Harini Amarasuriya: Sri Lanka's Third Female PM and Her Indian Connections

In a historic event in the history of Sri Lanka, the nation has appointed its 16th prime minister, Harini Amarasuriya, a former academic with long-standing ties to India.

Amarasuriya is the first woman to take on the role since 2000 and only the third woman ever to hold this position in Sri Lanka.

Who is Harini Amarasuriya?

Harini Amarasuriya is the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the country’s third female Prime Minister. Amarasuriya became an MP for the first time in the year 2020. She is a well-known educationist.

She graduated in sociology, earned a Master’s degree in Applied Anthropology from Australia, and later completed her PhD in Social Anthropology from Edinburgh University.

Amarasuriya has been actively involved in Sri Lankan politics as the leader of the National People's Power (NPP). Amarasuriya was born and brought up in Colombo and is known for her education and leadership skills all around the world.

Responsibilities Given to Harini Amarasuriya

Following the swearing-in of the new Sri Lankan Cabinet, Dissanayake announced that Amarasuriya has been assigned five departments. 

These departments 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
• Health

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Harini Amarasuriya Ties With India

The 54-year-old Harini Amarasuriya studied in India for a significant portion of her academic career, earning her bachelor's degree in sociology from Delhi University in 1991–1994.

She attended the esteemed Hindu College, which has produced notable alumni in a variety of industries, including academia, the arts, and politics. It is thought that her stay at Hindu College had a significant influence on how she would pursue a career in politics.

Notable Foreigner Alumni of DU

Another notable non-Indian alumnus of Delhi University is Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese opposition leader and chairperson of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar. She is a well-known social activist, having won several prestigious awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Her connection with Delhi University is through Lady Shri Ram College. She completed her graduation from the college in 1964. 

The appointment of Harini Amarasuriya as the third female PM of Sri Lanka is a significant milestone for the country. She is going to take over the reign of the finance department at a time when the country is facing its worst financial crisis in seven decades. She follows in the footsteps of Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the world’s first female prime minister in 1960, and her daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, who became prime minister in 1994.

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