News
India and Sri Lanka commit to more cooperation in education and skills training at ITEC Day Celebration
To mark 59 years of capacity building partnership between India and Sri Lanka through Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), the High Commission of India in Colombo celebrated ITEC Day 2023 on 27 September.
Dr. Suren Raghavan, State Minister of Higher Education, and Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, Deputy High Commissioner, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour, respectively. The event was attended by over 100 participants, which included ITEC alumni from Sri Lanka, officials, and professionals from diverse sectors who have participated in various training courses in India under different ITEC programmes.
In his address, State Minister of Higher Education lauded the historically close relations between India and Sri Lanka. Dr. Raghavan congratulated India for the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission and especially praised Indian women scientists involved in the lunar mission. He appreciated India for offering ITEC slots and annual scholarships to Sri Lankan nationals, and thanked Delhi for the financial support extended to Sri Lanka in recent months.
The State Minister also highlighted the scope for further cooperation between the two countries in the field of higher education, skill development and capacity building, especially in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and IT sectors. He encouraged the beneficiaries of ITEC programmes to contribute not only to the development of Sri Lanka but also to take India-Sri Lanka relationship to the next level.
Indian Deputy High Commissioner Dr. Satyanjal Pandey noted the enormous interest shown by Sri Lankan officials for the ITEC programme over the years. The Deputy High Commissioner highlighted India’s endeavour to help Sri Lanka in the education sector, including in higher education through partnership between higher education institutes in India and Sri Lanka, besides the current 402 ITEC slots annually. The Deputy High Commissioner reiterated that India is guided by the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ which means ‘the world is one family’ and India would continue to be in the forefront of capacity building programmes for Sri Lanka.
Senior officials reminisced and shared their experiences of ITEC training in India and appreciated the holistic content of the different ITEC programmes, such as Gender Responsive Governance, Climate Change Policy Development and Financing for Effective Implementation of SDGs, Integrating Industry Four Dot Zero (4.0) Competency and Twenty First Century Skills in Educational Institutions, and Parliamentary Internship programme.
ITEC is a flagship programme of the Government of India launched in September 1964 for extending technical assistance and building capacities of developing countries. It has emerged as an important vehicle for India’s contribution to human resource development of partner countries with over 200,000 persons from 160 fellow developing countries having participated in the programme. Sri Lanka is currently allotted 402 training slots annually for the ITEC programme. ‘ITEC Day’ is celebrated every year by Indian diplomatic Missions all over the world to mark this unique pillar of South-South partnership.
Ms Sajeewani Dilka Lakmali Karunannayake was sworn in as a Judge of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon (03).
She previously served as an Additional Solicitor General at the Attorney General’s Department.
The appointment has been made to fill a vacancy on the Court of Appeal.
Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present on the occasion.
(President’s Media Division)
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Sun directly overhead Madampe, Thorayaya, Thotagamuwa, Rattota and Kalavanchikudy about 12.09 noon today (03)
The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.
The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (03) are Madampe, Thorayaya, Thotagamuwa, Rattota and
Kalavanchikudy about 12.09 noon.
Attorney-at-Law Sugandhika Fernando, on behalf of the Vinivida Foundation, petitioned the Supreme Court yesterday (02), seeking a full bench, excluding Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, to hear the petitions challenging the 22nd Amendment Bill. She also requested that the hearing be suspended immediately until the matter was fully heard and determined.
Among the respondents are Chief Justice Surasena, the first respondent, and Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe. Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Shiran Gooneratne, Achala Wengappuli and Priyantha Fernando have also been named as respondents.
The petitioner has sought to have quashed the decision of the first respondent to appoint a five-member bench, which she alleged was made in violation of the norms of public law. She also sought a bench comprising all Supreme Court judges, excluding those cited as respondents, to hear the special determination applications on the 22nd Amendment.
The petitioner further contended that Chief Justice Surasena, who is due to retire on December 1, 2026, would be the main beneficiary of the 22nd Amendment.
The hearing of the petitions continued for a second day yesterday (02) before a five-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justices Achala Wengappuli, Arjuna Obeyesekere, Sampath Abeykoon and Gihan Kulatunga.
The hearing, which commenced on Tuesday morning, continued for nearly 12 hours, until 10:30 p.m.
Solicitor General Viraj Dayaratne, appearing for the Attorney General, submitted yesterday that the Government had presented the 22nd Amendment Bill to the Constitution and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill with the objective of expanding and streamlining the country’s judicial system.
After the Solicitor General’s submissions concluded, counsel representing the petitioners requested an opportunity to respond to the Solicitor General and the intervening petitioners. However, the Chief Justice declined to allow the petitioners’ counsel to make further oral submissions, concluded the determination hearing and directed them to file written submissions instead.
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Sun directly overhead Madampe, Thorayaya, Thotagamuwa, Rattota and Kalavanchikudy about 12.09 noon today (03)
Afternoon thundershowers in the Northern, North-central, Eastern and Uva provinces in next few days, starting from today (03).
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