PR 43

The inaugural India-Sri Lanka Foundation debate between the University of Delhi and the University of Colombo was held at 1700 hrs on Wednesday, 16th December 2009 at the Senate Hall of the University of Colombo successfully. The topic of the debate was – “Environmental Degradation Stems from Poverty”. The debate was between a three member team representing each side. The topic was proposed by University of Colombo and opposed by University of Delhi. Mr. Sachintha Dias from Faculty of Law, University of Colombo was adjudged the best debater of the contest.

The debate was well received and attended by the Foreign Secretary of Sri Lanka, representatives from the University Grants Commission, eminent academics and students. Speaking on the occasion, the High Commissioner of India, H.E. Ashok K Kantha, expressed his hope that the debate would become an annual event to be held alternately in India and Sri Lanka. The next edition of the debate will be hosted by the University of Delhi during 2010.

The India-Sri Lanka Foundation is an inter-governmental trust set up by the Governments of India and Sri Lanka to foster bilateral relations through the enhancement of economic, scientific, educational, technical and cultural cooperation. The Management and direction of the Foundation is vested in a six member Board of Directors, which is co-chaired by the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka and the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India.

The Foundation has taken the initiative to organize this debate as a way of fostering friendly people-to-people contact between the two countries and to broaden the horizons of specific students and Universities.

Colombo