News
Indian HC and Moragoda visit Vidyalankara Pirivena
The High Commissioner for India to Sri Lanka, Mr. Gopal Bagley and Mr. Milinda Moragoda, High Commissioner-designate for Sri Lanka to India paid a joint visit to the Vidyalankara Pirivena at Peliyagoda on Thursday (Mar. 25) morning.
After being welcomed by Ven. Welamitiyawe Gnanarathane Thero, Director, Vidyalankara Pirivena and other officials, they worshipped the Buddha relics donated by India to the Vidyalankara Pirivena in 1940.
The visitors also called on the most Ven. Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Nayaka Thero, Chief of the Vidyalankara Pirivena.
The purpose of the visit by High Commissioner Bagley was to revive historical connections between Vidyalankara Pirivena and India. A presentation on the historical linkages between India and Vidyalankara Pirivena was made by Mr. Bertram Liyanage, Director of the Office of Buddhist Encyclopedia.
During the discussion, High Commissioner Bagley emphasized the paramount necessity of reviving historical, academic and research linkages that had existed between Vidyalankara Pirivena and similar institutions and personalities in India and deepening people-to-people contacts between the two countries.
The High Commissioner acknowledged that the Vidyalankara Pirivena is one of the foremost learning centers in Sri Lanka instrumental in fostering relations between the two countries at various levels.
In 1944, Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan was invited as the Chief Guest of the first Convocation of the Vidyalankara Pirivena and conferred with the honorary title of “Vidyācakravari”. In 1959, then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad participated as the Chief Guest at the establishment of Vidyalankara University.
Among the prominent Indian personalities who visited the Vidyalankara Pirivena were Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.
The Pathfinder Foundation is planning to celebrate 80 years of diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka in 2022 with the focus on commemorating the appointment in 1942 of Sir Baron Jayatilaka as Sri Lanka’s first emissary to India. Sir Baron was a student of Vidyalankara Pirivena.
High Commissioner Bagley was accompanied by Ms. Irina Thakur, First Secretary (Commerce and Culture) at the Indian High Commission and Mr. Moragoda by Mr. SumithNakandala, Director of the Centre for Indo-Lanka Initiatives and Mr. Gamini Godakanda, Director, Media at the Pathfinder Foundation.
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Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr. Kristalina Georgieva, at Temple Tress on the 17th of February
Dr. Georgieva, commended the Government’s efforts in stabilizing the country’s economy and in managing recent economic and natural shocks. She noted that Cyclone Ditwah had caused severe impacts, especially on economically vulnerable communities, underscoring the importance of targeted support and resilience-building measures.
The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the IMF’s continued support to Sri Lanka, particularly in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. The PM further emphasized that real economic recovery and development must directly benefit the economically vulnerable groups and ensure inclusive growth, highlighting the need for Sri Lanka to attract quality and sustainable investments, particularly in the tourism sector.
The importance of reforming the education system to focus not only on knowledge acquisition but also on skills development and employability was also discussed
The meeting was attended by the Chief of Staff of the IMF Managing Director Andreas Bauer, Director, Asia and Pacific Department, Dr. Krishna Srinivasan Division Chief (Strategic Communications), Communications Department, Pierre Mejlak Resident Representative for Sri Lanka Dr. Martha Woldemichael, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, and Deputy Governor Dr. C. Amarasekara, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri and Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution forwarded by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to relocate the Deniyaya Base Hospital after constructing a new hospital with a capacity of 300 beds at an estimated cost of Rupees 6,000 million.
The Southern Provincial Department of Health has acquired a plot of land in Handford estate which is approximately 03 kilometres away from the town for this purpose.
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