Sri Lanka confers Mithra Vibhushana award on PM Modi for strengthening bilateral ties
Colombo, Apr 5 (PTI): Sri Lanka on Saturday conferred its highest civilian award, the Mithra Vibhushana, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recognition of his role in strengthening the ties between the two countries.
The award was bestowed on Modi by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at a ceremony held at the presidential secretariat.
"It is a matter of great pride for me to be awarded the 'Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana' by President Dissanayake. This award does not only honour me, but also honours 140 crore Indians," Modi said.
"It is a tribute to the historic ties and deep friendship between the people of India and Sri Lanka," he said.
The award was instituted in February 2008 by then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and its previous recipients include former Maldivian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
At a media briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the award is a recognition of the role of the prime minister in strengthening and transforming the India-Sri Lanka partnership, especially the unprecedented assistance that New Delhi rendered to Colombo during the economic crisis a few years ago.
The recipient of the honour is awarded a citation and a silver medal to be worn around the neck, studded and adorned with nine types of Sri Lankan gems and the symbols of a lotus, globe, sun, moon and sheaves of rice.
The Dharma Chakra on the medal reflects the shared Buddhist heritage that has shaped the cultural traditions of both nations.
The Pun Kalasa or ceremonial pot adorned with sheaves of rice symbolises prosperity and renewal, according to an official.
The Navarathna or nine precious gems are depicted within a globe encircled by lotus petals.
Modi landed in Colombo last evening after concluding his trip to Bangkok where he attended a summit of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).
It is a matter of immense pride for me to be conferred the 'Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana' by President Dissanayake today. This honour is not mine alone - it is a tribute to the 1.4 billion people of India. It symbolises the deep-rooted friendship and historic ties between the… pic.twitter.com/UBQyTMoJ27
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2025
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Andhra to be developed as knowledge, creator economy hub: CM Naidu
New Delhi/Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the state is taking steps to transform itself into a knowledge and creator economy hub with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
He noted that Andhra Pradesh has abundant tech-driven youth and the government is formulating plans to train them in futuristic technologies with support from global technology firms.
"Our goal is to transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge hub by focusing on AI, quantum computing, data centres, drone cities and space cities. The youth will remain our biggest asset over the next 25 years, and we seek global partnerships to scale up the creator economy," said Naidu during his interactions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi.
Naidu, who participated in the summit in the national capital, also held meetings with several global technology leaders and industrialists to explore collaborations in artificial intelligence, clean energy and innovation ecosystems.
He met Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Autodesk AI Head Mike Haley, Aramco India Director Abdul Rehman AiThukair, LEGO Education Vice President Tom Hall, Aadhaar Founder and CTO Srikanth Nadhamuni, Khosla Ventures Managing Partner Vinod Khosla and others at the AP Pavilion.
The chief minister also held discussions with Saudi Aramco representatives on clean energy projects, including solar initiatives, and invited the company to expand operations in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the state is highly suitable for green energy production.
He sought support from NVIDIA Vice President Callista Redmond for establishing AI Living Labs and proposed partnerships through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to promote youth innovation, including collaborations with IIT Tirupati and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati under the Andhra Pradesh Future Innovation and Research for Science and Technology (AP FIRST) initiative.
Naidu urged Autodesk leadership to support the development of Global Capability Centres in design engineering and requested the establishment of an Innovation Academy in Amaravati aligned with quantum technology, besides proposing AI and robotics learning labs in partnership with LEGO Education.
He also discussed AI-driven smart governance solutions with Quantela Inc Chairman Sridhar Gadhi, while World Bank Group Digital AI Regional Director Mahesh Uttamchandani met Naidu on the sidelines of the summit.
Following the meetings, Naidu visited various exhibition stalls at the summit, including those of NVIDIA, Tata, Intel and Microsoft, and reviewed AI applications across agriculture, healthcare and industry.
