News
Sri Lankan Navy nabs 54 Indian fishermen, detains two boats
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The Sri Lankan Navy has taken into custody 54 Indian fishermen and detained two boats for fishing in the Sri Lankan waters.
Indian officials said on Thursday that the fishermen, hailing from Rameswaram and Thangachimadam, had been picked up by the Sri Lankan Navy near Katchatheevu on Wednesday.
“They were taken to a local naval camp for further inquiry and are likely to be handed over to Lankan Fisheries authorities to be isolated along with the detained boats,” the Indian officials said.
Indian media reported that the Rameswaran fishermen’s association representatives had expressed concern over such repeated instances of Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu being nabbed by the Sri Lankan navy and urged the Centre and state government to ensure their early release.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo, issuing a media statement yesterday said it had been informed about the apprehension of the Indian fishermen and five boats by Sri Lanka Navy and asked the government to deal with the Indian fishermen in a humanitarian manner.
“Providing immediate consular access and emergency supplies to apprehended fishermen are of prime importance. We are working with Government of Sri Lanka for expeditiously securing consular access for these fishermen. Bilateral mechanisms are in place to comprehensively address all matters related to fisheries. It may be recalled that the Fourth meeting of the Secretary-level JWG was held on 30 December 2020 through virtual mode. Follow-up measures on the basis of discussions which took place during the meeting need to be taken forward quickly.”
The Sri Lankan Government too had repeatedly called on the Indian Government to monitor and prevent Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters.
State Minister of Ornamental Fish, Freshwater Fish and Shrimp Farming Development, Multiday Fishing and Fish Export Kanchana Wijesekera said last December that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa discussed the matter with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a virtual summit.
Wijesekera said that Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda had also spoken to Indian officials. “Indian fishermen were taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka to poach here. “We cannot detain the Indian fishermen once arrested because of the high Covid-19 cases among them. Therefore, we have to release them once arrested.”
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the President to appoint the Committee on Economic Surveillance headed by the Minister of Labour, Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando as the Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning and comprised of the relevant heads of the Institutions and eminencies in the field to provide recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers on the essential policy precautions to be taken by constantly supervising the impact that can affect Sri Lankan economy due to the conflict in the Middle East.
News
Cabinet nod to include the National Savings Bank for the Interest-Free Loan Scheme for Students
The Interest-Free Loan Scheme is implemented to follow government-recognized degree programs in non-governmental higher education institutions for students who have passed the General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) Examination and have not been eligible to enter a state university.
At present, the People’s Bank and the Bank of Ceylon are the banks that are granting loans under the aforementioned loan scheme. It has been planned to provide loan facilities for 7,000 students under stage 10 of the aforementioned loan scheme.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Prime Minister in her capacity as the Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education to include the National Savings Bank as a bank that grants loans for students under the aforementioned loan scheme, in addition to the People’s Bank and Bank of Ceylon.
Latest News
PM holds bilateral meetings in the Philippines to strengthen cooperation in Education, Skills Development, and Agricultural Research
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya held a series of meetings with key Philippine institutions during her official visit to the Philippines from 09–11 March 2026, focusing on strengthening cooperation in education, higher education, technical skills development, and agricultural research.
On 09 March, the Prime Minister met with the Secretary of Education of the Philippines, Sonny Angara. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the education sector, including sharing best practices in education policy, teacher training, curriculum reforms, and digital learning initiatives. The Prime Minister also briefed the Philippine delegation on Sri Lanka’s ongoing education reforms aimed at modernizing curricula and integrating technology into learning.
The Prime Minister also met with a delegation of the Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines (CHED), led by Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis. Discussions centered on the development of higher education in both countries, with particular attention to research collaboration, academic partnerships between universities, student and faculty exchanges, and strengthening quality assurance frameworks.
In a separate meeting, the Prime Minister held talks with the Secretary and Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Jose Francisco B. Benitez. The discussions focused on cooperation in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), including knowledge sharing, institutional partnerships, and possible alignment of qualifications frameworks to enhance skills recognition and workforce mobility.
The meetings reaffirmed the commitment of Sri Lanka and the Philippines, along with international research institutions, to strengthen collaboration in education, skills development, and agricultural research in support of sustainable development and human capital growth.
The Sri Lankan delegation included the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Philippines, Dr. Chanaka Talpahewa, and Senior Assistant Secretary to the Prime Minister, Ms. P.H. Piyumee Bandara.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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