Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) India and Sri Lanka have agreed to start a knowledge initiative that will assist in making the island nation into a trilingual society and improving linkages between universities in the two countries.
A joint declaration signed Wednesday between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said both leaders agreed to launch the initiative.

Among the elements of this initiative was a mention of Sri Lanka’s plan to become a trilingual society, which effectively means increasing the usage of Tamil, along with Sinhala and English.

“India responded positively to the request of Sri Lanka to extend technical assistance to the Ten-Year Presidential Initiative to steer Sri Lanka towards a trilingual Society by 2020,” said the joint declaration.

Besides, both sides also agreed on further promotion of ties between Indian and Sri Lankan universities and institutions of higher learning.

India also announced expansion of its scholarship programmes, especially focusing on students of northern and eastern Sri Lanka and upcountry areas.

On the cultural front, both countries decided to hold joint activities in the 2,600th year of attainment of enlightenment of Lord Buddha.

“They noted with appreciation that an International Buddhist Conference will be organised in Kandy later this year with the support of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations,” said the joint declaration.

The Archaeological Survey of India and the College of Architecture and Sculpture, Mamallapuram, will help in the restoration of the Tiruketheeswaram temple at Mannar with the involvement of the department of archaeology of Sri Lanka.

A programme for cultural cooperation for the period 2010-13 was signed during the current visit of Rajapaksa.