9 February 2022 12:06 am Views - 1040
One of the new inventions on display
The manner in which recipients for awards were selected for their inventions by the Sri Lanka Inventors Commission (SLIC) was unfair state some awardees named
Previously awardees were not charged a fee to be presented with awards. However in this edition of the competition participants were charged Rs 2000 for submitting an entry to one category. Participants were made to pay Rs 2000 for every other new category they submitted entries to. “Competitors had to deposit 100 US$ to receive the international award. Awards for inventions were presented after taking our money. Inventors produce inventions for the sake of their country. There is no authority to supervise proceedings after they obtain patents for invention. The Government has not implemented any programme for inventors,” some disgruntled awardees complained.
"However I did not receive the award and it was unfair. I received international awards for inventions. I applied for the ‘Dasis’ Award in a different category. I suffered injustice and the commission is yet to inform about the chosen awardee and his invention - Deshabandu Saman Hettiarachchi"
“Awardees are given 100,000 rupees for a gold award, 50,000 rupees for a silver award and 25,000 rupees for a bronze award as a way of encouraging them. However at the recent ceremony financial rewards have not been given. The inventors have not even been acknowledged either. Financial rewards are not a must, but at least inventions should be evaluated. Inventing something which has never existed is not easy. Inventors sweat to obtain patents using their talents. It is sad to observe that the authorities have failed to evaluate their efforts,” an award winner named Deshabandu Saman Hettiarachchi said.
The recent event to evaluate inventors was not suitable even to judge the winners of a similar event organised for kindergarten students. To make matters worse State Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Education Seetha Arambepola did not grace the awards ceremony. She has not met or had discussions with the inventors yet. Hettiarachchi said that SLIC officials meet and discuss only with inventors known to them. Generally inventors are not evaluated in this manner. However during previous awards ceremonies inventors were warmly welcomed and acknowledged. Hettiarachchi said that he had received two silver and gold awards and the ‘Dasis’ Award during previous award ceremonies and enjoyed better recognition.
“These creations are for the sake of the country, but the authorities take no notice of them. I have 21 patents for inventions. SLIC informed me that I would receive the ‘Dasis’ Award this time for the introduction of the herbal mask,” he added. The ‘Dasis’ Award is awarded once in a lifetime for which there is competition among inventors. “It’s every inventor’s dream. Inventors who scored the highest at the interview for the ‘Dasis’ Award have been removed this time. The interview panel said that my invention made me qualify for the ‘Dasis’ Award,” said Hettiarachchi. “However I did not receive the award and it was unfair. I received international awards for inventions. I applied for the ‘Dasis’ Award in a different category. I suffered injustice and the commission is yet to inform about the chosen awardee and his invention,” he added.
Political influence
Some SLIC officers requested from awardees not to talk about the drawbacks of the institute with outsiders, another awardee said. “If someone makes criticisms he will not be allowed to submit inventions at the next competition. Some awardees this time around were chosen because of political influence,” this awardee added. “Those awards were given because of the influence of a top-level politician. The purpose behind those actions was not to appreciate inventions, but to obtain foreign tours and loans with less interest. No one knows who was selected and what their inventions were. As a result many inventors will not present inventions next year.” this awardee added.
Yet the SLIC has not been able to issue an identity card for award winning inventors, several inventors complained. “Financial rewards given to awardees were also not given this time. We also heard that the financial reward for the ‘Dasis’ Award wasn’t given either.” they added. A top SLIC official said that the ‘Dasis’ award was first presented in the office of a powerful minister, the awardee who gave information further added. “Usually that award is presented at the ceremony, but this time it was not. I challenge the members of the panel of juries to reveal the marks given to inventors. The manner in which marks and awards are given is also different. The SLIC has made inventors helpless,” he added.
Eventually inventors will be restricted to merely being someone with a name. “Many more inventors will not apply for awards. Several applicants who received letters of nomination for gold awards received silver awards. The documents required to receive gold awards were also obtained from them. Inventions are developed not with the object of receiving awards, but to improve them using the financial rewards. The Government holds a ceremony to encourage inventors. However the SLIC has not paid any attention to the original purpose,” he added.
Inventions are costly and inventors have to bear costs. When informed of any injustice, the SLIC Commissioner promises to look into those incidents causing injustice. However to this day these matters have not been taken care of. That was the response of the commissioner regarding the injustice we faced at the ceremony,” the awardee added. “We were not informed that the existing procedure followed at the event was changed. That too is unfair. We are asked to make inventions, but we do not even know how to write a project report for inventions. We alone have to write that. Many inventors have become helpless as a result,” he added.
Chaminda Jayasinghe an inventor from Galle said that he had around 50 inventions with patents for six of them. He has many electronic accessories. His invention which prevents wild elephants colliding against trains was developed five years ago.
Schoolchildren who presented their inventions at the competition
"We have inventors with us who do their job well. We help them. We did not charge Rs 2000 for the award ceremony. We only charged 500 rupees for the application. They are referring to the application fee we charged - Prof. N.M.S Sirimuthu SLIC Commissioner"
However the SLIC or the Government do not have a process for inventions to be promoted. “The authorities have not even attempted to test the equipment preventing elephant deaths at least within a radius of 100 metres. Officials of the Department of Railways said that they did not have funds to test the equipment,” Jayasinghe revealed. The SLIC had several discussions with the Department of Railways. The then railway General Manager queried as to who would bear the cost to make this equipment? Jayasinghe spoke about the restrictions he faces, but was willing to share his knowledge without demanding a fee. However the equipment has not been developed yet. But the Department of Railways despite not having the funds to purchase this equipment has bought useless engines and compartments spending millions of rupees, Jayasinghe said.
Jayasinghe also developed a piston turbine as a solution to the power crisis. It can produce three times more electricity produced in a hydro power plant. The equipment can produce 300 megawatts of electricity using the same amount of water required to produce 100 mw. He has informed the SLIC and the Sustainable Energy Authority regarding the equipment. Not a single authority has spoken to him in this regards. Only a letter has been exchanged. “Being an inventor in this country is miserable,” Jayasinghe added.
“After displaying inventions at exhibitions all we have to do is to bring them home. There is no process for inventions to be promoted. When we inform the commission there are lectures and nothing more. The commission has not done anything till this day. I have been registered with the SLIC for 20 years. Some of my patents have expired,” Jayasinghe added.
SLIC Commissioner Prof. N.M.S Sirimuthu said that instead of giving money to the inventors together with the award money has been given this time to awardees to invest and make their future endeavours successful. “We can hand over five million rupees the least to uplift their livelihoods. Obtaining patents alone is useless if no new inventions are made. We can help them in this regard. We have inventors with us who do their job well. We help them. We did not charge Rs 2000 for the award ceremony. We only charged 500 rupees for the application. They are referring to the application fee we charged. Even school applicants paid 500 rupees, but I ordered the authorities to return their money,” Sirimuthu added.
Two youth pose with their new invention
"The authorities have not even attempted to test the equipment preventing elephant deaths at least within a radius of 100 metres. Officials of the Department of Railways said that they did not have funds to test the equipment - Chaminda Jayasinghe an Inventor"
Even though the repeatedly asked who was given the ‘Dasis’ Award and for what invention the commissioner did not give a proper answer. When queried regarding the influence of a politician when selecting the ‘Dasis’ awardee and presenting the award in his office and whether an unqualified person was given the award, the commissioner said that the President had presented the ‘Dasis’ Award. “The subject minister also took part. The ‘Dasis’ Award was not given secretly, but the President presented it. It was broadcast on TV. No politician influenced us. We performed our duties well and did not commit any mistake. Do not listen to outsiders,” he added.
However he did not say to whom the ‘Dasis’ Award was given. He was seemingly attempting to beat around the bush. He did not mention the invention to which the award was given. When asked repeatedly he said that three participants-a child from a school, an undergraduate and another inventor -were presented with the award. “No one influenced us when presenting this award. I am a professor of a university. A team of experts chose the awardees and there was no fraudulence.” he added.
He did not mention why the subject minister did not attend the awards ceremony where the gold awards were presented. He also said that the ceremony was held at the NIBM without wasting Government money and it was not a kindergarten type ceremony.
Attempts made to contact State Minister Seetha Arambepola proved futile.