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

Tuesday 15 January 2019

Thank You , Satya Nadela



At a meeting in Delhi on 16 May 2016 , you said :


" It is about really celebrating the technologies that you all in India create. In fact, I want us to be the platform creators that foster the ingenuity of what is happening in India



SO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN INDIA ?

Hopefully , the proposed DATA  PROTECTION  BILL will get re-drafted to incorporate what I suggested in the following E Mails that I sent to Cabinet Ministers / NITI Aayog :


·          Privacy  for  Sale   …………………………………..[   26  Aug  2017   ]
·          Only answer : a Statutory Warning  …………[  10  Nov  2018  ]




TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR SUGGESTION :

My proposal prevents the Social Media and other web sites from :


#   collecting any amount personal data of users ( whether required or not )


#   storing such data permanently ( even after you cease to be a user ! )



#   sharing it with third parties ( under the guise of , “ I Agree / Accept “ )


#   making a ton of money by misuse of such data ( literally impossible to catch )


   My proposal requires all web sites to :


     #    Enable users to allow ,

           “ Log me in with www.IndiaDataCustodian.gov.in 



     #    Enter into a legally binding CONTRACT with Data Protection Regulator


     #    “ Access “ all user data only from www.IndiaDataCustodian.gov.in  


     #     Carry on their home page , a STATUTORY  WARNING as described in my email


     #     Purchase User Data from www.IndiaDataCustodian.gov.in , at “ Data Level wise “


     #     Deposit in User’s Jan Dhan Bank account, the purchase price amount, at once




  
BUT WHERE DOES  SATYA NADELA  COME IN THIS PICTURE ?


Microsoft has started working on a project , which has uncanny resemblance with what I suggested in my above E Mails


WHAT ARE THE MAIN FEATURES OF THIS  MICROSOFT PROJECT  ?


Highlights of the following news report :

·           Project is designed to give users control of data collected about them

·           New personal data bank which puts users in control of all data collected about them


·           The bank will enable users to store all data ( raw and inferred ) generated by them.


·           It will allow the user to visualize, manage, control, share and monetize the data.


·         An item of personal information is inversely private if some party has access to it, but the creator / user of it does not


·         The developers are focused on helping users aggregate personal data from various
     websites and have an ability to view the data.


·         Project has a good chance of becoming a commercially available entity at some point. 
 
Source :







Dear  Shri  Ravi  Shankar  Prasadji,


If you have any doubt what-so-ever regarding the practicality / feasibility of my suggestion , I urge you to forward it to the following luminaries for their opinion :


Tim  Burners Lee ………………… timbl@W3.org


Satya Nadela……………………….  satyan@microsoft.com


Nandan Nilekani………………….  nandan.nilekani@nic.in


Sundar Pichai………………………  sundar@google.com


Rishad Premji……………….. rishad.premji@wipro.com



I have no doubt that coming from you, these “ domain – experts “ would readily come forward with their views

I urge you to postpone introduction of Data Protection Bill , by a few weeks till you get their views

========================================================================
16  Jan  2019
Rsvp :  hcp@RecruitGuru.com

-------------------------------------
PS :

TRAI has just issued an order under which DTH TV channels and Cable TV operators , will have to ,
#  Publish on their web sites , full list ( even 571 for TATA SKY ) of channels
#  Against each , enable a subscriber to pick-and-choose ANY 100 channels for Rs 153 per month
Then deliver those precise channels on ( may be 20 million ) TV screens spread all over India - and " debit their individual accounts " , accordingly . 
All told , this ALA CARTE selection PLATFORM , could translate into TRILLIONS of unique permutations / combinations !
Still no problem , No mess up , uniquely configured " Content Delivery " as per User Request
What I have suggested in :
Only Answer : a Statutory Warning 
https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2018/11/only-answer-statutory-warning.html
is no different !
Technology exists . No rocket science !

rsvp >  hcp@RecruitGuru.com

Monday 14 January 2019

Innovate : or Stagnate




Stagnate and, get booted out in 2019 general elections  ?



Despite a whole lot of remarkable – and structural – reforms undertaken by the NDA government over the past 4 + years, millions of youth ( many graduates ) are just sitting on footpaths , wondering whether they will ever get a job ( quotas / reservations notwithstanding  )



It is quite likely that , unless they see some light at the end of this “ dark tunnel  of despair and dejection “, they may decide to boot out NDA in the forthcoming general elections , with an attitude :


  Things can’t get any worse under Mahagathbandhan



Notwithstanding the fact that the manifestos of the opposition parties , also do not show a candle to light up the tunnel ( - although , even among the opposition parties , there is full agreement that lack of jobs is the biggest issue with the voters )



New jobs getting created in both the Public and the Private Sector are possibly less than 2 million per year , against some 12 million youth entering the job market each year



No political leader seems to have the courage to say :


  It takes a capital investment of Rs 5 million ( 50 lakh ) to create just ONE JOB in public / private sector

 .
Multiply that with 12 million ( needed ) jobs and we need Rs 60 million*million – which , neither the government nor the private industry has
And that $ 900 Billion is needed , YEAR after YEAR after YEAR  !



[ Rs 60 million*million = Rs 6 cr*million = Rs 6,000,000 Cr = Rs 60 lakh* crore = $ 900 Billion ]



But Shri Narendra Modiji is not a person to get frightened by such figures



He is a strong believer in  INNOVATION  and  OUT-OF-BOX  solutions



Here is what he said in March 2018 :


" Innovation is not merely a word or an event. It's an ongoing process.

You can innovate only when you understand a problem and try to find out its solution.

We must go to the root of the problem and find out of the box solutions...

In the era where knowledge is power, innovation is the driver of growth “ 





Dear Shri Modiji,


I appreciate that you may not be able to incorporate the “ Working Details “ of the following innovations in next month’s Central Budget ,


But, you may want to mention these in the budget as ” NDA Wish List “ ( - obvious Policy Statements forbidden by the “ Election Code of Conduct “ if it kicks in by 28 Feb 2019 )


As a precaution , you may consider incorporating these “ Innovations “ in the BJP Manifesto which is under drafting and also consider an online “ Opinion Poll “ of the voters what they feel about these :




#   “ Funding “   Innovation

      Indonesia Shows the Way  ………………………………………………………….. [  23  Dec  2016  ]

 

      FDI : By any other name ?   ………………………………………………………….[  01  July  2016  ]

 

 


#   “ Self Employment Generation Innovation

       A NEW ECONOMIC ORDER ?        …………………………………………………..[   12  Sept  2015  ]

 

      " BACK FACTORY " OF THE WORLD ?   …………………………………          [  09  Sept  2015  ]

 

 


#   “ Creation of a Low Cost Economy Innovation

       Foundation of Economy   ………………………………………………………………….[  03  Nov  2018  ]

 

 


#   “ Corporate Tax  Innovation

      Create Wealth to Create Jobs   …………………………………………………………..[  26  Feb  2014  ]

 

 


#     Personal  Tax    Innovation

       A VIRTUOUS CIRCLE ?  ………………………………………………………………………[  04  Jan  2015  ]

 

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

14   Jan  2019

Rsvp :  hcp@RecruitGuru.com




Saturday 12 January 2019

Who watches the Watchmen ?





When it comes to surveillance, who will watch the watchman ?





Extract :

The government is in a last mile huddle with security and intelligence agencies to find ways to either exempt them from the Personal Data Protection Bill or put in place a special dispensation to regulate their public scrutiny. 


Some of these agencies, sources said, have suggested a blanket exemption as in Section 24 of the Right to Information Act 


Some others have pointed to the model followed in the IT Act under which 10 agencies were recently designated as authorities empowered to intercept digital traffic through a laid out approval process 


Another view being explored was to have an oversight mechanism to prevent misuse by intelligence agencies.
 

The proposed Personal Data Protection Bill requires entities to obtain consent of individuals before accessing their personal data, which intelligence agencies argue is counterproductive to their mandate of monitoring activity for security purposes 

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


In my view, a compromise solution is possible , which :


#   Does NOT require those intelligence agencies to take any PRIOR PERMISSION of the
     individual concerned


#   At the same time, ensures that there is  NO  MISUSE “ by those intelligence agencies




Here is how :

In my proposed portal (  www.IndiaDataCustodian.gov.in  ), provide following sections :



{ for understanding the working of this proposed portal , read :

       Only Answer : a Statutory Warning  [  10 Nov  2018  ]   }





    #   SURVEILLANCE   REQUEST   SECTION

         Any agency wanting to conduct surveillance of online / offline activities of an Indian
         Citizen , shall submit its’  requirement in this section


        This shall contain details such as :


·         Name of the agency


·         What activity of the citizen is proposed to be surveyed and for how long


[  Multiple selection from the following  ] :

#   Visits and postings on Social Media web sites

#   Visits and searches on E Commerce web sites

#   Searches on Search Engines  /  All digital traffic ( including thru Alexa / Google
     Home type devices )

#   Messages sent / received on Messaging Apps /  E Mail services

#   Records of Digital Payment Transactions on Banking / FinTech Network

#   Audio logs from Landline and Mobile Service Providers for telephonic talks…etc


Agency will also need to specify the PURPOSE of the proposed surveillance , by selecting one or more of the following suspected reasons ( list is not comprehensive ) :


·         Tax Evasion  /  Money Laundering


·         Criminal Activity  /   Militancy


·         Fraud  /  Breach of Trust


·         Anti-National Activity  /  Sedition  /  Treason


·         Fake News / Pornographic content posting


·         Speeches / articles likely to create enmity among people




Such a request shall need Online Authorization of , all of the following officers :


#   Chief of Agency concerned

#   Secretary ( Cyber Security ) – Ministry of Information Technology

#   Data Protection Regulator



As soon as such a request is “ Approved / Authorised “ , an email ALERT will go out automatically ( without any human intervention ) to the citizen concerned that she is “ under surveillance “ .



This will ensure that there is NO SECRET surveillance !



Copies of this E Mail ALERT will also get sent to all other Intelligence Agencies for a coordinated effort and for avoiding duplication





  #     SURVEILLANCE  HISTORY  SECTION

          At any time of his choice , concerned citizen can login at this section and see WHICH
          Agency surveyed her and for how long


  #       But the citizen concerned will NOT be able to see following entries by the Agency :


   #   What was the PURPOSE / REASON for the surveillance


   #  WHAT DATA  got collected


   #  FINDINGS  and proposed  COURSE of ACTION , if any


This part will be visible to all other Intelligence Agencies , who will have facility to add their own information / data about the concerned citizen which is in their possession , in order to compile a COMPREHENSIVE  DOSSIER about that citizen .



However, these other Agencies will NOT be able to EDIT any ENTRIES / FINDINGS of any other agencies



Although these ENTRIES are NOT accessible to the concerned citizen in a normal course , the same shall be made available to her in case any government agency relies upon these during a Court Case against that citizen , arising from such surveillance





My proposal,


#  Gives a free hand to the Agencies to proceed with their investigations, without needing
    PRIOR PERMISSION,


And


#  Ensure total TRANSPARENCY of their surveillance activities to the persons being
    investigated


This will assure the ordinary citizens (– and also “ vulnerable “ citizens such as politicians belonging to opposition parties ? )– that they are not being snooped upon secretly !



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


Dear Shri Ravi Shankar Prasadji,



I urge you to incorporate my suggestion in the proposed DATA  PROTECTION  BILL , to ensure that it meets with the full support of all the parties



Another, benefit of my suggestion is that the Political Leaders belonging to all parties , will rush to be the very first to REGISTER on ,





This will set an example to the remaining 500 million Indians who use Social Media regularly


=================================================
13  Jan  2019
Rsvp :  hcp@RecruitGuru.com


Friday 11 January 2019

National Clean Air Tax ? – a Pigovian tax ?


National  Clean  Air  Tax  ? – a  Pigovian tax  ?





DNA recently carried following news report :



Extract :

The national plan, whose draft was released earlier this summer, comprises among other ,

*   Targets augmenting the network of air quality monitoring in urban and rural areas,

*   Commissioning of pollution source apportionment studies research,

*   Training of ground staff,

*   Enforcement of new emission norms for thermal power plans

*   City-specific action plans for 102 cities.




Clause 5.8 of  NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME (NCAP ) , reads :




Air pollution problem becomes complex due to multiplicity and complexity of air polluting sources (e.g. industries, automobiles, generator sets, domestic fuel burning, road side dusts, construction activities, etc.).


A cost-effective approach for improving air quality in polluted areas involves


(i)                  Identification of emission sources

(ii)                Assessment of extent of contribution of these sources on ambient environment

(iii)               Prioritizing the sources that need to be tackled

(iv)              Evaluate various options for controlling the sources with regard to feasibility and economic viability

(v)                Formulation and implementation of most appropriate action plans.


Source apportionment study, which is primarily based on measurements and tracking down the sources through receptor modelling, helps in identifying the sources and extent of their contribution.

The Auto Fuel Policy document of Government of India also recommended for carrying out source apportionment studies.

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

Dear Dr Shruti Rai Bhardwaj ,



In the spirit of “ Better late than Never “ , as far as “ Source Apportioning Study “ for the “ Traffic Generated Pollution “ is concerned , I propose going one step further , and urge you to commission one of the IITs to implement :

Transport : an Integrated Logistic Plan ?


=====================================================================
12  Jan  2019
Rsvp :  hcp@RecruitGuru.com