India has provided military stores worth USD 5.5 million to the Sri Lanka Army free of charge in response to an urgent request from the Ministry of Defence, aimed at addressing shortages that had affected the Army’s operational readiness.

The assistance was approved by India’s Ministry of Defence and supplied from the operational stocks of the Indian Army. The stores were transported to Colombo aboard the Indian Naval Ship Sharda, which was specially deployed for the purpose, Indian High Commission in Colombo said.

The formal handover ceremony was attended by Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, Defence Secretary retired Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, and Army Commander Lt. Gen. Lasantha Rodrigo.

According to the Indian High Commission, New Delhi responded to Colombo’s request within a month, underscoring the close defence cooperation between the two countries.

The latest assistance follows a series of defence-related initiatives undertaken by India in support of Sri Lanka. Over the past two years, India’s Ministry of Defence has approved projects valued at approximately Rs. 5 billion for infrastructure development and the provision of military equipment and training support to the Sri Lankan Armed Forces.

India has also extended humanitarian and technical assistance during emergencies. Following Cyclone Ditwah, the Indian Army deployed an 80-member field hospital team that treated nearly 7,000 people over a two-week period. In a separate initiative, a 48-member engineering task force remained in Sri Lanka for more than six months, constructing seven bridges, assessing damaged infrastructure and providing technical advice to the Road Development Authority.

Training cooperation continues to be a key component of bilateral defence ties, with around 1,200 Sri Lankan military personnel receiving training annually at Indian Armed Forces institutions. The programme is complemented by instructor exchanges, specialised courses and mobile training teams.

Officials said the provision of military stores reflects the strong defence partnership between the two countries and aligns with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and its regional security and development framework, MAHASAGAR.

Eight creative talent representing Sri Lanka will take part in the coveted Young Lions Competition in Cannes, France, on June 22nd. Out of this national team, six members are from Ogilvy Group Sri Lanka, recording the largest contingent ever fielded by a single agency in the country for the competition.

The Young Lions Competition in Cannes is globally regarded as a proving ground for creative talent under the age of 30. It brings together national winners from around the world to compete in the PR, Media, Digital, Film, Print and Design categories. Here, the Sri Lankan cohort will go head-to-head with the world’s top young creative minds in one of the most intense and high-pressure competitions in the global creative industry.

A cross-disciplinary mix will represent the country at this year’s Young Lions Competition in France. Ogilvy’s Sachintha Gunawardena and Hasith Dilakshana will compete in the Media category, Azraa Saldin and Nirmala Premachandra will represent the country in the PR category and Afridi Hussain and Maveena Manickam will vie for top honours in the Film category. Their place on the global stage follows wins in the Media, PR and Film categories at the Young Lions Sri Lanka Competition held in April.

At the competition, the teams are given a real-world brief from a non-profit or purpose-led organisation, often centred on a pressing social or environmental challenge. With just 24 hours to respond, they are required to develop a fully-fledged campaign at speed.

Teams competing in the Media category must develop an insight-led strategy that demonstrates effective use of channels to drive engagement. In PR, the focus shifts to crafting a compelling narrative and campaign idea capable of influencing perception and action. In Film, teams are required to produce an original 60-second film that meets the brief.

The teams will work from the dedicated Young Lions Competition Hub at the Cannes Lions School, an immersive space designed to stimulate ideas and creative thinking.

Once complete, the campaigns are presented to the Young Lions Jury, comprising senior creatives from leading global agencies and organisations.

Held alongside the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the world’s foremost gathering for the creative communications industry, the Young Lions Competition immerses participants in a global arena defined by award-winning work, industry-defining ideas and leading creative voices from around the world.

In the lead-up to Cannes, the Sri Lankan contingent has been undergoing intensive preparation, supported by senior mentors across Ogilvy Group Sri Lanka, together with Metal Factor, the local representative of the Young Lions Competition.

Main opposition SJB has urged the Government to reconsider the scheduled date of the 2026 G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination, citing concerns raised by students and parents over insufficient preparation time.

Addressing a press conference at the SJB headquarters in Pitakotte last Tuesday, Kandy District SJB MP Chamindranee Kiriella said that students due to sit the examination on Aug. 10 were facing significant challenges owing to the reduced period available for completing the syllabus and preparing for the highly competitive examination.

She noted that only about 25 per cent of Advanced Level candidates gain admission to universities, making the examination one of the most competitive in the country. Given those circumstances, students required adequate time to prepare, she said.

Kiriella pointed out that candidates sitting the examination for the first time in 2026 had been allocated only about 21 months to complete the syllabus, compared to between 27 and 31 months afforded to students from 2022 to 2025.

“Many schools have still not completed the syllabus. Although the Ministry of Education has instructed schools to expedite the process, merely completing the syllabus is not enough. Students also need time for revision, model papers and past-paper practice,” she said.

The MP also referred to the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which affected several parts of the country and caused some students to lose notes and study materials. The resulting disruption had placed considerable pressure on both students and parents, she added.

Kiriella said students had requested an additional one to one-and-a-half months to prepare for the examination. The SJB’s appeal to the Government was not intended to delay the examination for political reasons, she stressed, but was based on representations made by students and parents.

She also highlighted difficulties faced by second- and third-time candidates, noting that the interval between the release of results and the next examination had been significantly reduced. Traditionally, such candidates had six to nine months to prepare, but this year they had been afforded considerably less time, she said.

The MP said parents had repeatedly appealed to the authorities to address the issue, but had received little response, prompting them to seek the intervention of Opposition parliamentarians.

Calling on the Minister of Education and the Government to adopt a more sympathetic approach, Kiriella urged authorities to ensure that candidates sitting the 2026 Advanced Level Examination were given the same reasonable preparation period enjoyed by students in previous years.

She also appealed to the Government to reconsider efforts to recover time lost due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic at the expense of students preparing for the forthcoming examination.

“The SJB has no intention of disrupting the education system. We are merely asking the Government to act sensitively and ensure fairness to students who will sit the 2026 Advanced Level Examination,” she said.