Legislation or No legislation !

In matter of  the stubble burning creating a “ life and death “ situation for citizens of Delhi, the Supreme Court seems to be telling the Chief Secretaries of Punjab – Haryana – Rajasthan – UP :

“  Just because there is no law to hold you accountable for playing with the lives of millions of citizens , does not mean , you can wash your hands off your responsibility .

We, the Supreme Court , are not here , merely to “ interpret “ the existing laws. In the interest of the citizens, we have also the responsibility to compel the legislative wing to “ enact “ appropriate laws

In the present case, we are compelled to ask the Central Government , to enact within a month :

Service Liability Act ( Govt Employees ) 2019 

And do not think that we will not act just because Parliament has yet to pass such an act.

Here are your orders :

Ø  Immediate measures to stamp out stubble burning,

Ø  All farmers be given a Rs 100 per quintal incentive to prevent them from setting their fields on fire

Ø  Action plan within three weeks to deal with the problem from the Centre and the states in and around the National Capital Region.

Ø  Provide farmers free machines to get rid of the agriculture residue.

Ø  Everyone knew this was going to happen again this year (in winter). State governments have no role to play in a democracy?

     If you cannot fulfil people’s expectations, you can go,”

[ Sources :

Ø  Give Rs 100/quintal to farmers to curb stubble burning, SC tells state govts 

Ø  Smog: SC flays ‘govt inaction’; summons 4 chief secretaries

Ø  PM Modi Asks Agriculture Ministry To Give Machines To Farmers To Stop Stubble Burning 

   Extract :

#   Prime Minister Narendra Modi today directed the Union Agriculture Ministry to give

     priority to farmers of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana in distributing equipment to

     prevent stubble burning

     

#  There are agro-machines available in the market which remove stubble and

    governments of Haryana and Punjab are offering subsidy to farmers to buy the

    equipment

    

#  On the issue of stubble burning, the Prime Minister directed Agriculture Ministry to give

    priority to the farmers of the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana in

    distribution of equipment to prevent such occurrences

    

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

Thank you, Shri Modiji ,

For taking cognizance of my following email of yesterday, to the PMO appointed panel to find a permanent solution to this problem of stubble burning :

-------------------------

Shri Rajiv Kumarji  [ VC – NITI Aayog ]

Shri K Vijayraghavanji  [ Principal Scientific Advisor ]

Shri Tarun Khannaji  [  Harvard Business School  ]

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekharji  [ MP ]

Major General Madhuri Kanitkarji

----------------------------------------

Dear Friends,

I write with reference to the following news report which appeared in today’s Energy World :

PMO sets up panel to address burning issues 

In this context , I request you to spare a few minutes to go through the suggestions contained in my following emails [ sent to Cabinet Ministers / NITI Aayog etc ] :

#Smog in Brain ?                                                                [ 10 Nov 2017 ]

Amrinder Singhji has no excuse !                                          [ 20 Nov 2017 ]

Thank You , Captain Amrinder Singhji                                    [ 19 Oct 2018 ]

Making Water from Air ?                                                        [ 26 Oct 2018 ]

A Grass-Root Revolution                                                        [ 11  Mar  2019 ]

For most of the world’s problems, solutions are pretty well known

What remains unknown, is an individual ( not a committee ) who takes upon himself ( much like our PM , Shri Modiji ) to not rest till the solution gets implemented and the problem gets solved

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

07  Nov  2019

hcp@RecruitGuru.com 

Elephant Bonds vs Dragon Bonds

Just 2 days back, I sent following email to Madam Nirmala Sitharamanji, urging her to announce launch of the Elephant Bonds recommended by a High Powered committee headed by Shri Surjit Bhallaji ( with some modifications )   :

Congratulations, Shri Surjit Bhallaji 

Now it seems China’s Central Bank ( PBOC ) is about to launch its  Dragon Bonds – in the form of a digitized domestic currency ( - a kind of Crypto Currency ) – as reported in the following news report :

China's proposed digital currency more about policing than progress 

Highlights :

Ø   it is a testament to both financial innovation and Beijing's desire to have fail-safe control over its cash economy

Ø  the DCEP [ Digital Currency Electronic Payment ], will be powered partially by blockchain technology and dispersed through digital wallets

Ø  What sets it somewhat apart, however, are features that allow the central bank to track the movement of the currency and even supervise transactions

Ø  The digital currency's design seemingly provides Beijing with unprecedented oversight over money flows

Ø  Authorities have, however, made no bones about their disapproval of Facebook's Libra, labeling it a threat to the sovereignty of China and other emerging economies and insisting that digital currencies should only be issued by governments and central banks.

Ø  Mu hinted at these fears and desire to preserve control in his lectures.  " Just imagine, if we acquiesce, that yuan can be converted into Libra, there will definitely be a massive currency exchange, triggering yuan depreciation “

Ø  PBOC plans to distribute the digital currency through commercial banks, much like how it does currently with physical yuan…………. requiring commercial banks to distribute the cash via digital wallets that can be downloaded on phones.

Ø  But unlike physical cash, one patent filed shows that the bank is exploring a tracking system that would make the digital currency's movements traceable between transactions and people.

Ø  "Theoretically, with digital currency, you could do away with bank accounts,"

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

May be this ( proposed launch of Digital Currency ) , is China’s equivalent to our own de-monetization of 06 Nov 2016 – only far superior

Could we conclude as follows ?

Ø  Whereas India’s de-monetization managed to bring into the official banking system , all the tax-evaded CASH lying in safe deposit vaults, it failed to bring down corruption and Black Money . If anything, by introduction of Rs 2,000 currency note, it made it easier for bribe givers and takers !

Ø  It failed to unearth the BLACK MONEY locked up in land / gold / property etc . Once again, one needed a fewer number of notes for buying / selling same physical asset !

Ø  Our own efforts over the past 3 / 4 years to encourage people to use Digital Payments , has failed to reduce the “ Face Value “ of the paper currency in circulation . This, despite a huge increase in number of Credit / Debit cards and Mobile based payment apps launched by dozens of companies ( incl BHIM launched by Govt )

Ø  After years of compiling all kinds of data, we have no good/reliable estimate of the size of our BLACK ECONOMY , nor any idea of the amount of our Black Money, stashed abroad

Ø  Our past Amnesty Schemes for getting people to declare their Undisclosed Assets, have yielded very poor results

Ø  I get a feeling that the China’s Digital Currency will effectively address all these issues , considering that :

#  There is no option for the people / nothing like “ voluntary disclosure “ . Mandatory switch-over

#  With commercial banks stopping receipt / issue of paper currency, switch-over will be real fast

#  Banks will convert all your deposits into Digital Currency ( without needing your permission )

#  No one will have option of buying / selling any GOODS or SERVICES , using paper currency

#  Since all Sale / Purchase transactions will take place in Digital Currency, Govt would get a very

    accurate idea of the price-rise / inflation , in real time and commodity / region-wise

#  Of course, Govt would need to declare daily “ Exchange Rates “, for enabling payments for imports and

    for receipts for exports

#  With all sale / purchase ( of Goods and Services ) taking place using Digital Currency, Government will

    have a life-time record of every citizen ( WHO purchased WHAT and WHEN , at WHAT price and from

    WHOM ).

    So the Chinese Govt would have data on the PURCHASE BEHAVIOUR TRENDS of its citizens , in real

    time.

   This will help the Govt to adjust its policies to take care of changes in DEMAND and SUPPLY of

   everything

   Besides, tax collection ( GST ? ) will be automatic and there will be no need for any seller to file any GST

   Returns !

To know how else this will affect the Chinese Economy, read :

               Will China Reign Supreme ?               [ 15 Oct 2019 ]

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

04  Nov  2019

hcp@RecruitGuru.com

Rights are needs : Obligations are essential

Following news report talks of :

Ø  Right to Cognitive Liberty

Ø  Right to Mental Privacy

Ø  Right to Mental Integrity

Ø  Right to Preservation of Self

The report lists the misuse to which the developing technology of BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE , can be put to invade the privacy of a person where his / her innermost thoughts get exposed to the Authorities / Businesses – may be even crooks

Surely, it sounds scary

But Governments around the World – and especially in China – are worried about militants / terrorists , planning to kill innocent citizens – by creating / envisioning in their MINDS , terrifying SCENARIOS , which , the governments have, today, no means to track in advance / anticipate

They ( the Governments ), would like to “ Neutralize “ such “ EVIL THOUGHTS “, before these are converted into ACTION [ - progression from “ Man ( thought ) “ to “ Vachan ( speech ) “ to “ Karma ( action ) “  ]

For such ANTICIPATORY / PREVENTIVE / PRO-ACTIVE action, I have suggested the following :

Fast Forward to Future ( 3 F )                                           [ 20 Oct 2016  ]

Artificial Intelligence : Brahma , Vishnu or Mahesh ?           [ 30 June 2017 ]

Racing towards ARIHANT ?                                                [ 04 Aug 2017 ]

to : Alphabet / from : ARIHANT                                          [ 12 Oct 2017 ]

ARIHANT  :  on the  horizon ?                                             [ 17 May 2018 ]

ARIHANT : Beyond “ Thought Experiment “                          [ 21 May 2018 ]

Will ARIHANT humble the hackers ?                                     [ 11 Feb 2019 ]

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

What if someone overwrites your brain?

·         The Times of India (Mumbai edition)

·         3 Nov 2019

·          

Privacy is a lost cause.

Neither walls nor passwords can secure it.

Your brain is its last refuge, but not for long.

Several companies, including Facebook and Elon Musk’s Neuralink, are working on technologies that will plug you directly into computers like a USB device

Instead of reading information off a screen, you could have it written directly to your brain.

Brain-computer interfaces could pick up your thoughts and transfer them to another brain.

When you are connected so deeply with computers, where does your ‘self ’ end and the ‘machine’ begin?

Ethicists say these technologies have immense potential for misuse, so governments should make laws to protect people from them.

Marcello Ienca, a researcher at the science and technology university ETH Zurich,

says the first challenge could arise at the workplace, where employers might want to track their workers’ thoughts.

Those who refuse could face discrimination.

That’s why a ‘right to cognitive liberty’ will be needed

With brain-monitoring technology, governments won’t need to question activists and dissidents.

They will plug them into machines to read their deepest thoughts.

A ‘right to mental privacy’ prohibiting the sharing of brain data without the owner’s consent, therefore, becomes necessary.

The third danger is that your brain could be overwritten.

The state could turn you into a new person who agrees with it fully.

So, a ‘right to mental integrity’ will be needed to protect you from getting ‘brain-jacked’.

Another right will be needed to protect you from alterations to your idea of self — who you think you are, what you consider true and untrue.

What if a cigarette manufacturer hacks into your brain and overwrites your belief that smoking is injurious to health?

Neurotech has its uses, but its risks are so huge, mere ‘handle with care’ warnings won’t do.

We need ironclad rules now.

No hacking/tampering of brain data

No overwriting of brain

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

03  Nov  2019

hcp@RecruitGuru.com

Accuse , Accuse, but no excuse to Retaliate ?

Following is the context :

Govt accuses social media major of conspiracy

Highlights :

   Ø  I suspect this could be a WhatsApp conspiracy (against the government ).

Ø  Following the disclosure by WhatsApp, the government had asked the company to explain the matter and list out the measures that have been taken by it to safeguard the privacy of millions of Indians. It has been asked to submit its response by Monday (November 4).

  Ø The official said neither the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) nor the Home Ministry was informed by WhatsApp on any such incident till now

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

Over the past 2 years, the approach of the Indian Govt ( Ministy of Electronics and IT ) towards Social Media ( especially, Facebook and WhatsApp ) , has been ,

Ø  Advise / Inform / Request / Ask / Explain / List,

  

And now,

  Ø Accuse ( of their conspiracy against the Govt ) –     a very serious charge indeed

None of these is likely to make the Social Media behave

None of these will ensure protection of Private / Personal Data of Indian users of these media

And even as the Social Media websites are merrily taking the Indian Govt for a ride, here is what Russia has done :

 Russia internet: Law introducing new controls comes into force 

 

 Highlights :

 It gives the Kremlin the possibility to switch off connections within Russia or completely to the worldwide web "in an emergency". It is up to the government to decide what constitutes a threat and what actions should be taken.

The law requires internet service providers to install network equipment - known as deep packet inspection (DPI) - capable of identifying the source of traffic and filter content. In practice, this will allow the country's telecommunications watchdog Roskomnadzor to be more effective at blocking sites.

Russia is seeking to route the country's web traffic and data through state-controlled points, reducing reliance on foreign servers over which it has less control. Supporters say this is to protect the system from attacks from abroad.

To help with this project, the country is working on developing its own net address books so it can operate almost autonomously, although this work will not take effect until 2021.

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

Dear Shri RaviShankar Prasadji,

It is time to tell the Social Media websites / Apps ,

  Ø Enough is enough . If you want to continue to operate in India, the only way for you is to enter into a legally binding contract with the Indian Govt to implement :

 Digital Dividend from Demographic Data  [ 4 D ] 

Ø  Pay to each Indian user, Rs 50 per download, each time you download his / her PERSONAL DATA from Govt controlled portal , IndiaDataCustodian.gov.in, which will host / store , data of Indian Users ( - my estimate is, this will earn on an average, each Indian User, Rs 50,000 / month )

Neither the Chinese nor the Russian WEB CONTROL SYSTEM, help their citizens to earn any money from allowing Social Media Websites to collect / use their PERSONAL DATA ( - and thereby enabling these sites to earn billions of dollars in Advt revenue )

If implemented, my suggestion will be a substitute for UBI [ Universal Basic Income ] – without imposing any burden on the exchequer !

A few months back, Congress Party had proposed NYAY scheme  , which if implemented, would have cost the Govt , Rs 3.6 tn — 13% of govt expenditures in 2019-20 budget.

If “ Data is the New Oil “, it is only reasonable that the DATA-OWNERS are enabled to monetize the same

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

02  Nov  2019