1. At a simple ceremony on Monday, 26th June, 2006, Mrs. Nirupama Rao, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, handed out the award letters to degree courses at prestigious Indian universities to around 70 Sri Lankan students. These scholarships are funded by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). They provide to the scholar a complete waiver of all tuition fees, a generous monthly stipend for living expenses and the international airfare between India and Sri Lanka.

2. These courses are in a variety of subjects - degree courses in engineering, humanities, pure and applied sciences, technology, commerce and accountancy and others. There are also diplomas and degree courses offered in music, dance and fine arts. A few post-graduate courses with scholarships are also provided every year to deserving young students of Sri Lanka. Around 3,000 students have obtained degrees under the ICCR scholarship scheme over the past five decades. Sri Lanka has been one of the largest beneficiaries of the ICCR scholarship scheme. The grant of this large number of scholarships by the Government of India (GOI) is a symbol of the importance that GOI attaches to its relationship with Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan people. High Commissioner Mrs. Rao spoke on the occasion and expressed her confidence that all the students going to India would enjoy their stay there and referred to the soft spot that India has for all Sri Lankans. She referred to the geographical proximity between the two nations and, regretting the information gap that nevertheless existed between the two countries, called upon the young scholars to close that information gap and to bring the two nations closer together.

3. This year's recipients include students from all parts of the country including Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Batticaloa, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Hambantota, Polonaruwa, Jaffna and Trincomalee who will study at Indian universities in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Osmania and Benaras Hindu University.

4. Three young students, Vindhya, Inosha and Kalhara who are going to the University of Pune to study for a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry spoke after the ceremony of their happiness at having the opportunity to study the course of their choice and spoke of their excitement at going to Pune in India "where its all happening right now".