India hands over INR 450 million to Sri Lanka to fund its digital identity project
Colombo (PTI): India has handed over INR 450 million in advance to Sri Lanka to fund its unique digital identity project, the most crucial step in the island nation's digitalisation programme being implemented through the Indian grant assistance.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe's office here said that the fund from the government of India was given on Friday.
During a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat, key stakeholders, including Presidential Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka, State Minister of Technology, Kanaka Herath, Indian High Commissioner, Gopal Bagley, and First Secretary of the Indian High Commission, Eldos Mathew and others engaged in extensive discussions on the project's execution.
"Signifying the Indian government's commitment to the initiative, the Indian High Commissioner handed over a significant contribution of Indian Rs 450 million to Minister Kanaka Herath (State Minister of Technology), constituting 15 per cent of the total funds required for the successful implementation of the project as an advance payment," a statement from the President's Office said.
Ratnayaka emphasised the paramount importance of adhering to a well-defined timeline to ensure the project's seamless execution.
Acknowledging the project's profound significance in Sri Lanka's economic recovery process, Ratnayaka expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Indian government for its unwavering support in this endeavour.
"High Commissioner handed over a cheque of INR 450 million to State Minister Hon @kanakadh, in the gracious presence of Hon @SagalaRatnayaka today for SLUDI (Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity Project) project, which is being implemented through grant assistance by Govt of #India," the Indian High Commission in Colombo posted on platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The project aims to collect biographic and biometric information, including facial, iris, and fingerprint data, which will be stored in a centralised system to issue identification cards as per the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
The implementation of the project would lead to more effective and efficient delivery of government services, poverty reduction and welfare programs; financial inclusion through better access to banking and other products/services.
The project commenced with the signing of a MoU between Sri Lanka and India in March 2022 and an Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Project Monitoring Committee (JPMC) for the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity Project (SL-UDI) was introduced.
The Government of India is overseeing the software development for the SL-UDI.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
