The Government of India offers scholarship opportunities to the Sri Lankan Government for pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees based on the mutual friendship between the Government of India and the Government of Sri Lanka. After independence to this date, those scholarships are being offered annually with the aim of providing opportunities for higher education to Sri Lankan students in India.
These scholarship programs are implemented by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) established at the Ministry of External Affairs in India. This institute, which is operating since 1950, implements various programs with the basic objectives of fostering mutual understanding and friendship between the Government of India and other countries and exchanging Indian cultural, social and economic relations with other countries. Since India is an educational hub in South Asia, and exchanging of its education opportunities with other amicable countries is another objective.
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) offers scholarship opportunities to this Ministry through the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, and these scholarship programs are being implemented by the High Commission and the Ministry in collaboration.
Indian Scholarships are being implemented under the following programs.
- Nehru Scholarship Scheme
- Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship Program
- Maulana Azad Scholarship Program
- Commonwealth Scholarship Programme
- Ayush Scholarship Program
Under the above scholarship programs, scholarships are awarded for Engineering, Biology, Commerce and Arts related degree programs as well as for the disciplines of Ayurveda, Siddha, Homeopathy, Unani and Yoga.
Instead of the scholarships awarded under the Commonwealth Scholarship Program in previous years for PhDs, in this year, PhD scholarships have been awarded under the Nehru Memorial Scholarship Program. It is expected to call for applications for the Ayush scholarship program in the near future, and related information will be published on the Ministry’s website (www.mohe.gov.lk) and in national newspapers.
Indian Scholarship Program for the academic year 2023/24
For the academic year 2023/24, nominations have been invited for 155 scholarships in the following disciplines for undergraduate and postgraduate studies under the ICCR Scholarship Programs.
Accordingly, these scholarships were published on the website (www.mohe.gov.lk) of the Ministry and invited for applications. 1989 applications for undergraduate degrees and 825 applications for postgraduate degrees were received, and students were shortlisted according to each subject stream. Eligible candidates were called for interview as follows.
|
Serial No. |
Scholarship Program |
Discipline |
No. of Scholarships awarded by the
Indian Government |
No. of students called for interviews |
| 1 | Nehru Memorial Scholarship
Scheme |
Undergraduate | 75 | 150 |
|
2 |
Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship Program |
Undergraduate |
20 | 40 |
| 3 | Maulana Azad
Scholarship Program |
M.A / M.Sc. | 45 | 93 |
|
4 |
Nehru Memorial Scholarship Scheme | M.A / M.Sc. | 05 | 15 |
|
5 |
Nehru Memorial Scholarship Scheme |
PhD |
10 | 32 |
| Total | 155 | 330 | ||
The following criteria were considered when shortlisting the applications for undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs submitted to the Ministry of Education.
Undergraduate Degree Programs
- Students were ranked based on the Z-Score obtained for each subject streams at the C.E Advanced Level examination, and called for interviews accordingly.
Subject stream wise Minimum Z-Score for interviews as follows.
| Scholarship Program | Subject Stream | Minimum Z-Score |
| Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship Program | Mathematics | 0.8349 |
| Nehru Memorial Scholarship Scheme | Mathematics | 0.5588 |
| Commerce | 1.1559 | |
| Arts | 1.0525 | |
| Biological Science | 0.8074 | |
| Technology | 0.7449 |
Postgraduate Degrees
- When calling students for M.A / M.Sc. degree programs, the class obtained for the Bachelor’s degree was considered, and when calling students for PhDs, the class obtained for the Bachelor’s degree and the class obtained for the M.A / M.Sc. degree were considered which are relevant to the academic performance, and students were called for interviews according to the merit
The interviews for the selection of students for scholarships were conducted on the below mentioned dates.
| Serial
No. |
Scholarship Program | Subject Stream | Date of
Interview |
| 01 | Undergraduate | Mathematics/Commerce | 20.03.2023 |
| Biology/Arts/Mathematics/Techn
ology |
21.03.2021 | ||
| 02 | M.A / M.Sc | Management /Arts | 23.03.2023 |
| 03 | M.A / M.Sc | Engineering/Technology | 24.03.2023 |
| M.A / M.Sc | Science
Agricultural |
27.03.2023 | |
| 05 | PhD | 28.03.2023 |
Interview Boards consisting of subject expert university academics, ministerial officials and officials from the University Grants Commission were participated in the interviews with the
following composition. One observer representing the Indian High Commission was also involved on the days of these interviews.
Composition of interview Board For undergraduate degrees
A representation of the Post of Director of the Ministry
A representation of University Lecturer (relevant to the subject stream) A representation of the University Grants Commission
A representation of the Indian High Commission
For postgraduate degrees
A representation from the post of Additional Secretary of the Ministry A representation of the University Grants Commission
2 representations from University Professors (relevant to the subject stream) A representation from another ministry
A representation of the Indian High Commission
It is expected to submit nominations as follows according to the respective subject streams, and the details of the selected students will be published on the website ( www.mohe.gov.lk) in the near future.
| Serial No. | Scholarship Program | Subject Stream | No. of Students expected to be nominated |
| 01 | Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship Program
(Undergraduate) |
Mathematics | 20 |
| 02 | Nehru Memorial Scholarship Scheme (Undergraduate) | Mathematics | 23 |
| Biological Science | 18 | ||
| Arts | 18 | ||
| Technology | 03 | ||
| Commerce | 13 | ||
| 03 | Maulana Azad Scholarship Program | M.A / M.Sc. | 45 |
| 04 | Nehru Memorial Scholarship Scheme | M.A / M.Sc. | 04 |
| 05 | Nehru Memorial Scholarship
Scheme |
PhD | 11 |
| Total | 155 | ||
The relevant nominations shall be forwarded to the High Commission of India before 10.04.2023, and this Ministry will be informed after the approval of the nominations.
Nominated students shall submit applications through online A2A WEB PORTAL provided by ICCR, India. The Indian High Commission will inform this Ministry the opening date and closing date of applications. (During the month of April)
After the said notification, the next steps to be taken by the students selected for the Indian scholarship program will be informed through this Ministry in the future.
Source – https://mohe.gov.lk/index.php?lang=en
