Indian consumers, farmers and other stakeholders are living in unpredictable times. On the one hand Indian economy has collapsed due to faulty policy decisions like demonetisation, GST, etc whereas on the other hand India is facing an increased unrest. Due to faulty policy decisions, both manufacturing and service sectors have already collapsed. Now the only remaining occupational segment agriculture is facing turbulent times due to recent farm laws.

Indian farmers are demanding guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) for their crops but this is just part of the problem. A bigger problem is contract farming and related agreements that farmers would sign up in near future. We at Perry4Law Organisation (P4LO) have been suggesting for long that farmers must have an equal bargaining power while signing such agreements.

Startups of P4LO like AFPOH and TeleLaw can help Indian farmers in this regard if they wish to avail online services of some other third party or wish to enter into a contract farming agreement. No need to worry as we have solution for that problem as well. Simply negotiate inclusion of an ODR Clause of ODR India Portal before seeking any service or entering into any contract with such third parties. We can help in multiple ways to ensure that. You can always e-mail us or chat with us online and we would help you in getting relevant ODR clause for your services or causes.

Once the ODR clause is part of your dealing, third party service providers/private companies cannot cheat you, fool you or treat you with impunity. Our ODR Clause would bind them to resolve your dispute using our ODR methods. If a third party service provider is not willing to use the ODR Clause, be cautious as your rights and interests may be in jeopardy.

So start using the ODR clause and we would always be with you in your hard times and disputes. We would charge reasonable fees based upon the amount involved in the dispute and we would always resolve your dispute in most expeditions manner.

Minimum support price (MSP) has become a big controversy in India. Indian farmers have been agitating against the non availability of MSP for their crops. Mere assurances have little value especially when we know the ground realities in India. But Indian farmers must digitally empower themselves to best protect their rights in current times and in future.

Problem with Indian farmers is that they are not digitally sound when it comes to protesting. We at Perry4Law Organisation (P4LO) have provided a digital gateway to them that is acting as a digital companion for them. Among its many objectives, ensuring MSP for Indian farmers is one of the aim.

Another objective is to provide them with an Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform were they can resolve their disputes. The current dispute resolution mechanism in India is highly bureaucratic and would cause problems for farmers in future. It is important that they sign the contracts after proper analysis. Our startups like TeleLaw and AFPOH are safeguarding interests of Indian farmers from all angles. From drafting suitable agreements to ensuring best prices for them, our startups are helping them in every possible manner.

In fact, TeleLaw is your best destination and resource for global online techno legal services and Indian farmers can also use the same for their betterment and upliftment. Farmers can use multiple methods to contact us and we would help them. They can use Twitter, online chat, e-mail, WhatsApp, etc right from their homes.

As far as dispute resolution is concerned, all they need is either an ODR Clause in the contracts they enter into with private companies or they can simply refer their disputes to us for ODR purposes. We would resolve them online and in a time bound manner.

P4LO and its startups can help farmers and rural communities to safeguard their interests and increase their incomes many folds.

Minimum support price (MSP) has become a bone of contention these days between Indian govt and farmers. A massive stir was organised recently and we at Perry4Law Organisation (P4LO) recommended scrapping of the controversial farm laws and reenactment of better ones. Fortunately, Indian govt accepted such suggestions and scrapped the farm laws resulting in ending the stir. However, the issue of MSP is still not resolved to a great extent.

Indian economy is not in a good shape and the Covid-19 pandemic has made the situation worst. Despite the glorious image portrayed by the media, the real position at the ground level is really bad. In such situation introducing private players in the agriculture equation is bound to raise eyebrows.

The govt has also failed to persuade farmers that MSP would be available to them and their protests are natural. Mere promises would not help India anymore and we cannot revive Indian economy on the basis of slogans and empty promises. We need real and effective steps to be taken urgently that must be implemented at the ground level by various stakeholders.

On papers we have MSP but at the ground level farmers are not getting even a price that can cover their initial investment. Once the crops are ripen, they cannot be withheld by farmers and they have to be sold as soon as possible. This is the reason why many middlemen are exploiting them. Practically, they have just two options, i.e. either sell their crops and products at throw away prices or destroy them. Not surprisingly, many farmers have decided to choose the latter option and this is happening for many years in India.

We have startups like TeleLaw and AFPOH that are helping Indian farmers in a Techno Legal manner. TeleLaw is providing them online legal help and if any person is not giving them MSP for their crops they can approach TeleLaw online. We would help them in getting MSP for their crops using techno legal methods.

AFPOH India is a digital companion and digital gateway for Indian farmers. It is helping various stakeholders for diverse fields and purposes. It is helping stakeholders to upgrade their skills, imparting education, ensuring access to justice (A2J), export and import of their products and services, Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), etc.

As a matter of fact, with these two startups in place the MSP issue is a non issue as any person not getting MSP can contact us online from any part of India and we would help him/her/it. Stakeholders can contact us at Twitter, e-mail, using online chat at our blogs, etc and we would help them in resolving their problems using techno legal methods.

So if any govt fails farmers we at P4LO would not fail them.

Indian farmers are unorganised in nature and when it comes to technology they are even less prepared. That is why our techno legal startup AFPOH is helping Indian farmers in various manner. From simple tech assistance to export of their produce and products, AFPOH is planning something really big that would revolutionise the lives of Indian farmers.

AFPOH has been helping Indian farmers on the fronts of online legal services and dispute resolution, education, skills development and trainings, export and import assistance, establishing marketplaces and e-commerce portals, etc. More techno Legal services are in pipeline that we would discuss very soon.

Farmers and rural communities can contact us through e-mail, WhatsApp, phone, chats, social media portals, etc. So there are vast number of options that are available to farmers and rural communities to contact us and get our help.

Farmers and rural communities can get our techno legal assistance for legal consultancies or for interpretation of any existing or future laws like recently repealed farm laws. Our startups would ensure that interests of farmers and rural communities are safeguarded in best possible manner.

Farmers and rural communities can get our techno legal assistance for drafting and vetting of their contracts for contract farming or as entered with private companies or with e-commerce portals. We would ensure that rights of farmers and rural communities are adequately safeguarded in such contracts.

Farmers and rural communities can get our techno legal assistance for upgrading their knowledge, skills and education. We would train them in techno legal fields like artificial intelligence, drones, machine learning, e-commerce, cyber law, online banking, etc.

It is not possible to cover all techno legal services in a single post but it is sufficient to say that with basic Internet connection and a basic model smart phone, farmers and rural communities can have access to world class techno legal services on the most affordable rates.

Contact us at perry4law(at)rediffmail(dot)com or at our Twitter accounts. Leave us a message or tweet and we would contact you back with help.

Digital India project of Narendra Modi Government is yet to take off as right now it is just on books and is part of political rhetoric only. Actual Digital India implementation is still missing even in October 2022. However, the objectives and components of Digital India are very promising and can make India a Global Leader for Digital Economy. What is required is removal of bureaucratic hurdles and development of political will to actually implement various projects under Digital India.

One of such projects is Digital Village project. We are not talking about the political jargon that is often found in the media where a village is adopted and declared as a digital village. We all know the condition of such adopted digital villages in India. They are in ruin and they have nothing digital about them. This has happened as Indian Government was more interested in browny points that actual growth and development of India. For the past 8 years, Modi Government has failed on all fronts of economic development.

Let By Gones Be Gone and let us focus upon coming 5 years after 2024 that can be used by Modi Government or any new govt to transform India into a Digital Economy. We at Perry4Law Organisation (P4LO) are very much interested in rural empowerment, farmers’ empowerment and empowerment of rural communities. We have already ensured digital empowerment of rural communities and global farmers through our Techno Legal projects and initiatives.

The implementation plan for Digital Village is good, at least on paper and till now. This a a very ambitious and expertise oriented project and AFPOH is committed to extend its Techno Legal expertise for Digital Village project.

Education and skills development are crucial for rural development and empowerment of rural communities. Streami Virtual School is the first virtual school of India and first Techno Legal virtual school of the world. It would provide free education to marganilised students so that they can become competitive and self sufficient. PTLB and PTLITC would manage higher education and lifelong learning fields for such students.

Similarly, TeleLaw Startup is empowering Indian and global farmers with Techno Legal digital empowerment initiatives. ODR India Portal has provided Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) services to global farmers.

So from basic education to export of the agricultural produce of Indian farmers, P4LO has truly empowered them digitally. World´s best Techno Legal services and expertise is now available at the click of a mouse from the comfort of their homes.

In a meeting of members of Association For People Of Haryana (AFPOH) in 2019, we discussed about contemporary problems and future potentials of agriculture in India. What we realised from the discussion was that agricultural productivity is continuously becoming affected by multiple factors. We discussed all these factors one by one and also explored supplementary activities that can support and strengthen agriculture in India.

However, one thing caused great cause of concern among the members. It is the lack of water for agriculture purposes and the reducing level of ground water all over India. Members also discussed that not only decreasing water levels but even the quality of water is not good for agriculture purposes. The most important component of agriculture is in severe scarcity and farmers have limited options in this regard.

So how India has reached to this dangerous situation? May be we over exploited the natural resources like water or may be our policies in this regard are not workable. We explored various possibilities to improve the situation and come to the conclusion that urgent action is needed in this regard before it is too late. Clearly we need a new and better Water Policy of India so that water crisis can be managed before it gets out of the hand.

We discussed various traditional and contemporary solutions for water crisis of India way back in 2019. What emerged from this discussion was the need to formulate a Comprehensive Techno Legal Water Policy of India 2019. But till October 2022 Modi govt failed to do so.

We are facing two problems in this regard. First, Indian Government is not very receptive to this idea as for many years it has adopted super conservative approach. Risk taking and taking bold steps is need of the hour and Indian Government has to move out of its conservative shell. Second, even if Government decides to act there is still the implementation problem. Bureaucratic hurdles, lack of performance analysis and missing accountability for non performing individuals/organisation would make this entire exercise futile.

Nevertheless, Perry4Law Organisation (P4LO) and PTLB Projects have already starting working upon the Comprehensive Techno Legal Water Policy of India. We expected the Indian Government to support us in this regard and make this aspect part of its 100 days agenda way back in 2019. But Modi govt failed to take any action even after so many years.

According to Praveen Dalal, founding member of AFPOH, agricultural reforms in India need direct involvement and financial help of Indian Government. Incentives and taxation benefits must be given to farmers and Startups helping farmers in India. The Income Tax Act, 1961 also needs some fine tuning keeping in mind the support we have to extend to agriculture community in India opined Praveen Dalal.

Technology should be used to get best results out of water management practices and for getting best agricultural productivity. Soil testing, water testing, providing best quality seeds and organic fertilizers, etc are some of the aspects that can be part of the Techno Legal Water Policy.

It was the year 2007 when Association For People Of Haryana (AFPOH) was created by Perry4Law Organisation (P4LO) and PTLB. Since then we have learnt a lot and we have shared our Techno Legal views, opinions and expertise with national and international stakeholders.

We were comfortable with our limited growth and limited role of Techno Legal policies formulation for national and international stakeholders. However, things have taken a nasty shape in the past 10 years. Farmers are starving, dying and committing suicide. They are highly unorganised and they know nothing about their legal rights.

The worst aspect is that big farmers are getting bigger whereas small farmers are either heavily indebted or they are killing themselves due to bad crops, high debts and poor agricultural productivity and sale. This is not what our Constitution has aspired for them and these marginalised segment and poor farmers need a level playing field.

But they are no match to crony capitalists, monopoly creating multi national companies (MNCs) and greedy money lenders. Even the policies of central and state governments are not in their favour. No matter how much Indian government glorifies its agrarian achievements, the ground reality is that farmers are either dying or killing themselves. Agriculture itself is in grave danger as the successors of these farmers are not willing to take up a super risky and unproductive profession and the youth are either leaving India or are moving to metropolitan cities of India for jobs.

This is where the Telelaw Startup intends to step in. If nobody is helping them Telelaw would help them. If nobody is listening to them, Telelaw would listen to them. Not only we would listen to their problems but we would also provide Techno Legal services to them at affordable and concessional rates. Just contact us and we would help the concerned person or organisation.

P4LO and PTLB have many more Techno Legal Projects like Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) that have been combined with the Telelaw initiative. Now Telelaw has become a single place solution for all problems of rural communities and farmers. We hope rural communities and farmers would find this initiative useful.

Use of information and communication technology (ICT) can facilitate many business and commercial activities in India. Perry4Law Organisation (P4LO) has been advocating use of ICT for various commercial and vocational activities in India. P4LO is also a stern supporter for strengthening of e-agriculture in India. This is the reason why we started the project titled Association For people Of Haryana (AFPOH) in the August 2007 so that ICT for development (ICT4D) can be a reality in India. After 9 years of launch of AFPOH, we are now witnessing some positive developments in the e-agriculture and ICT4D fields due to increased use of e-governance and launch of Digital India project in India.

Agriculture in India is considered to be a primary occupation for a major segment of population in India. A vast majority of rural population depends upon agriculture as their primary occupation. However, agriculture in India is in doldrums and needs rejuvenation. In this interview with Mr. Praveen Dalal, the Leading Techno-Legal ICT, Cyber Security and Cyber Law Specialist of India and Managing Member of AFPOH, the agricultural development aspects are analysed keeping in mind the benefits of e-agriculture in India. This interview was given in April 2008 and the same is still providing a techno legal strategy to the Narendra Modi government that can be implemented on an urgent basis.

SP-1: What do you think about the present state of agriculture in India?

PD-1: The agricultural sector in India is currently passing through a difficult phase. India is moving towards an agricultural emergency due to lack of attention, insufficient land reforms, defective land management, non-providing of fair prices to farmers for their crops, inadequate investment in irrigational and agricultural infrastructure in India, etc. India’s food production and productivity is declining while its food consumption is increasing. The position has further been worsened due to use of food grains to meet the demands of bio fuels. Even the solution of import of food grains would be troublesome as India does not have ports and logistical systems for large scale food imports.

SP-2: What according to you are the possible solutions that may be adopted by India in this situation?

PD-2: The ultimate solution to this problem is a solid political will along with a competent bureaucracy as without them all proposed reforms remain only paper works. India must also act at the grassroot and ground level. For instance, Panchayats should encourage cooperative farming, power and irrigational facilities must be provided to the farmers, easy and effective financial access must be provided to the farmers, direct marketing and sale must be adopted by farmers, public investment in agricultural infrastructure must be enhanced, a minimum support price for food grains must be set, etc. Finally, farmers in India must use Information and Information Technology (ICT) for agricultural purposes.

SP-3: How can ICT be used for strengthening agriculture in India?

PD-3: India’s food production and productivity may be increased by an effective use of ICT for agricultural purposes. The Developed Nations are using laser technology instead of tractors to plough lands. This helps in optimising the use of various inputs such as water, seeds, fertilisers, etc. The problem is that Indian farmers cannot afford this technology and unless government comes in support for agricultural infrastructure the same remains a dream only. Further, power and electricity also remains a major problem for Indian farmers and alternative means of power like solar energy panels, regulated and optimised by ICT, can be a blessing for them. Thus, e-agriculture in India can put India on the higher pedestal of Green Resolution making India self-sufficient in the matters of food grains.

SP-4: What are the advantages of ICT/e-agriculture in India?

PD-4: Some of the benefits of ICT for the improvement and strengthening of agriculture sector in India include timely information on weather forecasts and calamities, better and spontaneous agricultural practices, better marketing exposure and pricing, reduction of agricultural risks and enhanced incomes, better awareness and information, improved networking and communication, facility of online trading and e-commerce, better representation at various forums, authorities and platform, etc. E-agriculture can play a major role in the increased food production and productivity in India.

SP-5: Have you or your organisation started any initiative(s) for e-agriculture in India?

PD-5: Yes. The Association For People of Haryana (AFPOH), established in the year 2007, has taken many steps and initiatives at national and international level in the fields of agriculture, health, rural infrastructure development, revitalising financial access to rural farmers, etc. As far as initiatives for e-agriculture in India are concerned, we have shared our research works and suggestions with national and international community. We have also started an initiative titled e-agriculture in India that would endeavour to amalgamate ICT with agriculture in India.

SP-6: Tell us something more about AFPOH?

PD-6: Well AFPOH is a social initiative by an association of people who are working in the direction of empowering the marginalised and deprived people in rural and other areas. The area of operation of AFPOH covers segments like agriculture, health, banking, finance and insurance, education, rural infrastructure development, power, etc. We have strengthened the initiative of AFPOH by extending support for legal and regulatory measure that farmers and other people may face in various situations. Similarly, for ICT matters our other initiatives would provide their support and expertise.

SP-7: How is AFPOH using ICT for its mission and objectives?

PD-7: AFPOH is using ICT for all its objectives and areas of functioning. For instance, concepts like e-agriculture, e-health, e-learning, e-commerce, e-banking, etc are some of the initiatives that are in the process of implementation by AFPOH. Further, AFPOH is also working in the direction of use of ICT for communication and sharing of views, expertise, suggestions, problems, etc at national and international level. AFPOH intends to provide a “voice to the marginalised and deprived segment so that national and international communities can coordinate and collaborate their empowerment initiatives.