News
Lankan origin innovator Dr. Sithamparanathan made OBE in King’s New Year honours
Lankan origins innovator, Dr Sabesan Sithamparanathan, who is a pioneer of location-tracking technology has been appointed OBE in the King’s New Year Honours, said a BBC report on Saturday.
Dr Sithamparanathan, who founded Cambridge based company, PervasID, devised a real-time location tracking system used by NHS trusts, hospitals, aircraft manufacturers and retailers.
He is among 105 people in from the East honoured for their exceptional contribution to their communities.He said he was “absolutely over the moon, thrilled” to receive the award.
Dr Sithamparanathan is recognised for services to innovation technology and the promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Stem) subjects in education.
He said it was “a great honour and testament to the hard work and innovation of the entire team”.In hospitals, his system uses electromagnetic fields to track surgical instruments, ensuring they are decontaminated and sterilised properly, and available in the right place at the right time.
Retailers have also adopted the technology to track stock and enhance click-and-collect services.
Originally from Sri Lanka, Dr Sithamparanathan studied at the University of Sheffield before embarking on a PhD at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he developed his tracking system. He was elected a research fellow at Girton College in 2011.
“I came here as a teenager to pursue higher education,” he said.
“If it was not for Cambridge and the people who mentored me along the way, I would not be where I am today.
“Cambridge allowed me to exploit possibilities; to maximise potential. I learned from very talented professionals.
“At the end of the day, innovating is exciting but bringing an idea from the lab to the real world has been a real challenge.
“On a personal level, it is a dream come true.”
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to accept 08 used low floorboard buses offered as a grant by the Government of Japan.
News
Payment of the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Yala season 2026.
While approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting held on 18.08.2025 to pay the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Maha season 2025/26, the programme is planned to be continued for the Yala season 2026 as well.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to pay a financial subsidy of Rupees 25,000/- per hectare and for a maximum of 02 hectares per farmer for paddy cultivation and to pay Rupees 15,000/- per hectare for field crops cultivated in paddy lands[maximum of 02 hectares per farmer]
News
Ministerial Committee appointed to submit recommendations on proposed program to mitigate loss of crops to wild animals
The rural agricultural livelihood and food security have been severely impacted due to the damage caused by wild animals such as elephants, wild boars, monkeys, toque macaque, squirrels, and peacocks roaming around human habitats and cultivated lands.
Animal-human conflicts and property destruction have mostly been reported around these areas, and serious social and economic issues have also arisen.
Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation has prepared a comprehensive program based on the opinions of all stakeholders, including the public, university community, farmers’ organizations, environmentalists, non-governmental organizations which work for environmental issues, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Development, and other relevant organizations.
Taking into consideration the report submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to appoint a ministerial committee with the participation of other relevant ministers, chaired by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, to submit appropriate recommendations on how the aforementioned program should be implemented by further reviewing the proposals included in the said program and incorporating new proposals.
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Cabinet nod to accept Japanese government grant of 08 used low floorboard buses
Payment of the financial subsidy for fertilizer to farmers cultivating paddy lands for the Yala season 2026.
Ministerial Committee appointed to submit recommendations on proposed program to mitigate loss of crops to wild animals
New Zealand elect to bowl first at Eden Gardens
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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