Rajnath Singh in Colombo: India, Sri Lanka Sign Two Defence MoUs
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Sri Lanka's President and Prime Minister in Colombo on 9 September 2026 and the two sides exchanged two defence MoUs.

Why in News
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh visited Colombo on 9 September 2026, met the President and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, exchanged two defence MoUs including one on upgrading six L70 guns, and inaugurated three Bailey Bridges built by the Indian defence forces.
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh spent 9 September 2026 in Colombo. He called on the President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, met the Prime Minister, Dr Harini Amarasuriya, and visited the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence. Two memorandums of understanding were exchanged and three bridges were opened during the day.
What was signed
| MoU | What it covers |
| Upgradation of L70 guns | Six air defence guns of the Sri Lankan Air Force, under a Government of India grant |
| NCC and NDC cooperation | Academic ties between the two National Defence Colleges and a formal National Cadet Corps youth exchange |
The L70 guns being upgraded had been given to the Sri Lankan Air Force by India earlier. The upgrade is meant to strengthen the air defence of critical assets on the island. The two leaders also inaugurated, by video, three Bailey Bridges built by the Indian defence forces.
The meeting with the President
President Dissanayake said Sri Lanka would never let its territory be used for anything against India's security interests. He thanked India for the relief sent under Operation Sagar Bandhu during Cyclone Ditwah and for the rehabilitation package that followed. Rajnath Singh replied that helping as the first responder is a responsibility for India rather than a favour.
At the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence
Addressing Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara along with the commanders of the Sri Lankan Army, Navy and Air Force, the Raksha Mantri said secure sea lanes, freedom of navigation, respect for international law and unhindered maritime trade decide the security and prosperity of the Indian Ocean Region. He placed the partnership inside the Prime Minister's MAHASAGAR vision, which stands for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions, and described India as a Vishwa Mitra playing a dependable role in its neighbourhood. Drug trafficking, piracy and human trafficking were named as shared challenges.
The meeting with the Prime Minister
With Dr Amarasuriya the talks turned to development cooperation, education, information technology, infrastructure, innovation and research. The Raksha Mantri called her a role model for women in both countries and said India would like more Sri Lankan women to use Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarships.
Important Facts
| Who visited | Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh |
|---|---|
| Where and when | Colombo, Sri Lanka, 9 September 2026 |
| President of Sri Lanka | Anura Kumara Dissanayake |
| Prime Minister of Sri Lanka | Dr Harini Amarasuriya |
| First MoU | Upgradation of six L70 guns for the Sri Lankan Air Force under a Government of India grant |
| Second MoU | Cooperation between the NCC and the National Defence Colleges of the two countries |
| Also inaugurated | Three Bailey Bridges built by the Indian defence forces |
| Relief operation recalled | Operation Sagar Bandhu during Cyclone Ditwah |
| Vision cited | MAHASAGAR - Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions |
Exam Point of View
Remember the two names, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, the two MoUs, the six L70 guns, the three Bailey Bridges, Operation Sagar Bandhu launched during Cyclone Ditwah, and the expansion of MAHASAGAR, which is Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
Practice Questions
Whom did Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh call on as the President of Sri Lanka during his Colombo visit on 9 September 2026?
- A.Mr Anura Kumara Dissanayake
- B.Dr Harini Amarasuriya
- C.Mr Aruna Jayasekara
- D.Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Mr Anura Kumara Dissanayake
Explanation
The correct answer is Mr Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the President of Sri Lanka, on whom the Raksha Mantri called in Colombo. In that meeting the President assured India that Sri Lankan territory would never be used for activities hostile to Indian security interests, and he thanked India for the relief provided under Operation Sagar Bandhu. Option B, Dr Harini Amarasuriya, is the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, and Rajnath Singh met her separately on the same day, describing her as a symbol of women's empowerment; she is the most tempting distractor because both meetings happened within hours of each other. Option C, Mr Aruna Jayasekara, is the Deputy Minister of Defence, who was present when the Raksha Mantri spoke at the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence. Option D names a former Sri Lankan leader who holds no office in this release. Keep the pair fixed in memory: Dissanayake as President, Amarasuriya as Prime Minister.
The MoU signed between India and Sri Lanka on 9 September 2026 covers the upgradation of which equipment?
- A.Dornier maritime patrol aircraft
- B.L70 air defence guns of the Sri Lankan Air Force
- C.Offshore patrol vessels of the Sri Lankan Navy
- D.Radar stations of the Sri Lankan Army
Show answer
Correct answer: B. L70 air defence guns of the Sri Lankan Air Force
Explanation
The correct answer is the L70 air defence guns of the Sri Lankan Air Force. Six of these guns are to be upgraded under a grant from the Government of India, and the guns themselves had been supplied to Sri Lanka by India earlier, which is why the upgrade falls to India. The stated purpose is to strengthen the air defence architecture protecting critical assets in Sri Lanka. Option A, Dornier aircraft, and option C, offshore patrol vessels, are plausible because India has supplied maritime platforms to Sri Lanka in the past and maritime cooperation dominated the visit, but neither was the subject of an MoU that day. Option D, radar stations of the Army, mixes the right idea of air surveillance with the wrong service and the wrong equipment. The second MoU exchanged during the visit was on cooperation between the National Cadet Corps and the National Defence Colleges of the two countries, which is the other half of the answer examiners test.
MAHASAGAR, the vision cited by the Raksha Mantri at the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence, stands for which of the following?
- A.Maritime Alliance for Harmony and Safe Anchorage of Global Areas and Routes
- B.Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions
- C.Maritime Advancement for Shared Growth and Regional Assistance
- D.Mission for Advancement of Harbours, Shipping and Global Access Routes
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions
Explanation
The correct answer is Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. Rajnath Singh used the expansion while speaking at the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence, explaining that the words mutual and holistic carry the weight of the idea because they point to synergy, cooperation and collaboration between partners. He placed the India and Sri Lanka maritime partnership inside this vision of the Prime Minister. Options A, C and D are invented expansions built from familiar maritime words such as harbours, anchorage, shipping and routes, and each sounds convincing to a candidate who half remembers the acronym. That is exactly the trap: acronyms of this kind are asked precisely because the expansions are easy to approximate and hard to recall exactly. Learn it word by word, and pair it with the other phrase from the same speech, Vishwa Mitra, which the Raksha Mantri used to describe India's role in its shared neighbourhood.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which MoUs did India and Sri Lanka exchange on 9 September 2026?
One on upgrading six L70 air defence guns of the Sri Lankan Air Force under a Government of India grant, and one on cooperation between the National Cadet Corps and the National Defence Colleges of the two countries.
What does MAHASAGAR stand for?
Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions. Rajnath Singh cited it at the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence as the basis of a closer maritime partnership in the Indian Ocean Region.
Under which operation did India send relief to Sri Lanka during Cyclone Ditwah?
Operation Sagar Bandhu. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake thanked India for that relief and for the rehabilitation package extended for reconstruction across the island.
Sources
- Raksha Mantri pays a courtesy call on Sri Lankan President in Colombo (opens in a new tab) — Press Information Bureau
- Secure sea lanes and freedom of navigation are pivotal for collective security & prosperity of Indian Ocean Region, says Raksha Mantri at Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence (opens in a new tab) — Press Information Bureau
- Raksha Mantri calls on Sri Lankan Prime Minister in Colombo (opens in a new tab) — Press Information Bureau
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