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116,000 Scholarships under the Presidential Scholarship Program – 2024
- Rs.824 Million Allocated for G.C.E. (A/L) Students.
- Rs.3, 600 Million for 100,000 Students from Grade 1 to Grade 11.
- Rs.288 Million for Student Monks and Sheela Matha.
- Rs.720 Million for G.C.E. (A/L) Students in ICT.
- Schools Not Yet Applied for Scholarships Urged to Apply Soon- President’s Fund.
One Hundred and sixteen thousand (116,000) scholarships are to be awarded for the year 2024 under the “Presidential Scholarship Program”, which is implemented according to the concept of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, for the upliftment of the education of the children of the underprivileged.
Accordingly, Rs. 824 million has been allocated for the scholarship program, which will provide Rs. 6000 per month for 24 months to 6000 students studying for their G.C.E. (A/L)s. Additionally, Rs. 3600 million has been allocated for a scholarship program that grants Rs. 3000 per month for 12 months to 100,000 students from grade 1 to grade 11.
In addition, Rs. 288 million has been allocated for the scholarship program offered to student monks, Seela Matha, and lay students studying in Piriven and Seela Matha educational institutes. Furthermore, Rs. 720 million has been allocated for the scholarship program jointly offered by the Regulatory Commission and the President’s Fund for students studying telecommunication as a subject for the G.C.E. (A/L) examination.
Accordingly, in addition to the existing scholarship programs, more than Rs. 5000 million will be allocated to students for these scholarship programs.
Under the two scholarship programs implemented for G.C.E. (A/L) students and children from grade 1 to grade 11, the following allocations will be made: 242 G.C.E. (A/L) students in four education zones of the Colombo district and 4866 students from grade 1 to grade 11 will receive scholarships. Additionally, 240 G.C.E. (A/L) students in four education zones of the Gampaha district and 6234 students from grade 1 to grade 11 will be awarded scholarships. In the Kalutara district, 180 G.C.E. (A/L) students in three education zones and 4390 students from grade 1 to grade 11 will receive scholarships.
In the Jaffna district, 300 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 3544 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in five education zones will be awarded scholarships. In the Mannar district, 120 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 1030 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in two education zones will receive scholarships. For the Vavuniya district, 120 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 1298 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in two education zones will receive scholarships. In the Mullaitivu district, 120 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 1028 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in two education zones will be awarded scholarships. In the Kilinochchi district, 120 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 956 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in two education zones will receive scholarships.
364 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 8392 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in 6 education zones of the Kurunegala district, 120 G.C.E. (A/L) students, and 4046 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in 2 education zones of the Puttalam district will receive scholarships.
300 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 3436 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in 5 education zones of the Batticaloa district, 420 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 4340 students from grade1 to grade 11 in 7 education zones of the Ampara district, and 300 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 2972 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in 5 education zones of the Trincomalee district will receive scholarships.
360 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 5410 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in education zones of the Badulla district, 240 G.C.E. (A/L) students, and 2994 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in 4 education zones of the Monaragala district will be awarded scholarships, while 240 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 5642 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in 4 education zones of the Ratnapura district, and 180 G.C.E. (A/L) students, and 4524 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in 3 education zones of the Kegalle district, scholarships will be provided.
360 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 6472 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in 6 education zones of the Kandy district, 240 G.C.E. (A/L) students, and 2894 students from grade 1 to grade1 11 in 4 education zones of the Matale district, and 300 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 4940 students from grade 1 to grade 11 5 education zones of the Nuwara Eliya district will receive scholarships.
240 G.C.E. (A /L) students and 4410 students from Grade 1 to grade 11 in 4 education zones of the Galle district, 240 G.C.E. (A/L) students, and 3644 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in 4 education zones of the Matara district, and 180 G.C.E. (A/L) students, and 3330 students from grade1 to grade 11 in 3 education zones of the Hambantota district will be awarded scholarships.
On behalf of 300 G.C.E. (A/L) students and 5360 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in 5 education zones of the Anuradhapura district, and 177 G.C.E. (A/L) students, and 2456 students from grade 1 to grade 11 in 3 education zones of the Polonnaruwa district will be awarded scholarships.
The President’s Fund will arrange scholarships for all selected students at the school level. Each school will receive scholarships based on its student enrolment, with details available from the Zonal Education Office. A list of schools yet to apply for scholarships has also been provided to the Zonal Education Offices. Therefore, schools that have not yet applied are urged to do so promptly.
In addition to the on-going scholarship programs, a ceremony chaired by President Ranil Wickremesinghe will soon award 5,000 scholarships to student monks at Piriven and Sheela Matha educational institutes in Colombo.
(PMD)
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Oil nears $110 a barrel after gas field strike
Oil prices leapt to nearly $110 a barrel after Iranian media reported an airstrike hitting a facility on the world’s largest natural gas field.
The Brent crude oil benchmark hit $109.91 a barrel just after 14:30 GMT, more than 5% higher than Tuesday’s prices, but has since fallen slightly.
The benchmark UK gas price also jumped by 6% to 143.53p a therm before falling back below the 140p mark.
The surge followed reports Iran’s petrochemical complex on the South Pars gas field had been hit. Several hours later, Qatar reported that there was “extensive damage” at the Ras Laffan industrial site following threats from Iran.
While the price of both oil and gas spiked, they remained below highs seen earlier in the conflict.
Oil reached $116.78 a barrel on 9 March, while UK gas reached 162.55p a therm on 3 March.
Iran’s oil ministry said a fire at the petrochemical complex was under control, according to Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran’s military warned it would take “decisive action” in response to the strike on its energy infrastructure.
“As previously warned, if the fuel, energy, gas, and economic infrastructures of our country are attacked by the American-Zionist enemy, in addition to a powerful counterattack against the enemy, we will severely strike the origin of that aggression as well,” the military said in a statement published by Tasnim.
“We consider targeting the fuel, energy, and gas infrastructures of the countries of origin legitimate and will retaliate strongly at the earliest opportunity.”
Qatar also operates facilities on the gas field, which it calls North Dome.
But the country, which produces a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas, had halted production earlier in March in response to the conflict.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said strikes against energy infrastructure “constitutes a threat to global energy security”.
Just after 1815 GMT, the Qatari interior minister said it was responding to “a fire in the Ras Laffan area following an Iranian targeting”. Qatar’s petrol firm QatarEnergy later said there was “extensive damage” at the site.
The interior minister said just after 1900 GMT that it had “initially brought the fire in Ras Laffan under control, with no injuries reported”.
Ras Laffan was among the sites listed by Iran in a warning that it would take “decisive action” after its South Pars gas field facilities were reportedly hit by Israeli strikes.
‘Energy markets will likely remain volatile’
AJ Bell’s head of financial analysis Danni Hewson said the attack and retaliation by Iran had “helped dial up the temperature once again and put renewed upward pressure on oil prices”.
“Any solution to the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz looks pretty distant at this point and until there is progress on that front, energy markets will likely remain volatile,” she added.
The White House on Wednesday responded to the rising oil price by saying it was suspending the Jones Act — a 1920 law that says only American-made ships can be used to transport goods between US ports.
US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the 60-day waiver of the rules, which are intended to boost shipbuilding, will allow “vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertiliser, and coal to flow freely” as non-American-made ships can now be used.
However, maritime groups in the US said the effect would be minimal, noting that oil prices, not shipping costs, are behind rising prices at the pump.
Experts say earlier efforts by world leaders to ease price pressures, including an unprecedented release of oil reserves, have done little to reduce oil prices.
Meanwhile, Iran has also suspended the flow of gas to Iraq to shore up domestic supplies, a senior Iraqi official told Reuters.
The vast majority of Iran’s gas supply – 94% – is used domestically, according to data from the Gas Exporting Countries Forum.
[BBC]
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Heat Index at ‘Caution Level’ in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-central, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu districts
Warm Weather Advisory Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. on 18 March 2026, valid for 19 March 2026
The general public are cautioned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-central, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu districts.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
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Four dead 32 injured in head on collision at Weerawila
Four persons including a Budhist monk died and 32 others were injured when two SLTB buses collided head on at Weerawila at arond 12 noon today (18).
Three of the deceased were women. 22 of the injured were admitted to the Hambanthota Hospital while 10 others have been admitted to the Debarawewa hospital.
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