External Affairs Minister SM Krishna today concluded his four day visit to Sri Lanka. Before flying back to India this afternoon, he announced a substantial expansion in the scholarships currently being offered by India to meritorious Sri Lankan students.

Under this initiative, the number of scholarships and Self-Finance slots for Undergraduate / Masters / Phd Courses is being increased from the existing 113 slots to 270 per year. In addition, scholarship support to deserving students pursuing their GCE ‘A’ level and University degrees in Sri Lanka is being expanded to cover about 500 students annually.

Mr. Krishna highlighted that the programme would be fully funded by an Indian grant assistance amounting to 2.5 billion Sri Lankan Rupees to implement various schemes for the 3-year duration. These scholarships will cover the course fee, cost of books, boarding and lodging, plus a monthly stipend to the scholars. The initiative encompasses the spirit of “India-Sri Lanka Knowledge Initiative” launched by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his visit to India in June, 2010.

External Affairs Minister S.M Krishna expressed the hope that the expanded scholarship programme in Sri Lanka will go a long way in further cementing educational ties between India and Sri Lanka. Earlier, he handed over the newly upgraded second phase of the high speed coastal railway line from Galle to Hikkaduwa , which has been built with Indian assistance.

The project is being executed under the Indian line of credit of 800 million USD for the reconstruction of railway lines both in North and South of Sri Lanka. . The entire project is slated to be complete by 2013.