DAW 24th December 2025, Mains Answer Writting 2026
Question
‘India is an age-old friend of Sri Lanka.’ Discuss India’s role in the recent crisis in Sri Lanka in the light of the preceding statement. (150 Words, 10 Marks).
Model Answer
Approach:
Introduction:
Establish India–Sri Lanka ties as civilizational and value-based, anchored in Neighbourhood First and SAGA
Body:
Explain Sri Lanka’s economic collapse and India’s role as first responder through economic, humanitarian, and diplomatic support.
Substantiate with facts and figures (USD 4 bn assistance, IMF facilitation, Operation Sagar Bandhu, Cyclone Ditwah relief).
Analyse strategic implications- regional stability, counter-balancing external influence, and deeper economic integration.
Conclusion:
Reinforce that India’s actions validate the idea of an “age-old friend” through non-transactional, people-centric regional leadership.
Introduction:
India and Sri Lanka share a civilizational relationship spanning over 2,500 years (civilizational links, Buddhism), rooted in geography, culture, religion and people-to-people ties. This historical closeness has translated into India emerging as Sri Lanka’s most reliable partner during its unprecedented economic crisis of 2022, reinforcing India’s role as an “age-old friend” in both rhetoric and action.
Body:
In recent times, both countries relationships are strengthened by India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision, was evident during Sri Lanka’s recent crisis, when India acted as a first responder, providing timely economic, humanitarian, and diplomatic support- demonstrating the role of a trusted, non-transactional partner.
Economic Crisis (2019–2023): India as the First Responder:
Sri Lanka plunged into its worst economic crisis in seven decades, marked by a sovereign debt default (2022), acute forex shortages, runaway inflation, and mass protests. In this phase, India emerged as Sri Lanka’s largest and fastest bilateral supporter, reflecting the depth of the age-old partnership.
Key Interventions:
Unprecedented assistance of ~USD 4 billion (2022), that includes Line of Credit for food, medicines, fuel, and industrial raw materials, LoC on petroleum supplies.
USD 400 million currency swap by RBI to stabilise Sri Lanka’s forex position.
Humanitarian support: Supply of essential medicines, food items, kerosene, and fertilisers (notably when Sri Lanka faced shortages and tensions with other suppliers).
Earlier, during the COVID-19 pandemic, India supplied vaccines, medicines, donated 500,000 doses of COVISHIELD, and provided Rapid Antigen Test kits, reinforcing its people-centric approach
IMF process facilitation: India played a constructive role in debt restructuring, including as Co-Chair of the Official Creditors’ Committee, enabling Sri Lanka to progress towards IMF support.
India converted USD 20.66 million worth of LoC payments into grants, reducing Sri Lanka’s debt burden.
India also supported a strategic shift from debt-driven assistance to investment-led partnerships, as reiterated in the 2024 Joint Statement.
Development Cooperation Despite Crisis
Even amid Sri Lanka’s debt stress, India ensured continuity of people-oriented development projects, with:
Total credit assistance exceeding USD 7 billion
Grant assistance of around USD 780 million, covering housing, railways, health, renewable energy and digital identity
Other key developmental initiatives include Indian Housing Project (60,000 houses), Suwa Seriya Emergency Ambulance Service and Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SLUDI) project.
Political and Diplomatic Reassurance
High-level political engagement during and after the crisis underlined India’s solidarity:
State visit of President Anura Kumara Disanayaka to India in December 2024 as his first overseas visit
India consistently reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s centrality in its Neighbourhood First Policy and SAGAR vision.
Cyclone Ditwah (2025): Humanitarian Diplomacy in Action:
Just as Sri Lanka began a fragile recovery under an IMF programme, Cyclone Ditwah (2025) caused massive destruction- over 600 deaths, 200,000 displaced, and severe damage to infrastructure, agriculture, and livelihoods.
Operation Sagar Bandhu: Under its Neighbourhood First Policy, India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu, once again acting as first responder.
Reconstruction package: USD 450 million that supports
Restoration of roads, railways, bridges
Housing reconstruction (fully and partially damaged homes)
Support to health and education infrastructure
Agriculture revival and food security
Strengthening disaster preparedness and response
Humanitarian aid delivered:
Over 1,134 tonnes of relief materials
14.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment
Field hospital near Kandy treating 8,000+ patients
During his visit as Prime Minister’s Special Envoy, S. Jaishankar reiterated that “India stands firmly with Sri Lanka more than ever before.”
Sri Lankan leadership described the package as “a new chapter in Indo–Sri Lanka relations.”
Strategic Significance of India’s Crisis Support to Sri Lanka:
Neighbourhood First Policy: Swift assistance to Sri Lanka reflected India’s Neighbourhood First doctrine, deepening economic and diplomatic ties.
Regional Security: Helped avert wider regional instability from Sri Lanka’s collapse and balanced rising Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean.
Economic Integration: Boosted trade, investment, currency swaps, and overall financial cooperation between the two countries.
Strategic Partnership: Reinforced India’s image as a reliable crisis-time partner and a key regional stabiliser in South Asia.
Conclusion:
India’s response to Sri Lanka’s economic collapse and Cyclone Ditwah demonstrates that the phrase “India is an age-old friend of Sri Lanka” is not rhetorical but operational. Through timely economic rescue, humanitarian leadership, diplomatic reassurance, and strategic restraint, India has acted as a trusted, non-transactional partner, reinforcing regional stability and embodying the true spirit of Neighbourhood First and SAGAR.