AI Insights for Human Intelligence

‘Artificial Intelligence is a lot more like Human Intelligence with pretty sophisticated and modern Pattern Recognition Models’

iMerit Solutions Architect & Medical Director Sina Bari, MD talks Medical Artificial Intelligence and its sophisticated pattern recognition models during the AI Med conference held in Dana Point, California between 13th and 15th December 2018. According to him, a lot of times AI can seem like magic to people belonging from a non-technical background. Artificial Intelligence is actually a lot of Human Intelligence, with some sophisticated and amazing pattern recognition models to create statistically predictive models. People who are disadvantaged create a curriculum that is to their understanding. That is actually the foundation that transfers very specific but complex tasks which can be done in much larger scales, you might find it challenging to do otherwise. 

Think about what we could do with an X-ray, we are multi planning our navigation in 3D imaging, and able to segment different parts of the neurovascular culture, we are able to identify different parts of or different cell types within a bone marrow, so it is a pretty complex work. And in that way, we are helping take a medical AI from an R&D space to commercialization because the human intelligence that we need for the medical AI to work, is equally distributed around the world but the opportunity to it is not. Research has focused on tasks where the AI demonstrates its performance with more accuracy in comparison to a human doctor. Generally, these tasks have well-structured inputs and a binary output that is easily validated. For classifying suspicious skin warts and lesions, the input is a digital photograph and the output is a simple binary classification: malignant or benign. Researches then have to decide and demonstrate the specificity and supersensitivity of AI more than the dermatologists when classifying the previously unseen photographs of biopsy-validated lesions. We are here to institute AI as supporting human intelligence, not replacing them. The consultations will be led by human doctors as patients will be more trusting towards them. It will be especially and ideally a support system to a large population to situations where human expertise is a scarce resource.

What is AI in Medicine?

The term AI in medicine signifies the application of Artificial Intelligence technology or AI automated processes in the treatment and diagnosis of patients requiring care. There are a number of background processes that need to be taken care of before starting with the diagnosis and treatment of the patient such as

• Data gathering through patients interviews and test results
• Analyzing of those results
• Employing data from multiple resources to conclude upon an accurate diagnosis
• Determining a suitable treatment method
• Administering the selected treatment method
• Patient monitoring
• Follow-up, aftercare appointments, etc.

The reference of the increased application of AI in medicine means that all of the abovementioned processes will be automated and completed quickly.

Based on a study from 2016, desk work and data entry take up a lot of time from physicians and medical doctor's schedule leaving them less time to communicate and engage with patients. This is what Steven Stack meant by when he said, “what many physicians are feeling—data entry and administrative tasks are cutting into the doctor-patient time that is central to medicine and a primary reason many of us became physicians.”

The push, therefore, is not to excessively over-automate the medical and health care fields, but to deliberately and sensibly identify those areas where automation could free up time and effort. The goal is a balance between the effective use of technology and AI and the human strengths and judgment of trained medical professionals.

How is artificial intelligence used in medicine?

There is already an incredible amount of technology and automation in play in medicine, whether we realize it or not - medical records are digitized, appointments can be scheduled online, patients can check in to health centers or clinics using their phones or computers. As technology usage has increased in all areas of life, so too has it quietly changed the ways in which we seek medical care.

• Decision support systems - When given a set of symptoms, DXplain comes up with a list of possible diagnoses
• Laboratory information systems - Germwatcher is designed to detect, track and investigate infections in hospitalised patients
• Robotic surgical systems - The da Vinci robotic surgical system, with robotic arms, precise movement and magnetised vision, allows doctors to precision surgery that wouldn’t be possible with an entirely manual approach
• Therapy - AI Therapy is an online course for people struggling with social anxiety
• Reducing human error - Babylon is an online application where patients in the UK can book appointments and routine tests, plus consult with a doctor online, check for symptoms, get advice, monitor their health and order test kits.

The potential for increased AI usage in medicine is not just in a reduction of manual tasks and the freeing up of physician’s time, increasing efficiency and productivity - it also presents the opportunity for us to move towards more ‘precision medicine’.

What does the future of doctors go from here?

As more studies are published and discussions had around the future of AI and automation, distinct sides to the argument do emerge, particularly when it comes to something like medicine. The general consensus is that while routine tasks and data collection/entry can and perhaps should be taken on by machines, there will always be a need for the human element of the doctor’s role, in things technology cannot provide - judgement, creativity, and empathy, for example.

This was disputed however in 2016 by Richard and Daniel Susskind, who argued in an article for HBR that, within decades, traditional professions including medicine will be dismantled, “leaving most, but not all, professionals to be replaced by less-expert people, new types of expert, and high-performing systems.”

Even the Susskind’s research, however, doesn’t suggest that the role of ‘doctor’ will completely disappear - more that it will change. Writing for Stat News, Jack Stockert points out that whilst the use of AI on its own may increase efficiency, pairing with AI also improves human performance. He states, “this hybrid model of humans and machines working together presents a scalable automation paradigm for medicine, one that creates new tasks and roles for essential medical and technology professionals, increasing the capabilities of the entire field as we move forward.”

In conclusion, then, whilst it’s unlikely that machines will replace or eradicate the need for human doctors any time soon, those already in or considering a medical profession should be willing to adapt, learn and grow alongside technological advancements. Bryan Vartabedian, a pediatric gastroenterologist practicing in The Woodlands sums it up as: “I think my profession is headed to evolution, not extinction.”

Manto Ke Afsane

Saadat Hasan Manto was an Indo-Pakistani playwright, author, and novelist who was known for his non-conventional writing style. His creations are magical words to the ardent readers of the Urdu language. In his short-lived life of 42 years, he has produced over 22 collections of short stories, three collections of essays, five series of radio plays, two groups of personal sketches, a novel, and also a chunk of film scripts. His finest of short stories were held in high regard that not only brought him success but also put him behind bars.. He was a man who dared to talk about societal issues and hard truths that no one dared to do and created awareness regarding them through his words and creations. He was painfully affected by the partition of India and vehemently opposed it. Most of his short stories and plays are based on the atrocities and molestation faced by the countrymen, especially by women and children in the days preceding the fateful announcement of the partition. His graphic and realistic portrayal of societal issues cemented his reputation to being one of the finest Urdu writers of the 20th century. 

**Childhood & Early Life

Sadat Hasan Manto was born on 11 May 1912, in a Muslim family, in Paproudi village of Samrala, in the Ludhiana district of the Punjab, to Sardar Begum and Ghulam Hasan Manto.His father was a judge in the local court

**Career

In 1933, , Mantocame across Abdul Bari Alig, a polemic writer, and scholar in Amritsar that changed his life forever. Abdul Bari Alig’s mentorship advocated Manto to know his true self and bring out his inner talent. Abdul encouraged him to read French and Russian literature. From there on, Manto was inspired by writers such as Chekhov, Maxim Gorky, Victor Hugo and Anton.

It was only within the matter of a month that Manto produced his first-ever Urdu translation, Victor Hugo’s ‘The Last Day of a Condemned Man’. The Urdu Book Stall, Lahore published it as ‘Sarguzasht-e-Aseer’ (A Prisoner's Story). Doing so, he realized his inclination, and then on started working in Masawat, a publishing house based in Ludhiana. 

From 1934, he started attending Aligarh Muslim University that took his life in a new direction. Following that, he joined the Indian Progressive Writers Association (IPWA). He met with the writer Ali Safdar Jafri who bolstered his interest in literature and acclaimed his writing. 

He wrote his second story, ‘Inqlaab Pasand’, which was published in the Aligarh Magazine in March 1935. 

In 1934, he came to Bombay and started writing for magazines, newspapers, and scripts for the then Hindi film industry. He resided in Foras Lane, in the very centre of Bombay’s red light district of Kamathipura. His surroundings profoundly impacted his writings. 

In early 1940, he accepted the job offer of writing for Urdu service in All India Radio. This was a golden period in his career, as it was proved to be quite rewarding to him. It was during this  time, that he composed over four collections of radio plays, ‘Teen Auratein’ (Three Women), ‘Janaze’ (Funerals), ‘Manto Ke Drame’ (Manto’s Dramas) and ‘Aao’(Come).

Alongside, he also continued with his composition of short stories and completed his next collection, ‘Dhuan ( Smoke), followed by the title ‘Manto Ke Afsane’ and his first topical essay collection, ‘Manto Ke Mazamin’. 

Meanwhile, due to difference of opinion with the director of the All India Radio, poet N.M. Rashid, he resigned from his job and returned to Bombay in 1942 and again resumed his work with the film industry. He wrote screenplay for films such as ‘Chal Chal Re Naujawan’, ‘Mirza Ghalib’, ‘Shikari’ and ‘Aatth Din’. 

Some of his notable short stories that were composed during this phase were ‘Bu’, ‘Dhuan’ printed in ‘Quami Jang, Bombay in February of 1945. 

He stayed in Bombay till the partition of India in 1947. In January 1948, he moved to Lahore, Pakistan, with his wife and children against his intentions, as the brutality of partition and communal riots forcedhim to do so.

After arriving in Lahore, he connected with prominent intellectuals like Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Ahmad Rahi, Nasir Kazmi and Faiz ahmad Faiz. They used to sit down together in the iconic ‘Pak Tea House’, and engage themselves in passionate literary debates and political arguments. 

In 1950, Manto wrote a series of essays, entitled “Letters to Uncle Sam’, where he expressed his concerns on local and global issues.He predicted of a future as depicted in one of the essays, when literature, poetry, art and music, every form of expression would become censored. 

**Controversy

Saadat Hasan Manto was accused of obscenity in Pakistan and India. He faced the trial

three times in India before 1947 (under the section 292 of the Indian Penal Code) for ‘Kali Shalwar’, ‘Dhuan’ and ‘Bu’ and three times in Pakistan after 1947 (under the Pakistan Penal Code) for ‘Upar Neeche Darmiyaan’, ‘Thanda Gosht’ and Khol Do. However, he was not convicted and was fined in one case only. It validated the fact that Manto always believed in portraying the inhuman and barbaric scenario of his times with a political bite and black humour rather than painting a pretty and polite picture. On his charges of obscenity, he declared the statement, “I am not a pornographer but a story writer,". 

**Major Works

Toba Tek Singh’ (1955) published in Urdu, narrates the story of inmates residing in a Lahore asylum, who are to be shipped to India, following the partition of 1947. The story is a heart-wrenching satire on the relationship existing between Indis and Pakistan.

Thanda Gosht’ (1950) is a compelling short story that depicted a brutal picture of the 1947 communal riots. The story is about the Sikh Man who is stabbed by his mistress during sex when he admits to raping the corpse of a Muslim girl. Hence, it is synonymous with the title, which means ‘cold flesh’. Manto underwent a trial in criminal court for this story.

**Family & Personal Life

In 1936, Sadat Hasan Manto’s parents arranged his marriage to Safia Deen, later changed to Safia Manto. He penned down an essay entitled ‘Meri Shaadi’(My Wedding) dedicated to his marriage. 

Safia gave birth to a son, Arif, who died in his infancy. The death of their newborn son, pained Safia and Saadat to the very core. 

Thereafter they had three daughters, Nusrat Manto, NIghat Manto and Nuzhat Manto.  

He became increasingly addicted to alcohol in his later years, which ultimately led to cirrhosis of the liver. He passed away on 18 January 1955 due to multiple organ failure, in Lahore, Pakistan, at the mere age of 42 years. He was survived by his three daughters and his wife Safia. 

**Legacy

The Government of Pakistan posthumously awarded Manto Nishan-e-Imtiaz on 14 August 2012.

On January 2005, Manto’s 50th dealth anniversary, his face was commemorated on Pakistani Postage Stamp.

Danish Iqbal’s portrayed the distinguished writer in a whole new light through his play ‘Ek Kutte Ki Kahani’, on the eve of his birth centenary.

Two films entitled ‘Manto’ has been made based on his life, one in 2015 by Pakistani director Sarmad Khoosat and a Bollywood film in 2018, by Nandita Das and starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

**Trivia

His favorite dish was Gaajar Ka Halwa (An Indian dessert made of grated carrots).

He liked to write with Sheaffer pens.

He preferred wearing Gold embroidered shoes most of the time.

Bombay was his revered destination.

He preferred to complete a story entirely in one sitting. Just a few months before his death, Manto wrote his epitaph, which would have been read as, “Here lies buried Saadat Hasan Manto in whose bosom are enshrined all the secrets and art of short story writing. Buried under mounds of earth, even now he is contemplating whether he is a greater short story writer or God.” It was never imprinted on his tombstone later on. 

Back to Life: A Dark Comedy with a Soul

Miri Matteson sits staring at the bored expression of her parole officer Janice as she starts reading from a form: “if you are feeling depressed or have a crippling feeling of deep hopelessness …” Janice then pauses for a moment to flip the page, continuing, “…it’s normal.” Miri, with her bare face, gives a wan smile and then nods. Back to Life starts with 30-something Miri returning to her hometown after serving 18 years in prison. But this series, like many others, never shows parades of flashbacks, as it focuses on Miri getting a second chance in starting her life from scratch over again-if she will ultimately achieve to do so bearing the societal interferences. 

Back to Life is an ace comedy-drama that weaves relatable jokes on naturally woven, delicate relationships, family, and jobs into a plot that is multilayered ad well-written. It premiered on BBC One on 15 April, 2019. The series will be launched in the US on 10 November 2019, on Showtime.

Back to Life Cast: Who is in it?

Back to life consists of a cast of intriguing and offbeat characters, all living with secrets and vulnerabilities of their own. Daisy Haggard, who has also co-written the series, stars as the protagonist, Miri Matteson, an ex-convict who returns to her childhood home, the place of the crime. She attempts to forge her adult life anew with an optimistic approach despite receiving hostility from her community and continually getting reminded of her past through her surroundings. Geraldine James, known for enacting Mrs. Hudson in the Sherlock Holmes movies, plays the role of Caroline Matteson, Miri’s sexually frustrated mother. She appears to be brittle and uptight, who cares about the perception of the community more so than the well-being of her own daughter. Her anger and frustration often lead to her acting out in many self-destructive ways. Richard Durden, known from the TV show, Silent Witness, plays Miri’s reserved father, Oscar Matteson. He, like most constricted British men of his generation, finds Miri’s arrival as unsettling. He seems more concerned about recycling and saving the environment than saving his own marriage. 

Jo Martin, known from The Long Song, appears as Janice, Miri’s over-sharing parole officer with no verbal filter. A distressed bureaucrat, she stamps over all of Miri’s pleadings even when she reaches out for help. Christine Bottomley plays the role of ex-best friend Mandy, who was close to the victim. Her close relationship can help explain the reason why she never contacted or visited Miri in prison. She is one of the people who seek out to re-establish her connection with Miri upon her coming back home, but Miri feels undeniably hesitant to give it another chance. Jamie Michie, known from his character Steelshanks in Game of Thrones, plays Dom, Miri’s first love. Adeel Akhtar plays her next-door neighbor Billy, with whom she forms a friendship. Liam Williams appears in the role of the chip shop owner, Nathan. 

Back to Life Plot: What is it about?

Written by Daisy Haggard and Laura Solon, Back to Life tells the story of a woman’s struggle to reintegrate back into her community in Hythe, Kent, following an 18-year stint in prison being charged with the murder of her best friend. It follows the story from there on as to how she rebuilds her life after committing a crime so severe that she had to serve a sentence for nearly two decades, depleting most of her teen and adulthood. 

The first episode starts with Miri trying to mend the fences within her home, looking for a job and reconnecting with her childhood love, Dom. The gravity of her crime gets revealed quite early to the viewers, evidenced by the hostility with which the people of her hometown greet her, the abusive graffiti painted on the wall of her parent’s garden, and her job applications getting rejected with insults and offensive language (“You can clean offices in hell, you sick bitch”) being hurled at her. 

There is also a mystery surrounding the event of that fateful night that gets further complicated by the appearance of a strange Scandinavian man. He informs of apparently opening the case and starting with a reinvestigation. The viewers get convinced of a further truth that is getting masked with the playing out of her mother’s affair with a man in Hythe. In the midst of all this, Miri befriends her next-door neighbor Billy (Adeel Akhtar), who is taking care of his mentally ill aunt. The approaching presence of Mandy (Christine Bottomley), her ex best-friend, makes her uneasy and claustrophobic as it reminds her of the night the murder was committed. 

And then there are the magnificent visits from Miri’s self-interested probation officer Janice (Jo Martin), who does pay heed to any of the concerns and distresses of her client, but instead pays more attention to the refreshments provided (“Your biscuit game is strong!”). Season 1 ends with Miri agreeing to meet the mysterious Scandinavian man to further know about the truth behind her crime. Determined to move on, she decides to take the matters in her own hands and confronts everyone at a community meeting. The meeting gets disrupted due to her confrontation with many secrets and lies coming to light, ending the series in a cliffhanger.

Back to Life Season 2: When will it premiere?

Back to Life Season 1 consisted of six episodes that were released as a boxset on BBC iPlayer on 15 April 2019. It aired on BBC One from 15th to 20th April 2019. Each of the episodes had a running time of 23 to 25 minutes. When asked with the possibility of Season 2, Haggard responded that she would love to do a second season as they “know where to go with the story,” but nothing has been confirmed as of yet. 

Back to Life Season 1 trailer

While the production team informs the viewers of the show being renewed for a second season, you can watch the season 1 on BBC iPlayer’s official website page. Here is the trailer:

Paul Dano joins as The Riddler and there will be blood

The Batman faces another new villain.

Just a few days ago, the news of Zoe Kravitz joining the cast as Catwoman was confirmed, and now another villain joins in the mix. It is learned that Paul Dano has been confirmed to play The Riddler in director Matt Reeves' upcoming The Batman Movie.

The Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood actor will be facing against Robert Pattinson playing Batman, in this very noirish take on the DC story. Dano was cast after Jonah Hill failed to agree on a deal with Warner Bros. Hill was in talks to be either playing The Penguin or The Riddler, and it was still in negotiations as to which role he was going to portray. There is still no clear reasons found behind Hill passing up the role, leading to the production house going on a different approach to replace him.

Dano's acting debut started from 2000 release The Newcomers. He has played significant roles in films such as There Will Be Blood, Looper and 12 Years a Slave. In The Batman, he will star as Edward Nashton/Nygma, aka The Riddler. This will be the very first major comic book role for Dano, who has typically worked with prestigious art-house material films. He is characteristically different from Jim Carrey, who played the role against Tommy Lee Jones's Batman in Joel Schumacher's 1995 adaptation Batman Forever. It will be fascinating to see him translating this role on the screen, which is purportedly going to be a serious and dark tale following from the Christopher Nolan glory days.

The Riddler made his debut in the Detective Comics #140 in October 1948 issue and has been a staple perpetrator in the Rogue Villains Gallery of Batman ever since. The film will depict the tale of Edward Nashton before he took on the villainous persona as the Riddler.

"What's exciting about Batman is how it relates to now and also how personal it can be," Reeves said this earlier this year. The character is envisioned to be a far cry from the bright green catsuit-wearing portrayal of Carrey. Anticipations are that Reeves will be taking a more grounded and factual approach with the character and the film, more so like Nolan's films that were opposed diametrically from the brightly-colored, splashy camp of Joel Schumacher's creation.

The cast also comprises of Jefferey Wright as Commissioner Gordon. Gary Oldman enacted the role in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy.

Warner Bros. has announced to release The Batman in theatres on June 25, 2021.

The Importance of Vo2 Max and What Does Yours Really Mean

It is a common physiological reaction for the human body to breathe harder, after running fast for a certain distance. The more you run, the harder and heavier your breathing gets. You can experience physical strain draining your body down after sustaining a reckless running speed for quite an amount of time. The sports scientists have conceived a special term for this consecutive series of physiological reactions: namely Vo2 Max.

What is Vo2 Max?

Vo2 Max can be defined as the maximum rate in which an athlete’s body can consume volumes of oxygen while performing specific activities. It’s measurement unit is milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min).

Measurement of Vo2 Max while running:

For runners, this mechanism is determined using a procedure called incremental exercise test. In this, the athlete is asked to breathe into a tube, for collecting and then measuring the gases exhaled while he/she runs on treadmill. The belt speed of the treadmill keeps increasing gradually till the point the athlete reaches the level of exhaustion. The maximum rate of the oxygen consumption determined in the test is then recorded to be current Vo2 max of the athlete.

What are the benefits of having high Vo2 Max?

Having a high Vo2 Max is considered important as it is closely connected to the distance running of an athlete. Various research studies have concluded that Vo2 Max contributes to about 70 per cent of the fluctuations in performances among the individual runners. Henceforth, your ability to run a distance of 5k faster than me is affected by the fact that your Vo2 Max is in evidently higher than mine. It is directly higher by the amount that entails to that difference of one minute in time.

Factors affecting Vo2 Max

There are mainly two factors that can decrease or increase Vo2 Max. Those are:

1. A strong support system for the oxygen flow
2. Speed

A strong transport or support system for oxygen flow comprises of blood packed with hemoglobin, a healthy heart, high muscular capillary density, muscle cells with high level of mitochondrial density and a high volume of blood inflow.

The other one is speed or rather the full capacity of compressing a high amount of muscle fibers harmoniously. This is vital because the more the muscle tissues are worked upon, the more oxygen is demanded by those muscles at any given moment.

Both of these factors are largely affected not only by the genetic makeup but also by training. The training that is regarded to quite effectively increase the Vo2 Max is that of an intensity level, meaning it gets you breathing as harder and heavier as it can get. There are various interval workout formats through which you can increase your Vo2 Max levels. Those specifically are:

1. 60/60 and 30/30 Intervals
2. Hills Intervals
3. Lactate Intervals

30/30 and 60/60 Intervals

A good way to introduce VO2max training into your program is with 30/30 and 60/60 intervals. Created by French exercise physiologist Veronique Billat, these workouts are effective fitness builders that are well tolerated by runners at a modest fitness level.

Start with 30/30 intervals. After warming up with at least 10 minutes of easy jogging, run 30 seconds hard, at the fastest pace you could hold for about six minutes in a race. Then slow to an easy jog for 30 seconds. Continue alternating fast and slow 30-second segments until you have completed at least 12 and as many as 20 of each.

Increase the number of 30/30 intervals you complete each time you do this workout, and then switch to 60/60 intervals. Start with at least six of these and build up to as many as 10.

Hill Intervals

Shorter hill intervals of 20 to 90 seconds are great for developing power, strength and speed. Slightly longer intervals of two to three minutes are great for VO2max development. To do a hill intervals workout, warm up with at least 10 minutes of easy jogging. Then run hard uphill for two to three minutes (choose your duration before you start), jog back down to your starting point and repeat.

If your fitness level is modest, start with a set of 4 x 2:00 or 3 x 3:00. Very fit runners can do as much as 10 x 2:00 or 7 x 3:00. Pace yourself so that you neither slow down through the workout due to early fatigue nor finish the workout feeling you could do more.

Lactate Intervals

Lactate intervals are the toughest kind of VO2max training. Make sure you build up a fairly high level of fitness with 30/30, 60/60 and hill intervals before you move on to lactate intervals.

It is best to do this type of workout on the track. Warm up with at least 10 minutes of easy jogging and then run hard for 800 (two laps on a full-size running track) to 1200 meters (three laps on a full-size running track) around the track. Now reduce your pace to an easy jog for 400 meters.

Run shorter intervals (800m) in your first lactate intervals workout of a given training cycle and then move upward. Do a total of about 5000m of fast running in these workouts (6-7 x 800m, 5 x 1000m, 4 x 1200m). Again, try to run the fastest pace that you can sustain through the last interval without slowing down.

It cannot be denied: VO2max training is hard. That's why most runners do very little of it. But you're not like most runners, are you? Take advantage of your superior mental toughness and make a commitment to VO2max training. You will find the rewards to be well worth a little heavy breathing.

Vo2 Max in Non Athletes and Athletes

Vo2 Max differs invariably between non athletes and even between the elite ones playing the same sport. Let’s take a look at the table below that lists the normative data of Vo2 Max among the various age groups:

Heredity and Genetics can account for about 25-50% of the deviations show here. The highest level of Vo2 Max in men and women ever recorded is 94 ml/kg/min and 77 ml/kg/min. Both of them were famous skiers (16).  

Cashless Economy for Millennials: What does it look like?

Up until this campaign of going cashless, India was an extremely cash-centric economy. Cash accounted for most of the transactions, vendors were not equipped with card readers or means of accepting cash electronically, more than ninety percent of the workers in the economy are paid in cash, more than half of the population did not even own bank accounts. Even Uber accepted cash in India, the only economy in the whole world, where this particular option was enabled. The “Cash on Delivery” option was regarded as the preferred choice of more than seventy percent of online shoppers.

Through the turn of events, the government turned off these mediums that ran this cash economy with the hope that more and more people of India would become familiar with using the trackable and taxable digital payment mediums, like e-wallets and credit cards. This demonetization scheme was something that was planned in secret, in the backroom of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home. Whether the fact that India is ready or not for this step is something that will invite a sumptuous amount of opinions.

If we take a survey, among the millennials on how the cashless scheme will reflect upon an economy like India, we will come across some positive feedback. Back in time in 2012, Visa released a survey report. It was entitled “Connecting with the Millennials”. In the report, it was found that the majority of these people believed in the future of a cashless economy. Every eight among the ten voiced their wishes of a someday in the future when they will be able to pay all of their bills online. 70% stated doing this process through mobile phones.

The reservations regarding this big cashless move in India is gradually fading from the demography of the millennials. Opening of new bank accounts has been going on at a heightened rate, the option of cash on delivery has been crashing down at the e-commerce sites, and sectors focused on the digital financing such as the online grocery business has entered into a booming phase. The era of the cashless economy has put the various digitally-focused sectors in the limelight, and the millennials are getting the best use out of them to make their complex and competitive lives easier. Some of the most commonly used digital mediums are Mobile Banking, internet banking, Freecharge, Google Wallet, PayPal, etc. To use these, all you need is a smartphone with internet connectivity, and with just a click of a button, you will be able to transact money for various uses. Vodafone M-Pesa and Airtel Money are some other digital transactions means that act as a mobile wallet. One does not need any internet connectivity or smartphone, to use them. Through these channels, anyone can sell or purchase anything and can do that using any phone they have. One does not essentially need a smartphone to use these channels. All one needs is to top up their wallets, like one does their phone recharges and they are all set to go.

“Even the vegetable vendors on the streets have opened up Paytm accounts and they have a machine outside their shop where someone can scan the bar code and make the payment,” a college student explained.

A 27-year-old working professional in the IT sector, when posed with the question of the prospects of the cashless scheme in an economy like India, replied, “A lot more retail outlets are accepting e-wallets, including my laundry provider and my dabbawala. This is revolutionary, and survival of the fittest.”

When everyone in the country has been abuzz with the Modi’s demonetization announcement, the millennials have found ways to cope with the situation using the various e-payment providers. Usage channels such as Paytm increased, that the CEO of this company reported a surge of three times among the new users. Since the announcement of the demonetization program, a spike has been noticed both in the merchant registrations and app downloads. This spike has been noticeable among all of the cities, towns, big or small, not only within the big merchants but also among the small merchants like shopkeepers, street vendors, vegetable vendors, taxi and rickshaw drivers, and largely across the college students, working professionals in the public and private sectors, etc.

The recent move of the government cannot make the economy a perfectly cashless one, as this needs to be supported by well built, detailed & improved infrastructure, especially the internet banking services. The biggest advantage that the masses of a cashless economy can bank upon is to not get anxious about carrying the wallet or safeguarding huge amounts of cash or getting change for small purchases. All they need to do is click a button or swipe and they are good to go.