ITEC, International Students’ Days celebrated at Taj Samudra

The joint celebration of Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation (ITEC) D ay and International Students’ Day on Thursday ( 23) at Hotel Taj Samudra, Colombo, had Sri Lankan alumni of Higher Education in India, expressing their experiences of the Indian Education system.

Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Nimal Siripala De Silva was the Chief Guest on the occasion, while India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Taranjit Singh Sandhu was the Guest of Honour.

Around 270 Sri Lankan alumni who studied in India, under the ITEC and Indian Council of Cultural Relations ( ICCR) Scholarship schemes of the Indian Govt, attended the celebration organised by the Indian High Commission (IHC).

Every year, the Indian Govt offers 750 Scholarships to Sri Lankan students, for various Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Doctoral courses. India also provides around 400 fullyfunded short term training opportunities to Sri Lanka under the ITEC Programme every year, according to the IHC. These are aimed at strengthening the skill-sets and for capacity building in Sri Lanka.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva commended India’s achievements in the field of Technology and Research, and thanked the Indian Govt for the valuable development partnership, spread over a multitude of sectors, in Sri Lanka. He described the ties between India and Sri Lanka as millennia-old friendship, while also noting the strong people-to-people ties based on shared culture and heritage. He also suggested there could be greater collaboration between the various training institutions in both countries.

Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu noted that ITEC Day and International Students' Day reflect India’s belief that knowledge and prosperity increase only through sharing. Noting that India’s experience may be of direct relevance to Sri Lanka, HE Singh recalled that, last year, for the first time, the entrance examination for admission to the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technologies, was held in Colombo. He added that, Sri Lankan students can now also participate in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test to pursue Medical Education in India.

For more details on the Scholarship programmes and other Educational assistance, please visit the IHC's website www.hcicolombo.org .

For more information on the ITEC, please visit www.itecgoi.in