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

Sunday 15 October 2017

FEEDBACK IS ESSENCE OF PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY ( JAN-BHAGIDARI )


How  come  “  E Mail , E Mail – No  Reply “ ?



Business Line ( 05 Oct ) carries following news report :


“ Social Media puts positive pressure on govt : Jayant Sinha “



Interaction with students through social media creates a tremendous positive pressure on the government


If a school lacks in providing basic facility, people tweet about it . So , now there is a platform through which the issues can be addressed , said Jayant Sinha , Minister of Civil Aviation , at the India Economic Summit 2017 , which began here on Wednesday


Talking about the education system at a seminar, Smriti Irani , the Minister of Textiles and Information and Broadcasting , said :


“ for the first time we are discussing on how to make our education system better “, adding that ,

“ now if a person has a view on policy decision that the government is working on , then their views can be taken into consideration . Interaction is something which the government is focussing on and it’s not restricted to education but to other segments also “




I am not doubting the good intentions of Shri Jayant Sinha or Smt Smriti Irani or any other NDA Minister


Nor have I any illusion that the Ministers would ever find time ( from their very busy schedules ) to read those hundreds of E Mails re “ Policy Reform Suggestions “ that they must be receiving daily


But if there is a genuine desire for encouraging ordinary citizens to come forward with their suggestions , then I urge the Ministers for implementing the following procedure :

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

·         A computer generated acknowledgement  must go out against each email received . This will assure the sender that his suggestion has been delivered
·          
·         The response must allot a unique “ Your Suggestion Number “ to each email
·          

·         All emailed suggestions must be uploaded on the web site of the concerned Ministry and be searchable by the public in different ways , such as :
·          


#   Suggestion Number

#   Suggestion Category

#   Keywords / hash tags etc



·         After log-in ( using Aadhar Number ) , citizens be allowed to “ Rate “ any suggestion ( of course , only once ) , on the following scale :

#   1   =   Irrelevant  /  Do not waste time

#   2   =   Useful /  To be evaluated by Policy Makers

#   3   =   Excellent  /  Must be implemented ( with changes , if required )



Any citizen-rater , should be able to see the CUMULATIVE  OVERALL  AVERAGE  RATING SCORE , but only after he / she has rated that suggestion – never before , to eliminate getting biased by earlier scores


·         Within a specified period ( say , 12  weeks from the date received ? ) , one of the following remarks , must be mentioned against each suggestion :
·          

“ Based on the public rating and internal evaluation by the Ministry ,


#   Regret , your suggestion is not possible to implement

#   A similar / identical suggestion was received / evaluated earlier and rejected


#   Your suggestion is kept pending for future consideration . Keep watching !


#   Your suggestion is under active consideration by the Ministry for incorporating
     in its  future policy-revision / regulation / parliamentary action


 
Once the Ministry has published its decision as mentioned above , the suggestion will be “ CLOSED  for  RATING  “

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

Dear  Policy  Makers  :


Like in the case of ancient Roman Forum or in case of some of our very own kings , it is not possible for the Ministers to hold public DURBARS to obtain suggestions from public


Since you are aware of the influence of the Social Media , I urge you to adopt the process outlined above .


Such a process will be a genuine MANIFESTATION of a PARTICIPATIVE DEMOCRACY that goes beyond enabling its citizens to merely participate through ELECTIONS

15  Oct  2017





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