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

Monday, December 31, 2018

Mamata Banerjee asks Bengal departments not to share data with Centre

Mamata Banerjee asks Bengal departments not to share data with Centre Read more at: //economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/67295550.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst =========================== No one need doubt the patriotism of Mamata Didi Or her desire to help the poor through economic development of West Bengal But that is no guarantee that politicians will not take a coloured view and resort to irrational acts , to score some brownie points Mamata Didi might want to reflect the direction ( as far as data sharing is concerned ) from the tiny country of Estonia , as described in : Astonishing Estonia https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2018/12/astonishing-estonia.html

500 callers ask their MPs if they support Women’s Reservation Bill

500 callers ask their MPs if they support Women’s Reservation Bill Read more at: https://lnkd.in/fm_Hnhs ==================== But why just " Ask " ? Here is a technology which enables the voters to " Tell " their MPs , how must they vote ( for or against a resolution ) in Lok Sabha : VotersWill https://lnkd.in/fQtaTZA

New automated facility for city’s birth, death records

New automated facility for city’s birth, death records While the municipal corporation has digitised hundreds of thousands of birth and death certificates, it must also preserve the certificates in physical form because the digitized versions are NOT accepted in a court of law Read more at: https://lnkd.in/fS95ida ========================== Here is one more example of the adage : Law is an Ass ! Imagine this archaic / obsolete method in a country which prides itself as a " Software Super Power " and has already got a DigiLocker project which is envy of the world ! To know how the rest of the World is moving , read : Astonishing Estonia https://lnkd.in/fiAFMiu

Sunday, December 30, 2018

New E Commerce Policy gets announced !

https://lnkd.in/fiAFMiu It is only a matter of time before most of our Start Ups set up subsidiaries in Estonia , the way 12,000 ( from all over the World ) has done - including our very own Reliance Jio - which still retains its Start Up culture ! It costs just $ 150 to get a " E Residency " in this country - which , I call , our " Gateway to the World " Can you think of any reason why India ( which prides itself on being a Software Super Power ) , cannot match the progress of this tiny nation when it comes to INNOVATION ? I can Our Babus who will use every trick of their trade to hold down our Start Ups / Entrepreneurs from growing / flourishing ! Things will only get worse when the new E Commerce Policy gets announced !

NEW EDUCATION POLICY

https://lnkd.in/fGXuR_F For over 2 years , discussions are going on in respect of a NEW EDUCATION POLICY Without doubt, Ministry of HRD , must have received INPUTS - SUGGESTIONS from stakeholders ( - including my own email re introduction of a mandatory ENTREPRENEURSHIP course in High Schools / Colleges - dt 19 Oct 2015 ) But Education is a State subject . Hence , the States have the most important role to play in the implementation of any new policy It is indeed heartening that Delhi Government has initiated an INNOVATION which could , well become a BENCH-MARK for the rest of the country

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Inspiration for Generations

Today is the birthday of late Dhirubhai Ambani , who will remain an inspiration for generations of industrialists to come I had an opportunity to meet him ( one on one ) in his Maker Chamber IV office, sometime around Feb 1990 for over 30 minutes, when he offered me help to start my own Dhandha To know what he offered me, read : MA = DA x 4,000,000 ? https://lnkd.in/fitDeaU

2024 ! – V 2.0 of Orwellian 1984 ?

NEW MULTI-SENSORY MASK LETS YOU SMELL AND FEEL THE VIRTUAL WORLD https://lnkd.in/fhr5Gsh ============================ In July 2017 , here is how I had envisioned this : 2024 ! – V 2.0 of Orwellian 1984 ? https://lnkd.in/exDHNHp

Friday, December 28, 2018

No rocket science this !

https://lnkd.in/fqtZTi6 Over the decades, hundreds of Infra Projects have had " time over-runs " of YEARS and " cost over-runs " of LAKHS of crore of rupees ( all of it , tax payer money ) Government tenders and contracts were purposely designed to enable this to happen - as a rule rather than an exception With ( partial ) implementation of my 3 year old suggestion, this situation is set to change for the better No rocket science this ! Any MBA student could have implemented this in 6 weeks !

Thursday, December 27, 2018

https://lnkd.in/fwNYQuz Across the globe , leading car manufacturers are asking of themselves : " What business are we in ? In the business of manufacturing cars ? Or, in the business of transporting people ? " And they are entering into " Ride Sharing / Car Leasing " business Closer at home , TATA and Mahindra have set up subsidiaries / departments / joint ventures etc , to ride this NEXT WAVE If everyone started using cars as a " Service on Demand " rather than an asset that idles 20 out of 24 hours , will demand go down , due to higher utilization of a fewer number of cars ? Some believe demand will go UP because a taxi wears out 10 times faster than an owned car !

25,000 New Petrol Pumps ? Why ?

Land key hurdle for OMCs plan to open 80,000 outlets https://lnkd.in/fq2jJQ3 ===================== May the hurdle remain insurmountable ! Why do I say that ? Here is why : 25,000 New Petrol Pumps ? Why ? [ 25 June 2018 ] https://lnkd.in/fvkE2vD

Divide Quota ? to rule Raj ?

Now, law minister pushes for SC/ST quota in judiciary Read more at: https://lnkd.in/ffqXXku ========================== What next ? Filling vacancies in Supreme Court as per quotas ? Or Cabinet positions ? It was only light-heartedly that I wrote : Divide Quota ? to rule Raj ? https://lnkd.in/eTryvhn

0% kids till 13 months didn't get adequate diet in 2015-16

0% kids till 13 months didn't get adequate diet in 2015-16 .. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/fASBEXh ========================= For working details of ICDS, read : Thank You Madam Maneka Gandhiji , https://lnkd.in/fUpjvHU

Transport : an Integrated Logistic Plan ?

Artificial intelligence improves highway safety in Las Vegas Read more at https://lnkd.in/fM3znyZ =========================== How AI / IoT technologies could change the face of transport globally , read : Transport : an Integrated Logistic Plan ? https://lnkd.in/fep8UKZ

Arranging pandits via portal to conduct puja? Pay GST

Arranging pandits via portal to conduct puja? Pay GST https://lnkd.in/f6bhP8K Extract : Since the applicant is providing his services through his own website and business compliance is also made through the electronic network media, he is required to be registered as an e-commerce operator without fulfilling the threshold limit (₹20 lakh). Also, the Authority made it clear that the applicant is liable to pay the GST on the value of commission received from the website users/pandits. ======================== Now you know why our Start Ups are struggling to eke out a livelihood when the biggies like Amazon , Facebook etc , go scotch free ! Our Babus have mastered the fine art of : How to hold back our entrepreneurs !

Transparency in Political Funding ?

Electoral bonds damaging democracy, choking opposition funds: ADR https://lnkd.in/fu7WtCK ============================== As they exist now , of course Electoral Bonds are designed to " fool " us ( - without succeeding ) The only way we can have a transparent and equitable election funding process is : Transparency in Political Funding ? https://lnkd.in/fnaebrH

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Sun : Our Soul

Govt clarifies GST confusion on solar, 70% project cost under 5% rate https://lnkd.in/f-y_PeX =============================== This is yet another example of " Incremental Thinking " and " Micro Acting " In this way , we are unlikely to achieve our target of 100 GW solar power by 2020 ! When will we learn to think BIG ? HUGE ? ENORMOUS ? GIGANTIC ? MIND BOGGLING ? Read : Sun : Our Soul ( A New SOS ) [ 02 Jan 2017 ] https://lnkd.in/fFFJgtR

Data bill moots ban on transfer of sensitive personal info abroad.

Data bill moots ban on transfer of sensitive personal info abroad. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/fsVNPn4 ============================== Extract : The bill , in fact, also authorises the government to notify categories of PERSONAL DATA as CRITICAL personal data that shall only be processed in a server or data centre located in India ========================== I will repeat once more , what I have said in a dozen E Mails to our Cabinet Ministers : This just won't work ! Unimplementable Only thing that will work is : Only Answer : a Statutory Warning https://lnkd.in/fcwjsMg

Do you know

Do you know why , # Our farmers are highly stressed and committing suicides # They are marching to various state capitals # They are blocking highways # They might vote BJP out in 2019 election ? Here is why : # Ave monthly household income of our farmers is Rs 8,931 [ source : Nabard 2016-17 ] As against this , here are the MINIMUM WAGES that our workers ( in Organized Sector ) earn ( as per Minimum Wages Act ) : # Unskilled Worker > Rs 13,950 / month ( 25 days ) # Highly Skilled Worker > Rs 18,450 / month ( 25 days ) This when our farmers are " Super High Skilled " and work 12 hours per day for 30 days in a month - without Sick leave - Casual Leave - Annual Leave - Bonus - Annual Increment - Paid Holidays etc ! Loan Waivers is not going to help them Let us assume, we succeed in doubling their ave income to Rs 18,000 per month, by 2022 By that time , the CPI linked DA ( Dearness Allowance ) would have raised the MIN WAGES of HS workers to Rs 35,000 / M !

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Space SHIP

https://lnkd.in/f3n_qqs In Fortune 500 list of the World's Largest Companies , only 7 are Indian ! Not surprising considering that for over 70 years , our successive governments ( both at the Centre and the States ) , have left no stone un-turned to ensure that our companies do NOT grow BIG ! And even those 7 are puny when compared with the top 10 ! I have repeatedly said : Those who think in terms of a " Space SHIP " , will never manage to go beyond even our own solar system ! Only way to " go where none has gone before " , is to cut the Gordian Knot and let loose our Start Ups / Entrepreneurs , by getting out of their way

A Different Kind of UFO ?

Jharkhand announces farm scheme for small-medium farmers https://lnkd.in/fm7u485 Highlight: Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Friday announced 'Mukhyamantri Krishi Ashirwad Yojna' (MKAY) by which the state government would offer Rs 5,000 per acre of land to farmers for the kharif crops. "The farmers who have less than one acre of land will also get a minimum of Rs 5,000 for the kharif crop, which would be paid to them through cheques," Das said. ======================== I had suggested UFO [ Universal Farm Output ]. Read : A Different Kind of UFO ? https://lnkd.in/fhXA-8g
Centre plans amending IT rules to curb fake news https://lnkd.in/f9bhXmJ As per draft amendments released on Monday, social media platforms and messaging apps will be required to develop tools to "identify" and curb fake news and unlawful content. =================================== Problem may not be so much to identify a " fake " news and to delete it Problem is , " NOT being able to identify " the person who has posted that " fake " news , since most such persons have registered using " fake identity " ! How can government ensure that only " Real / Genuine / Living " persons only are posting those news / comments ? Social Media are throwing up their hands and telling the government : " We are helpless , We have no means to ensure that ONLY real persons post news / comments on our platforms " If there was a " Political Courage " ( like the Chinese Government ) , then our government should tell them : https://lnkd.in/fcwjsMg

Leveraging our Engineering Talent

ET ( Dec 23-29 ) carries article : Bengaluru to Boston It provides following stats : # Indian Tech outsourcers have built High Margin business # A coder in USA with 8-10 years' experience would earn Rs 70-80 lakh # In India, a coder with 8-10 years' experience will earn Rs 20-30 lakh # Teams based in India, earning an Indian wage, built this industry that now contributes an estimated 8 % to India's GDP anually # Global peers have built large India Units * IBM > 100,000 employees * Accenture > 140,000 employees * Capgemini > 110,000 employees ===================== To know how outsourcing can take us to $ 5 trillion GDP ,by 2022 , read : Leveraging our Engineering Talent https://lnkd.in/ftxriwr

Monday, December 24, 2018

Public Sector Units ( PSU ) have turned SICK

https://lnkd.in/eQirakD Over the past 70 years , hundreds of Public Sector Units ( PSU ) have turned SICK Like a bottom-less pit ( or like a Black Hole from which , even light cannot escape ) , these PSUs have devoured thousands of crore of rupees of taxpayer money Our successive governments had no courage to withdraw their Life Support System , paralyzed through a morbid desire to keep these units alive in a " Vegetative State " ! Why cannot we let these units die in a graceful way ? How many committee reports do we need ? Had we shut them down long time back , we would be a $ 5 trillion economy already now !

What else is illegal to sell online ?

E-pharmacies take the chill pill, continue biz despite legal curbs https://lnkd.in/fthzME5 ================================ No wonder the courts are confused / at a loss , while trying to " interpret " our 78 year old " Drugs and Cosmetics Act - 1940 At that time , there was no internet and no one had even coined the word " Online " ! Hence that Act has no reference ( eg: banning ) to any ONLINE sale ! For further clarification , read : What else is illegal to sell online ? https://lnkd.in/f8SAS7z

surveillance state

India accused of being 'surveillance state' after allowing 10 central agencies to snoop on any computer https://lnkd.in/fNijq57 ========================= Extract : India has authorised 10 federal government agencies to intercept and monitor information from any computer, a move opposition parties said on Friday risked creating a "surveillance state". "For the nation's security, these agencies have been made accountable so that no one else can do these activities," ================================== Should we assume that all those leaders of opposition political parties and those " Experts " criticizing the government on TV channels do not : # own smart phones # watch TV # use Google / Facebook / WhatsApp / Skype # buy things on Amazon / FlipKart / E Com web sites # book online tickets of all types ( Air - Cinema etc ) # walk under the gaze of CCTV cameras ( soon, drones ) # file all types of forms

SURROGATE COW FARMS

https://lnkd.in/fpzbFjg In India , we are a people who love animals and have given them a place next to many of our deities , with Ganeshji , our Elephant - God , being the most revered of them all We call cow as our " Mother " - even though we often fail miserably in looking after their health , probably because DAIRY FARMING is not a very paying proposition We can dramatically change this situation ( for the betterment of not only the dairy farmers but also of the cows concerned ) , by implementing : SURROGATE COW FARMS

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Saving 1.2 million kids

https://lnkd.in/fUpjvHU If those 1.2 million kids ( under age 5 ) , who die a premature death EACH YEAR due to Mal-Nutrition , could vote , they would vote for Smt Maneka Gandhi / Shri Narendra Modi , in the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha election Some 35 years ago , Holck Larsen ( the then Chairman of L&T ) , once told me ( when I was GM - Powai Works of L&T ) : " Parekh , the best benefit that L&T management has done for our workers , is to provide them with subsidized lunch for 65 paise " May be that is what prompted me to send email to our Cabinet Ministers ( 30 June 2016 ) , urging them to implement my following suggestion : Saving 1.2 million kids https://lnkd.in/famMyYX - which got implemented in March 2018 At age of 85 , I look forward to die a happy man !

Justice delayed is Justice Denied

It's a law and older situation The present has great challenges. We have over three crore cases pending in our courts (2.84 crore cases pending in subordinate courts alone). We have problems of infrastructure. We have problems of judge strength being low, but remember, we will have greater challenges in future and that is what we have to be prepared for https://lnkd.in/fxFWWrt =========================== The fastest / cheapest way to prepare , is to implement VIRTUAL ONLINE Courts , described at : Justice delayed is Justice Denied https://lnkd.in/fecN8g7

Who is Nirav ( silent ) ?

Union Bank’s tech-based monitoring mechanism to stem growth of NPAs https://lnkd.in/f5beibG =============================== How long will we continue fooling ourselves with such half-hearted measures ? for a comprehensive answer, read : Who is Nirav ( silent ) ? https://lnkd.in/f5DKVyx