Pune students posing for a group photograph with Sri Lankan flag
Thousands of Sri Lankan students make their way to leading educational institutions around the world in the absence of quality higher education opportunities within the country. Although costly, the U.K., U.S.A., Australia and Canada have been the leading higher education destinations for Sri Lankan students.
Also, many students seek better education institutions in regional destinations such as India, Malaysia, Nepal and Singapore. The nearest higher education destination with around 677 
universities, India provides good study experiences for Sri Lankans in Medicine, Arts, Mathematics and many other areas of study.
According to the Student Sri Lanka Educational Network, a Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Commerce or Science in India spans for three years. Honours and special courses are also found. A Bachelor degree in professional field of study in Agriculture, Dentistry, Engineering, Pharmacy, Technology or Veterinary medicine takes four years, while Architecture and Medicine take at least five.
Enriched with diverse cultures, religions and languages, India gives the ultimate experience to foreign students. Some Sri Lankan students who shared their experiences with the Daily Mirror said although they felt homesick the first few days, they eventually got accustomed to the home-like Indian culture.
“India is a feasible option for any Sri Lankan student”
- University of Bangalore
Dishan de Silva
“I grew up as a Southerner in the paradise island Sri Lanka. While I was doing A/L’s in the Bio stream, I realised that my area of interest lies beyond the borders of my country. I had many options to continue my higher studies, and I selected India,” Dilshan said.
As the South of Sri Lanka did not offer Dilshan the studies he wanted, he is now following a Bachelor degree in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology at the Bangalore University.
“This combination of studies together is rarely found around the world, and I am fortunate to find it in India. From accommodation to food and educational fees, India is a cheaper and a more feasible option for any Sri Lankan student,” he said.
Speaking on the cons of studying in India, Dilshan said it had failed to provide the best of facilities for students, despite being a third-world country. He also said travel expenses were very high. Moreover, some harsh weather conditions and illnesses are risky concerns.
However, he said India should be the first choice for those who prefer challenging lifestyles.
“During my stay, I realised that university life was not only about studies”
- Gujarat Technological University
Thiwanka Dissanayake
Thiwanka Dissanayake, a B.E. (Civil) student at Gujarat Technological University in Ahmedabad, said he applied for university entrance in 2013 and got the opportunity with the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Scholarship.
“My batch was the first to have international students in Gujarat. Initially, it was a very strange place for me. But as time passed, I motivated myself to have the best time of my life. During our stay here, we realised that the university life was not only about studies. Myself and 18 other students formed an association called ‘Sri Lankan Students Association in Gujarat.’ We organised trips, Independence Day and New Year celebrations, parties, cricket tournaments and many more. We carried out a charity programme to help the poor around Ahmedabad for Sri Lanka’s Independence Day this year,” he said.
Describing himself as a “mummy’s boy,” Thiwanka said he had missed home food in India. He denied the perception of many that India was not a safe country to live in.
“The living cost in India is cheaper than other countries and the economy is much favourable. As a 24-year-old student, I think I have gained lot of experience more than what a typical Sri Lankan student may experience,” he added.
“It feels great to celebrate Sri Lankan festivals in India”
- Savitribai Phule University, Pune
Dhakshala Nagalingam
Dhakshala Nagalingam who schooled at St. Bishop’s College in Colombo is currently pursuing her BBA degree at Savitribai Phule Pune University on a scholarship provided by ICCR (Indian Council For Cultural Relations).
“Living and studying here were so hard at the beginning, especially when you don’t know their language. But our Sri Lankan senior students did a great job by welcoming us and helping us to settle. Apart from studies, we got many experiences such as adventures of travelling with friends, getting to know foreigners, being exposed to a variety of cultures, food festivals and handling our own finance,” she said.
She said it was great to celebrate Sri Lankan festivals such as the Sinhala Tamil New Year and Thai Pongal with the support of the Sri Lankan Student Circle of Pune (SLSC), an organisation formed by Sri Lankan students in 1996.
“The only problem is that the syllabuses and examination systems here are not as standard as the ones in Sri Lanka. However, all Sri Lankans are performing really well in their respective colleges. The life here was very challenging. I have mastered in cookery after coming to India. I didn’t even know to prepare a cup of tea before,” she said.
“Easy adjustment to Indian culture”
- Tuan Arzad Sama
Tuan Arzad Sama from Ragama is studying BSc Microbiology at the Pune University for the last three years. Arzad, a student of D. S. Senanayake College in Colombo, said affordable costs, many chances to travel, easy adjustment to the Indian environment and identical cultures were some of the many factors that influenced him to peruse higher education in India.
“Though it takes some time for a new student to adjust to the new environment in India, we being from the subcontinent did not face that situation. Food is also relatively cheaper. We could find many local ingredients used in Sri Lanka,” he said.
“There are so many places to explore in India”
- Setavya Mudalige
Setavya Mudalige (23) from Ethul Kotte is in her final year of the Bachelor degree in Business Management - International Business. Sharing her experience, she said it was a cultural shock after coming to India.
“There were times I wondered if I had made the right choice in coming to India. Now I am glad that I came here to live and study as an individual in a dynamic environment. Besides, India is huge and there are so many places to explore.
“The experience has been great”
Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata
Dilshanya Wijesekara
Hailing from Maharagama, Dilshanya Wijesekara (22) of Visakha Vidyalaya in Colombo was another recipient of the ICCR Scholarship. She did her A/L’s in the Arts stream and chose India to pursue her passion in Music. She is following her BA (H) in Vocal Music at the Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata.
“I was lucky in getting the chance to study in India, the most famous country for classical music.. So far, the experience has been great,” she said.
Dilshanya said she too faced the language problem, but was now able to converse in Bengali, the official language in Kolkata.
