NRDC Meritorious Invention Awards and WIPO Medals For The Year 2007

The Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR) through National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) has announced awards for five meritorious inventions for the year 2007. Tax Free Cash Awards are given every year to those working in scientific and industrial fields for meritorious inventions, which are proved to be workable, useful and commercially viable to encourage inventive talent in the country. Dr. R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India will give away the Awards in New Delhi on Monday, the 15th October 2007.

The Corporation has also announced WIPO Gold Medals on behalf of the World Intellectual Property Organization (a Geneva Based UN sub-system). One medal is given for the outstanding invention of the year, which is considered to be a substantive contribution to the economic and technological development of the country. A separate WIPO medal is given to the best woman inventor of the year. This activity is carried out by WIPO to encourage inventors in developing countries.

Following are the winners of NRDC Awards and WIPO medals:

NRDC Awards

1   Vinod H. Kalbande, Prakash G. Shinde & Dilip P. Dhote of Maharashtra State Seeds Corporation Limited, (MSSCL) Akola, have been jointly awarded Rs.1.00 lakh (Rupees one lakh only) for “Design and Development of Pollution-Free Cotton Seed Delinting Plant”. Pollution free cotton seed delinting plant has been designed and developed to carry out cotton seed delinting without using sulphuric acid, thus making it environment friendly. The plant has been so designed that it reduces the cost of operation in comparison with the cost of conventional plants.

2.  Dr. (Ms.) Mookandi Kanthimathi, Dr. Jonnalagadda Raghava Rao, Dr. Palanisamy Thanikaivelan, Dr. Balachandran Unni Nair & Dr. Thirumalachari Ramasami of Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai have been jointly awarded Rs.1.00 lakh (Rupees one lakh only) for the development of “A High Performance Syntan for Eco-benign Chrome Tanning”. This product has an advantage of eliminating the use of formaldehyde in the product preparation stage as well as eliminating the pickling and basification stages employed in the conventional chrome tanning processes. The invention makes available an eco-benign method of chrome tanning which minimizes the environmental impact in terms of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), chlorides and chromium.

3.  Dr. Goutam De & Shri Samar Kumar Medda of Central Glass & Ceramics Research Institute, Kolkata (West Bengal) have been jointly awarded Rs.1.00 lakh (Rupees one lakh only) for the development of “Anti-scratch Coatings on Plastic Ophthalmic Lenses and Sheets Using Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Nanocomposites”. The technology relates to a process of applying optically clear anti-scratch coatings on plastic, ophthalmic lenses, sheets and other shapes of objects by dip-coating technique. This coating ‘sol’ has been developed using an inorganic-organic hybrid nanocomposite sol in which glass-like dense nano SiO2 particles are generated in situ which are covalently bonded with the inorganic-organic hybrid framework. These coatings are fully optically transparent, spot-free and hard enough to meet the international standards as compared to the conventionally available coatings, the new coatings are of superior quality and cost competitive.

4.  Dr. Vagish Shrinet & Dr. Mukesh K. Shah of Electrical Research and Development Association, Makarpura, Baroda have been jointly awarded Rs.1.00 lakh (Rupees one lakh only) for design and development of “Fault Current Limiter for LT Switchgear and Appliances”. It is a novel, cost effective Fault Current Limiter for low tension switchgear and appliances, which increases the short circuit rating of MCB switch from 10 KA to 25 KA when used in series with it. It can be used in electrical appliances, low tension motors, sophisticated instruments such as bio-medical instruments and low voltage distribution boards, etc.

5.   Mehi Lal Yadav of Katihar, Bihar has been awarded Rs.1.00 lakh (Rupees one lakh only) for design and development of “Jhoola Pump” which delivers water from the borewell utilizing seesaw action. It is a combination of four pumping units which have been connected to a single bore for pumping water. Most significant aspect of this pump is that the water gets pumped out from the borewell, while the children enjoy the seesaw attached to the equipment.
WIPO Gold Medal For Best Invention of The Year 2007

The Prize Award Committee announced one WIPO Gold Medal for best invention of the year 2007 to Dr. Vagish Shrinet & Associate of Electrical Research and Development Association, Makarpura, Baroda for their invention “Fault Current Limiter for LT Switchgear and Appliances”.

WIPO Gold Medal For Best Woman Inventor of The Year 2007

The Prize Award Committee also announced one WIPO Gold Medal for the best woman inventor of the year 2007 to Dr. (Ms.) Mookandi Kanthimathi of Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai for the invention “A High Performance Syntan for Eco-benign Chrome Tanning”.

The WIPO medals will be presented to the inventors in the year 2008.

Source : Press Information Bureau
Date : October 12, 2007