Disabled scientist fights for facilities

Chennai: Since 2007, Gnana Bharathi, a physically challenged principal scientist at CSIR Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) has been asking for facilities within CLRI to carry out his research trials, but has been denied the same, he claims.  

He is 90 per cent disabled following a train accident in 2002. That hasn’t deterred this man from experimenting research ideas at his residence in CLRI campus where he sits smiling as he tells the sad tale of his trying to convince the institute’s management for the past nine years.  

A graduate of Applied Geology from IIT, Roorkee, he did M. Tech in Mineral Exploration from ISM, Dhanbad and was working in Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) until he suffered a spinal cord injury in the accident.
“Despite my interest to join Environment Technology Division (ETD) of CLRI in 2007, I was sent to Library.  Though the field was completely new to me, I established myself in the field of Scientometrics and published scientific articles in international journals like Scientometrics and PlosOne,” said Gnana Bharathi.

“As it is important to do PhD in the department that works on the field, I applied for a transfer from library to ETD.  The then director sanctioned my transfer,” he added. “Despite the sanctioning of my transfer, two individuals including a Chief Scientist and the Senior Controller of Administration, barred my joining,” he continued.

He has experimented with new ideas at his home and has filed two patent applications through CLRI. The third patent is underway. He designed a shoe in which one can keep changing the exterior as per their choice, without major altering of the shoe.

“Though I have very little knowledge of the subject, I have completed the designing and fabrication, successfully. A research scientist at Kolkata displayed it at a science exhibition in a school at CLRI, the design was not discussed,” he added.

“I wanted to file three patents on the sea wave energy conversion technology.  As I cannot do the physical experiments in the library, I constructed prototypes in my residence.  As of now CLRI SCIM accepts the patent application based on project number given by CLRI PME department.  My request for a project number was declined and the Director asked me to apply for external agencies and to wait until RC recommendation,” he said.

A highly placed official at CLRI said the institute has ensured all support to Gnana Bharathi but internal matters pertaining to departments don’t allow part-time Ph.D. fellows to be given complete transfer of departments.