Harini Amarasuriya, Sri Lanka's New PM, Has An India Connection

2024-09-25 01:33:12

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Harini Amarasuriya took oath as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, the country's newly-elected President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, said in a post on X on Tuesday. Amarasuriya is the first woman to hold the office since Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 2000.

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Amarasuriya pursued a Bachelor's degree in Sociology at Delhi University from 1991 to 1994, news agency PTI reported. The 54-year-old academic-turned-politician studied at the Hindu College in the early 1990s .

Hindu College Principal Anju Srivastava expressed pride in the college's distinguished alumna. "It's an honour to know that a Hinduite has become the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka," she told PTI.

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Srivastava said Harini was a student of Sociology from 1991 to 1994, and "we are extremely proud of her accomplishments". She expressed hope that Amarasuriya's "time at Hindu played a part in shaping her path to success."

Srivastava added, "Hindu College has a long tradition of student government, and we elect a prime minister and a leader o opposition every year. Harini's appointment is another milestone in our college's storied history.”

Amarasuriya also holds a doctorate degree in social anthropology from the University of Edinburgh. She also pursued an Masters in Applied Anthropology & Development Studies.

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As the new Sri Lanka Cabinet took oath, Dissanayake said Amarasuriya has been given the responsibility of five departments.

These include Justice, Public Administration, Provisional Councils, Local Government and Labour; Education, Science and Technology; Woman, Child and Youth Affairs and Sports; Trade, Commercial, Food Security, Cooperative Development, Industry and Entrepreneur Development and Health.

(With inputs from agencies)

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