Senthil Thondaman Holds Meeting with India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

12-Dec-2025

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A meeting was held recently between India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and CWC leader Senthil Thondaman.

They discussed progress on requests previously submitted to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Among the requests was extending the Indian Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana health insurance scheme (worth roughly 1.8 million LKR annually) to Sri Lanka’s plantation community via LIC Lanka.

Other issues raised included simplifying procedures for descendants of Indian-origin Tamils abroad to obtain identification cards, especially given the difficulty of proving Indian ancestry. 

Requests were also made to increase the 2,500-rupee scholarship offered to students by the Indian government.