indian techies are working in USA , both for Indian and American companies

Trump has given to American citizens , a slogan : Buy American

And to American Industrialists , a slogan : Hire American

He does not realize that , through his Executive Orders ,

· He cannot stop the march of Technology ( remember wise king Canute ? )

· He has done a great service to India ! ( a blessing in disguise ? )

Here is how :

A poor family was eking out a living by selling the fruits that grew on a tree in their backyard

There was no need for anyone in the family to work , making all members lazy

A friend who realized that this situation would perpetuate the poverty , cut down the tree one night and ran away

In the morning, the distraught family realized that they can no longer depend upon the fruits of the tree for a living !

They all started working and gradually prospered !

I hope :

· NDA government would seize this opportune moment , to turn India into,

“ The Back Factory of the World “

{ http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2015/09/back-factory-of-world.html }

Where I echo the vision of ShriJayant Sinha

{ http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/01/thank-you-for-your-vision.html }

, so that Indian geeks sitting in small towns of India can remotely replace Americans working in their ,

* Farms and Factories

* Hotels and Hospitals

* Malls and Markets

* Roads and Railways

* Workshops and Warehouses

* Garages and Gardens

* Drones and Delivery Trucks ….etc

Any person starting a “ Back Factory “ operation which earns dollars through “ export “ of “ Remotely Delivered Services “ would be exempt from Corporate and Personal Income Tax for 10 years

It is time to get out of the way of these “ Self Employed “ to enable them to take on the World !

· Shri Arun Jaitleyji would not simply “ copy “ Donald Trump and make marginal / token reduction in Corporate Income Tax in his budget three days from now ,

But , introduces what I have repeatedly suggested ,

“ Inverse Corporate Tax Regime “ ,

{ http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/08/incentivizing-employment.html }

where , the greater the number of employees engaged by a Company , the lesser ( incremental ) tax rate on successive higher slabs / levels of employees

Of course , no Indian company would simply hire more employees in order to take advantage of a lower tax rate but this will discourage them to resort to “ automation “ just in order to reduce manpower costs . It will be Indian Innovation to beat the malaise of a “ Jobless Growth “

· Shri Jaitley announces measures to turn India into a ,

“ Low Cost Economy “

{ http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/11/automation-is-inescapable.html }

Thank You , MrDonald Trump :

{ http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/12/one-up-on-donald-trump.html }

YOU MAY HAVE WOKEN US UP FROM OUR SLUMBER !

29 Jan 2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs

Tuesday 24 January 2017

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISION

Shri Jayant Sinha ( Minister of State for Civil Aviation )

Shri Arindam Bhattacharya ( Senior Partner, BCG Henderson Institute )

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Dear Sirs :

I enjoyed reading your article ( Leapfrog Beyond Manufacturing ) in Times of India / Jan 23 , 2017, where you write :

· Our hypothesis is that digital technologies will power mass services in the 21^st century just like industrial technologies powered mass manufacturing

· The rapid growth of digital trading platforms , is giving rise to new form of enterprises and supply chains

· Digital technologies can dramatically lower the cost of service delivery

· Once a digital service is launched via the cloud, the marginal cost of servicing a new customer is virtually zero

· We believe that India must proceed on a different development journey which accounts for different global circumstances and leverages India’s strengths

· Digital technologies are impacting economies and industries / services and creating massive opportunities for growth and jobs

I hope your vision gets understood and gets implemented . That is the ONLY HOPE for India !

You may want to look up my following blogs ( each sent as email to NDA Ministers / Secretaries / MPs / MLAs / Economists / Business Leaders / Editors / TV Anchors etc ) , where , I have echoed your arguments

With Regards,

hemen parekh

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Wednesday, 9 September 2015

" BACK FACTORY " OF THE WORLD ?

China is known as the " Factory " of the World

India is known as the " Back Office " of the World

Can India become the " Back Factory " of the World ?

Wrong question !

Right question is : WHEN can we become the " Back Factory " of the World ?

Answer is " hiding in plain sight " !

This week , an astronaut , sitting in a satellite 400 km above the earth and hurtling through space at 16,000 km per hour , operated a robot on the earth

Earlier , scientists sitting in NASA space centre or in Shri Harikota space centre , have operated Mars Rovers / MOM ( Mars Orbital Mission ) remotely

From a distance of millions of miles

And soon , astronauts will be sending emails to earthlings from millions of miles away , using " Space Internet " on their Mobile phones

Invariably , each such team of scientists , comprised Indians !

So , WHEN can our scientists - and software Start Ups - enable Indian workers , sitting in Hyderabad / Chennai etc , to operate / manipulate , machinery in factories of Europe / America / China ?

I believe this can become a reality by 2020 , if Central Government and State Governments , just get out of the way of our scientists / Start Ups and leave them alone !

Then tell them :

" You are our next generation of Freedom Fighters . Free our millions from

poverty / starvation / jobless depression / ignominy / suicides

Like war - ravaged people of North Africa , Indians cannot invade Europe / Australia / Canada , in search of jobs / better life

We depend upon you to bring the jobs to India - jobs such as ,

* Operating Machinery in Factories abroad

* Controlling Air Traffic at Airports around the World

* Operating upon patients in Hospitals , all over

* Teaching students in Schools , in remote Africa

* Any job that currently requires immediate presence of a worker

And , if you set up a " Back Factory " , you don't need to pay Corporate Income Tax for next 10 years !

Simply register on web site of Income Tax Department as a " Back Factory " owner and file annual " Zero Corporate Tax Return "

When this happens ,

* Millions of skilled Indian workers will operate factories around the World ,

sitting in , internet connected " Back Factories " in small Indian towns

* Foxcon will not need to replace its high-wage Chinese workers with one

million robots ( as officially announced sometime back )

At half the wages of those Chinese workers , Indians will operate Foxcon

factories , all over the World , remotely !

* " Contract Labour Act " will need to be replaced with " Back Factory " Act

* " Minimum Wages Act " will need to be scrapped !

* India will not need to fight with WTO on " Manpower / Service Exports "

* " Make in India " will morph into " Make from India "

I hope NDA Ministers and members of NITI Aayog will ask , Narayan Murthy / Sam Pitroda / Azim Premji / Sundar Pichai / Satya Nadela / Ray Kurzweil etc :

" How soon can this be done ? How can you help ? "

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· Reincarnationof Smart Phone [ 02 Dec 2016 ]

http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/12/reincarnation-of-smart-phone-with-saral.html

· Automationis Inescapable [ 30 Nov 2016 ]

http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/11/automation-is-inescapable.html

· Let usLeapfrog the World [ 27 Nov 2016 ] http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/11/let-us-leapfrog-world.html

· BANMALI is the total Solution [ 14 Nov 2016 ] http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/11/banmali-is-total-solution.html

· FastForward to Future [ 20 Oct 2016 ] http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/10/fast-forward-to-future-3-f.html

· Robot, a therapeutic machine ? [ 9 Oct 2016 ] http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/10/robot-therapeutic-machine.html

· Howabout Virtual Call Centers ? [ 4 Oct 2016 ] http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/10/how-about-virtual-call-centers.html

· Revenge of theAI [ 29 Sept 2016 ] http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/09/revenge-of-ai.html

· Missingthe Woods for the Tree [ 12 Aug 2016 } http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/08/missing-woods-for-tree.html

· ShareYour Soul – Outsourcing Unlimited [ 24 July 2016 ] http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/07/share-your-soul-outsourcing-unlimited.html

· Marchof Algorithms [ 5 July 2016 ] http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-march-of-algorithms.html

· LevelPlaying Field ? [ 11 June 2016 ] http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/06/level-playing-field.html

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Sunday 22 January 2017

Time to ditch Model Code of Conduct ?

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday released the Samajwadi Party’s much-awaited election manifesto, a short while after sealing an alliance with the Congress.

Following are the highlights:

- Children from the economically weaker sections in primary schools will be given 1 litre ghee and milk powder every month

- Free medical services to those earning less than Rs 1.5 lakh a year

- Establishment of Kishan Kosh or farmers' fund

- Free smartphones under Samajwadi smart phone scheme

- Rs 1,000 per month to 1 crore people under expansion of Samajwadi pension scheme

- Free cycle to girls studying in class 9 to 12

- Nutritious diet to pregnant women at their place

- Construction of Purvanchal expressway and Bundelkhand-Terai Expressway

- River front development in prominent cities

- Rs 10 lakh to lawyers, less than 60 years age, on untimely deaths

- Samajwadi sports school for sports promotion

- Old age homes for the elderly and 50% subsidy in bus fares for women

- Electrification of every village in the state

- Free wheat and rice to the poor, pressure cookers for poor women. Free laptops for students

- A kisan kosh (treasury) to be initiated for the farmers

- Strengthening the state’s Metro network. Akhilesh says the next state budget may be presented from inside a Metro train

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I leave it to you to judge / decide , which and how many of these promises , fall foul of the following guidelines of the Election Commission , which announced the UP election on 01 Jan , kicking in the Model Code of Conduct :

On 22 Feb 2014 , following Supreme Court directives , the Election Commission , revised , " Model Code of Conduct " , containing guidelines on what kind of poll promises , political parties can incorporate in their poll manifestos

GUIDELINES

* Parties shall make only those promises which are possible to be fulfilled

* It is expected that manifestos also reflect the rationale for the promises

and broadly indicate the ways and means to meet the financial requirements for it

* Party in power shall stop advertizing for publicity of achievements "

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Do not wait with baited breath , for the release of Manifestos of other political parties !

In the above list , just change the party name and insert figures which are 50 % higher !

Do you see the " Late Mover Advantage " ?

Have no worry ! No one will file a Public Interest Litigation in Supreme Court , which is over-occupied with Jallikattu !

And as far as the question of " ways and means of financial requirements " is concerned, Akhilesh Yadav has a top secret plan , viz : imposition of a 10 % " Wealth Transfer Tax " on those 57 Indian Billionaires with a total wealth of $ 216 Billion ( Rs. 15,12000 cr )

He is telling the voters of UP :

" Why do you want to wait till 01 Feb budget of Shri Arun Jaitley-ji , to announce transfer of Rs 1500 to poor under Universal Basic Income ? "

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23 Jan 2017

www.hemenparekh.in / Blog # 1,000

Why always a " High Level Inquiry " ?

Yesterday , there was a train accident in Andhra Pradesh when 41 persons died

This was the THIRD such serious train accident in past 3 months

May be twentieth such accident in past 10 years

Railway Minister has ordered a " high level inquiry " ( apart from usual ex-gratia payments )

Being an ignoramus, I wondered, " Why a high level inquiry ? Why not a low level inquiry ? "

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks !

All those previous " high level inquiry " reports are already on the server of the Railway Ministry , in word format

All that the committee appointed for this purpose has to do is :

* Change the Date / Time / Location of the accident

* Change the name of the train

* Change the appendix carrying the names of the victims

* Change the names of the members of the Inquiry Committee ( mostly unnecessary ! )

* Change the date of submission of the report

In fact , by the time the Members of the Inquiry Committee return to Delhi , after inspection of the accident site , the departmental data-entry operator has already made these changes and kept the print out ready for the signature of the Members !

Now , who says , Railway Ministry is inefficient ?

Should however, Shri Suresh Prabhu be interested in a " LOW LEVEL SUGGESTION " for " how to prevent train accidents " , I request him to read once again , my following email ( 20 Nov 2016 ) :

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A Case of Misplaced Priority ?

Yesterday , there was a terrible train accident near Kanpur

As per latest reports , some 100 persons got killed and around 100 got injured

Government was quick to announce a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs to the kin of those dead and Rs 50,000 to the injured

So , to the Government , apart from the loss to the property , the ECONOMIC LOSS was , approx Rs 2.5 Crore

And if someone were to fight this case in the Courts ( for next 5 years ? ) , the Court might award Rs 1 crore per dead ( loss of earning capacity at Rs 2.5 lakh per year for 40 years )

That would add another Rs 100 Crore of " Economic Cost ", to the government

But what about the EMOTIONAL LOSS of the bereaved family ?

It is just not possible to attach a monetary value to the life-long sufferings of those families

I believe , we have lost ( on ave ) , some 50 lives to major train accidents , each year for the past 22 years ( not counting ave of 10 persons who get run over by Mumbai local trains , EVERY DAY ! )

View this in the background of Government plan to spend Rs 1,00,000 CRORES , for a Bullet Train between Mumbai and Ahmadabad, which will transport 600 persons in 2 hours , in place of the current travel time of 8 hours

So , what will we gain for this enormous " Economic Cost " ?

Some people will save 6 hours of travel time !

Even as 50 persons continue to die each year in train accidents , which are , largely preventable !

And , very likely , implementing technological solution for saving these lives would cost , less than Rs 1,000 cr !

Major causes of train accidents are :

# Fractured rails ( as is suspected in the present case )

# Loose anchor bolts

# Sagging rails due to washed out foundation

# Jammed track-switching mechanisms

# Faulty Signals...etc

And , of course , " human errors of judgment "

How come such train accidents rarely happen in Developed / Advanced countries , despite the fact that their trains run 2 / 4 times as fast as ours ?

Simple answer :

They have implemented technological solutions ( Data Acquisition Devices and Software ) , which , not only monitor / detect the " faults / failures " described above , but , they alert the train-traffic management team in real time , on large screens in their TRAFFIC CONTROL ROOM

And , if the person watching that TRAFFIC FAULT SCREEN , is slow to respond ( to take a corrective action ) , the software will bring the train to a halt , on its own !

If our ISRO scientists / engineers can detect a tiny fuel leak in our rockets / satellites , from thousands of kilometers away ,- and make course correction in milliseconds , there is no reason to doubt their capability to find a technical solution to prevent train accidents

I have no doubt that Shri Suresh Prabhu will re-arrange his priorities !

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23 Jan 2017

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs