On 02 June 2026, High Commissioner of India H.E Santosh Jha distributed enhanced financial assistance under Indian grant among meritorious students of University of Jaffna hailing from economically weaker sections of society. The scheme was rolled out starting from academic year 2025-26.
Earlier, a financial assistance scheme under Indian grant had been implemented at the university in the academic year 2023-24, where a scholarship of SLR 5000 per month was granted to 100 students selected on the basis of economic background and academic performance.
Noting the positive feedback received on the utility of the scheme, as well as requests for its extension from the university authorities and students, During the State visit of President of Sri Lanka H.E. Anura Kumara Disanayaka to India in December 2024, Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi announced that India will implement an enhanced scheme for students of Eastern University and University of Jaffna.
Under the enhanced scheme, starting from the academic year 2025-26, each year, financial assistance of LKR 7500 per student per month shall be provided to 100 UG-level students in the first year, and will be continued until the end of their respective academic courses. Thus, in the fourth year of the scheme implementation, scholarships will be disbursed to 400 students at the university.
Speaking at the event, High Commissioner H.E. Santosh Jha underscored that financial assistance propels academic pursuits and allows the beneficiary students to focus on what truly matters—education, growth, and future.
The initiative is in line with the numerous past and ongoing development partnership projects of India in Sri Lanka in the education sector. A selection of a few instances would include establishment of auditoriums at the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Auditorium at Ruhuna University; renovation works at over 79 schools in the Northern Province; supply of 110 buses to educational institutions across the island; establishment of smart classrooms and computer labs in 200 schools in the Southern Province; construction of a multi-ethnic tri-lingual school at Polonnaruwa in the North Central Province among many others. The projects namely ‘Up-gradation of 9 plantation schools’ and ‘Establishment of 60 Smart Class Rooms in Selected Plantation Schools’ are being implemented presently.
Disbursement of India’s Enhanced Financial Assistance Scheme among students of University of Jaffna
