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Friday, 19 November 2010

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Aurora: Daily News supplement on the occasion of the inauguration of President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Second Term of Office | www.dailynews.lk

Upgrading science and technology

“We have won the war against terrorism and now we have to win the war against the economic development.”

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa uttered above statement after government successfully won the war against LTTE.

To energize a country it needs science. To move forward a country, similarly, it needs technology. Therefore science and technology are concerned as a fundamental energy source for economic development.

"The declaration of the Year of English and IT today is thus a benchmark which coincides with the end of terrorism and the clearing of the political space for the expression of the resolve of the Sri Lankan people to march together as one proud people towards a future of peace and prosperity. In the global environment of today, English and IT are two essential tools for the achievement of our goal."

- President Mahinda Rajapaksa

This essay traces how science and technology were developed under President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and examines his strategies for future in the process of making Sri Lanka the wonder of Asia.

President Rajapaksa has appointed the prominent intellectual Prof Tissa Vitarana as the Science and Technology Minister. The ministry was renamed as Technology and Research Ministry in April.

President has added extra weight on the Ministry attaching several new research institutions. The aim is to enhance Research and Development (R&D) activities which are essential for the economic development in Sri Lanka.

A number of institutions come under the purview of the Technology and Research Ministry and President has taken every step to strengthen and upgrade those institutions timely: Arthur C Clarke Centre for Modern Technologies (ACCIMT), Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), National Science and Technology Commission, National Engineering, Research and Development Centre (NERDC), Sri Lanka Planetarium, National Science Foundation (NSF), Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), National Research Council (NRC), Institute Of Fundamental Studies (IFS), Sri Lanka Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (SLABCA), Sri Lanka Standard Institute (SLSI), Institute of Technical Science (ITS) and Inventor’s Commission (IC).

During the war period, Government gave the highest position to soldiers and gave the necessary support. When it comes to economic war, researchers and scientists deserve priority. Government should give them necessary support and facility to win the Economic War. That is why President has requested local scientists established abroad to come back and help the country’s development.

Minister Prof Tissa Vitarana has presented a five year strategic plan (2011-2015) on Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Sri Lanka to President. This new strategy plan will help Sri Lanka enter the upper middle income range gaining US$ 4000 Per Capita income by 2016.

Ministry has taken measures to increase the research scientists and technologists in Sri Lanka up to 7200 personnel by 2016. Currently there are about 4600 research scientists and it is not sufficient to win the economic war.

Ministry hopes to establish a full time research cardre in the universities and absorb 500 personnel per year.

USA Economist Robert Solow has said the economic development depends largely on the technological advances. Government has missed several technological waves which are flown across the globe since Independence.

There were technological waves such as Electronic, ICT and Bio Technological waves. But after President Mahinda Rajapaksa became the president, he asked internationally-excelled local scientists to bring the latest technology to Sri Lanka.

Today around the world nanotechnology waves are spreading. Scientists brought the technology to Sri Lanka and President decided to move with the latest trends in order to overcome the technological challenges.

In 2009, Nanotechnology was introduced to Sri Lanka under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC) was open at Biyagama Export Processing Zone. At the moment more than 92 countries, including Sri Lanka, enjoy this technology; most of them are developed countries such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the UK.

This new move will create a competitive environment for Sri Lankan export products in the world market. At the moment Sri Lanka exports more raw materials than finished goods to the world market.

As a result Sri Lanka looses a considerable sum of foreign currency. With the development of nanotechnology Sri Lankan export products will be more qualitative and it will increase foreign currency.

The aim of this program is to use high technology to enhance the quality of exporting products. Up to now SLINTEC have taken four patent licenses from the United States of America. President Rajapaksa had paid utmost attention to enhance the rural Information Communication Technology and as a result Vidatha program was initiated in 2005.

Currently 260 Vidatha Resource Centres (VRC) are established across island. Technology and Research Ministry targets to establish 330 VRCs, covering all Divisional Secretariats in Sri Lanka.

The objective of the VRCs is to transfer Information Communication Technology to rural village and create job opportunities at village level to alleviate rural poverty. VRCs are provided with free computer training to youth community, school leavers and those who have no way of acquiring ICT knowledge.

They can now access new technologies via these centres. At the moment over 30,000 youths have been given computer literacy through the VRCs and Government wishes to double the beneficiaries next year.

Vidatha Resources Centres are supply the technical assistance to the rural entrepreneurs. Rs Million-worth loans have been granted for Vidatha rural entrepreneurs under its lending scheme conducted with the support of People’s Bank. Currently over 10,000 rural entrepreneurs have been given the technical assistance through VRCs.

Before 2005, research institutions and scientists performed individually, which has affected the country’s overall technological improvements and synergy effort. Hence On the directive of the President, Government has taken measures to coordinate all the research institutions and scientists in Sri Lanka.

Ministry launched program to establish 1000 school science societies and upgrade the present science societies. Currently there are 400 science societies islandwide. The aim of the program is to create a Science and Technological environment in schools and make children aware of latest science researches, innovations and developments in Information Technology.

Sri Lanka possesses one of the highest rates of biological endemism in the world with 16 percent of the fauna and 23 percent of flowering plants.

The 12-member National Task Force was appointed by the President to investigate into bio-piracy and take necessary action against illegal exporting of Sri Lankan bio-diversity species.

Government has started constructing a Gamma Irradiation plant in Biyagama Export Promotion Zone spending Rs 300 million and hope to complete the plant by 2012.

After the completion, plant would produce medical products such as latex gloves, syringes, sterile dressing and also provide facility to sterilization of agricultural food products for export.

Gamma Irradiation also help R&D projects such as Hydrogel wound dressings, vulcanization of natural rubber latex and gem irradiation work in radiation processing.

Savidhana co-operative bank emerged to facilitate rural entrepreneurs with financial difficulties. Savidhana grants loan facilities from Rs 5000 to 200,000. Technology and Research Ministry hope to expand bank system into other districts.

Ministry has started awarding scholarships and fellowships for scientific study or work at science and technology institutions, with a prize granted for young scientists. At the moment Sri Lanka is only investing 0.14 percent in GDP for Research and Development while it is 3.2 percent in South Korea. This will be increased up to one percent within next five years.

The ministry will focus more on scientific research and development to improve the advanced technology in Sri Lanka. President instructed scientists to conduct R&D surveys on regular basis to provide most up to date information to the policy makers and other stakeholders in the country.

The science and technology sector of Sri Lanka has been greatly developed during the past seven years under the Mahinda Chinthana National Development Drive.

In the period ahead the ministry will focus more on scientific research and development and transfer of technologies, to ensure improved quality and productivity and expand economic activities which are essential for the economic and social development of Sri Lanka.

Finally our vision for Sri Lanka is to be the scientifically and technologically advanced country of the region by 2020.

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