Sri Lanka has selected 20 students to pursue a 10-month Hindi language course in India under a government-sponsored scholarship programme, continuing a bilateral educational initiative that has supported over 200 learners since 2011.
Twenty Sri Lankan students have been selected to participate in the Government of India's "Propagation of Hindi Abroad" scholarship programme, which will fund their studies at the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan in Agra from August 2026 through May 2027. The Indian government will cover all expenses associated with the programme, including airfare, tuition fees, and local accommodation for the students during their 10-month stay.
The selected cohort comes from multiple Sri Lankan institutions. The University of Kelaniya has the largest representation with eight students, followed by five from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and three from Rajarata University in Anuradhapura. The remaining three positions are filled by students from the University of Ruhuna and the Sri Palee Campus of the University of Colombo.
Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha met with the students on August 4 to offer encouragement before their departure. During the meeting, he emphasised how Hindi language and literature serve as a bridge between India and Sri Lanka, pointing to the deep cultural, linguistic, literary and spiritual connections between the two nations. The High Commissioner also highlighted grammatical and linguistic similarities between Hindi and Sinhala.
The scholarship initiative, coordinated by the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre since 2011, reflects the sustained focus on language education as a means of strengthening bilateral ties. According to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, the programme has benefited more than 200 Sri Lankan students over the past 14 years. Hindi instruction remains available across approximately 100 institutions throughout Sri Lanka, encompassing leading schools and universities.
