Who Is Harini Amarasuriya? All You Need To Know About Sri Lanka's New Prime Minister

Who Is Harini Amarasuriya?

Harini Amarasuriya is a scholar, social activist, and former parliamentarian from the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party, the same party as President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Born in March 1970 in Galle, a coastal town in southwestern Sri Lanka, she is the youngest of three siblings. Her father worked as a tea estate planter before the estate was nationalised by the government. The family eventually moved to Colombo, where Amarasuriya pursued her education and career.

Harini Amarasuriya’s Education Background

Harini Amarasuriya graduated from Hindu College, University of Delhi, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Sociology between 1991 and 1994. She later pursued a Master’s degree in Applied Anthropology in Australia. After completing her studies, Amarasuriya returned to Sri Lanka and initially worked in the international humanitarian and development sector. Following a break from this career path, she took on a new role, as reported by Indian Express.

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Harini Amarasuriya's first job was as a social health officer at a community mental health centre, where she worked closely with institutionalised women. Reflecting on this experience, Amarasuriya shared in a 2020 interview with Women for Politics that it transformed her worldview. "That experience changed the way I saw the world and opened my eyes to what was really going on in places that are not always visible to us," she said.
Before fully stepping into politics in 2021, Harini Amarasuriya, now 54, served as the Head of the Humanities and Social Sciences department at the Open University of Sri Lanka.

Harini Amarasuriya's Key Policies

As Sri Lanka's newly appointed Prime Minister, Harini Amarasuriya has been entrusted with several critical portfolios that will shape her policy priorities, according to Jagran Josh:

Minister of Justice

• Reforming the justice system to ensure fairness and accessibility for all citizens
• Tackling corruption and enhancing transparency within government institutions

Minister of Education

• Expanding access to quality education, particularly for underprivileged communities
• Investing in teacher development and updating curricula to better equip students for the future

Minister of Labour and Industries

• Advocating for workers' rights and enforcing fair labour practises
• Promoting small and medium enterprises to stimulate economic growth and create jobs

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Minister of Science & Technology

• Encouraging research and innovation through investment in R&D
• Utilising technology to streamline public services and improve efficiency

Minister of Health

• Enhancing the public healthcare system to ensure universal access
• Emphasising preventive healthcare and launching health promotion initiatives

Minister of Investment

• Attracting foreign direct investment, particularly in sectors like renewable energy and manufacturing
• Supporting public-private partnerships to drive infrastructure development

As a human rights advocate and former university lecturer, Amarasuriya is expected to champion progressive issues like gender equality, minority rights, and environmental protection. Her appointment signifies a commitment to addressing Sri Lanka’s pressing socio-economic challenges through a combination of legal reforms, public investments, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

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