The Indian Government says it continues to stand with Sri Lanka.
The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Taranjit Singh Sandhu participated in the inaugural ceremony of RESCON2019 – the annual Research Congress of the Post Graduate Institute of Sciences (PGIS) in University of Peradeniya as the Chief Guest yesterday.
Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Parakrama Karunaratne was Guest of Honour and Prof. Alan Lyons from City University of New York delivered keynote address.
More than two hundred researchers, faculty and members of the academia were present at the event.
In his address, High Commissioner Sandhu underlined both India’s and Sri Lanka’s rich scientific tradition.
He also highlighted recent advances that India has made in the field of Science and Technology (S&T) and pointed out opportunities available for Sri Lankan scholars for collaboration with their Indian counterparts in the S&T sector.
The High Commissioner emphasized that India continued to stand with Sri Lanka and noted that following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s solidarity to visit to Sri Lanka in June 2019, the number of Indian tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka became around thrice the number from second highest source market.
“I would like to reiterate that for India, Sri Lanka is special. The Indian Housing project in Sri Lanka, is the largest grant assistance project of Government of India, in any country abroad. Similarly, we have constructed the largest University Auditorium in Sri Lanka, in University of Ruhuna. The 1990 Emergency Ambulance funded by India, which is now operational islandwide. Our development partnership with Sri Lanka is based on Sri Lanka’s own priorities. Our projects are people–oriented. They have a direct impact on the lives of common people. From North to the South and West to East, it is spread all across the island,” he said.
In his remarks Deputy Vice Chancellor appreciated collaboration of Peradeniya University with India and highlighted the institute’s participation in Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation ( ITEC) program.
Last evening High Commissioner Sandhu was received and blessed by the Most Venerable Mahanayake Theros of Asgiriya and Malwathu Chapters.
High Commissioner also paid respects at Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic).
(Colombo Gazette)