High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, H.E. Santosh Jha, attended the 20th Anniversary celebrations of the Up-Country Education Development Society (UEDS) in Colombo on 14 June 2026. Hon.Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Hon.Pradeep Sundaralingam, Deputy Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure and H.W. Vraie Cally Balthazaar, Mayor of Colombo Municipal Council also participated in the event.
Congratulating UEDS on two decades of dedicated service, the High Commissioner commended the Society’s significant contribution towards promoting education and empowering the Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) community. He noted that IOT community occupies a special place in the shared history and civilisational ties between India and Sri Lanka and continues to serve as a living bridge between the two countries.
Reaffirming India’s commitment to education as a driver of inclusive development, the High Commissioner highlighted the recent enhancement of the Ceylon Estate Workers’ Educational Trust (CEWET) Scholarship Programme, under which the number of beneficiaries has doubled from 350 to 700, along with increased scholarship assistance. He also referred to India’s continued support through Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships, Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) training programmes and other capacity-building initiatives that have benefited thousands of Sri Lankan students and professionals.
High Commissioner also highlighted several projects being implemented under the Government of India’s INR 75 crore Indian Origin Tamil Package, upgradation of school infrastructure, and STEM training for over 2,000 plantation school teachers. He further noted the ongoing implementation of India’s housing programme for IOT families and the recent decision to extend Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card eligibility to the fifth and sixth generations of the Sri Lankan diaspora of Indian origin & procedural relaxations.
Emphasising that India’s development partnership with Sri Lanka remains people-centric, the High Commissioner reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting the educational and socio-economic advancement of IOT community. High Commissioner also handed over awards to achievers of UEDS for their contribution to education for the benefit of IOT community.
