New Sri Lankan PM has old India connect having BA degree from DU

New Delhi: New Sri Lankan President Anura K Dissanayake choice of Harini Amarasuriya as Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, is a shot in the arm for India with the new PM having spent quality time in New Delhi as an ICCR scholar.

Harini is part of a four-member Cabinet that will run the country until parliamentary elections in November. But few would know that Amarasuriya has an India connection being an alumnus of the Delhi University as ICCR fellow.

The 54-year-old politician, who took office as the 16th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on Tuesday, studied at the Delhi University’s Hindu College in the early 1990s. She pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from 1991 to 1994. Sources recalled that Harini was deeply involved in college festivals and debates.


Harini has been assigned the portfolios of the Minister of Justice, Education, Labour, Industries, Science and Tech, Health, and Investment.

But it is not just the PM. The new Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Herath Mudiyanselage Vijitha also has Indian connections having visited the country in the past.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday congratulated Vijitha Herath on his appointment as Foreign Minister.

Jaishankar expressed his commitment to reinforcing India-Sri Lanka civilizational ties and strengthening the traditionally close bonds of friendship between the two countries.

In a post on X, he said, “Congratulate Vijitha Herath on his appointment as Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka. Committed to reinforcing our civilizational ties, strengthening our traditionally close bonds of friendship and expanding our multifaceted cooperation for the benefit of both our peoples.”

As a Member of Parliament, Herath has represented the Gampaha District since 2000. He had also previously served as the Minister of Cultural Affairs & National Heritage.

In February Herath was part of the delegation led by Anura Kumar Dissanayake to New Delhi and Gujarat and met top Indian officials and discussed regional geopolitics.

Herath had then stated following his India visit, “The main focus of our discussions centred on regional security, particularly in South Asia. We deliberated on various geopolitical threats that could potentially undermine regional stability. We assured our Indian counterparts that we are committed to safeguarding regional security while upholding our nation’s sovereignty. It’s imperative to note that our national security measures inherently contribute to regional security.”