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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.
The Bribery Commission on Friday filed a corruption case against former Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and ex-BOI Director General Jayantha Edirisinghe, accusing them of misusing public cash for a lavish newspaper ad campaign back in 2014.
They stand accused of siphoning Rs. 1.7 million in state funds to publish 11 newspaper supplements marking the second inauguration anniversary of then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa on November 19, 2014.
According to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), the move amounted to a clear breach of anti-graft laws, with five formal charges now filed before the Colombo High Court.
The case, centred around alleged misuse of Board of Investment (BOI) funds, is backed by 21 pieces of documentary evidence and testimony from 15 witnesses.
The Bribery Commission maintains that the ad blitz had no official sanction and led to a direct loss of Rs. 1,748,877.76 to the state.
Inspector General of Police T.M.W. Deshabandu Tennakoon is set to face formal questioning tomorrow (May 19) over serious allegations of misconduct and abuse of power, parliamentary sources said on Friday.
A special committee appointed to investigate the claims will commence formal proceedings next week, following several rounds of preliminary discussions held within the parliamentary complex in recent weeks.
The IGP has been officially notified to appear before the committee and is expected to face the inquiry for the first time at 2:00 PM in Committee Room No. 8.
The committee, which met again on Thursday (15) to finalise arrangements, is investigating allegations that Tennakoon misused his official powers in a manner deemed severe and improper.
A shocking total of 53 elephants have died and 17 more have been injured in train collisions across Sri Lanka between 2020 and 2024, it was revealed at a recent meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts (COPA), parliamentary sources said on Friday.
The figures emerged during a session chaired by MP Aravinda Senaratne to review the 2023 Auditor General’s report and the current performance of the Sri Lanka Railways Department.
Despite a 2018 survey that identified key elephant crossings along railway lines, officials admitted there has been no meaningful reduction in fatal collisions. On the contrary, the crisis appears to be escalating.
Officials from the Department of Railways told the committee that nearly 200 elephants are now estimated to roam near railway tracks on a daily basis, significantly increasing the risk of fatal encounters.
While some short-term fixes have been implemented, officials confirmed that discussions are ongoing with the Department of Wildlife Conservation to develop long-term solutions.
The committee emphasised the urgency of the issue, noting that the 2018 survey —which ran from October 11 to 15 that year—had pinpointed high-risk zones. However, six years on, elephants continue to die in preventable accidents.
COPA members in attendance included State Ministers Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekera and Sugath Thilakaratne, along with MPs Chandana Sooriyaarachchi, Oshani Umanga, Dinindu Saman Hennayake, T.K. Jayasundara, Ruwanthilaka Jayakodi, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, Ajantha Gammaddage, Susantha Kumara Navarathna, and Lal Premanath. Several senior government officials were also present.
Rain ends Kolkata Knight Rider’s playoff hopes and extends pause on IPL 2025
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