By Mewati Sitaram
In a significant boost to cultural and linguistic ties, 35 Sri Lankan students have been selected to pursue Hindi language studies in India under a prestigious scholarship program offered by the Government of India (GOI). The students will undergo a nine-month residential course at the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan (Central Institute of Hindi) in Agra from August 2025 to May 2026.
The fully funded scholarship covers travel, academic fees, and local hospitality, and is part of the ongoing “Propagation of Hindi Abroad” initiative. On 28 July 2025, the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, H.E. Santosh Jha, interacted with the selected students and encouraged them to explore the deep cultural and linguistic connections between India and Sri Lanka. He also discussed similarities between Hindi and Sinhala, and the shared heritage between the two nations.
The selected group includes students from premier Sri Lankan institutions — 17 from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, four each from the Sri Palee campus of the University of Colombo and Rajarata University, and others from University of Kelaniya, University of Sabaragamuwa, and Buddhist monastic centers.
Hindi is currently taught in nearly 100 educational institutions across Sri Lanka, including universities and prominent schools. This year also marks the first time that 35 government school Hindi teachers were trained at the Agra institute.
The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Colombo has coordinated this program since 2011, with over 200 Sri Lankan students benefitting so far — further deepening cultural bonds between the two countries.
Editor in Chief : Mewati SItaram
