CHENNAI, October 21, 2024— India has doubled its grant to enhance education for the Tamil community in the plantation areas of Sri Lanka. In response to a request from the Sri Lankan government, the total commitment from India now stands at 600 million Sri Lankan rupees for this initiative.
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, and J.M. Thilaka Jayasundara, Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology of Sri Lanka, signed and exchanged diplomatic letters to formalize the grant.
The Indian High Commission stated, “This project is part of India’s numerous past and ongoing development partnership initiatives in the crucial education sector in Sri Lanka.” The plan includes upgrading the infrastructure of nine plantation schools identified by the Sri Lankan government, with six located in the Central Province and one each in Uva, Sabaragamuwa, and Southern Provinces.
This initiative is part of a broader multi-sectoral Indian grant assistance of 750 million Indian rupees announced last year, commemorating 200 years of the Indian-origin Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
India continues to support Sri Lanka across various sectors, including education, in line with its “Neighborhood First” policy. Recently, a three-month teacher training program was completed under this grant assistance, training 2,000 Sri Lankan teachers at 40 centers with the help of 19 Indian educators.