Post-Independence Sri Lanka: Agriculture, Industry & Social Welfare

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to Sri Lanka’s post-independence development in agriculture, irrigation, industry, education, and social welfare.

Development of Agriculture

Post-1948 national effort to increase domestic food production after decades of British focus on export plantations.

Paddy Cultivation

Primary target of agricultural revival intended to make Sri Lanka self-sufficient in rice.

Dry Zone

Flat, fertile region in northern and eastern Sri Lanka identified as ideal for large-scale paddy cultivation.

Farming Settlements (Peasant Colonies)

State-planned villages created in the dry zone to resettle farmers and expand rice production.

Objectives of Farming Settlements

Reduce wet-zone overcrowding, create employment, boost food output, and rehabilitate ancient irrigation works.

Challenges in Establishing Settlements

Selecting settlers, clearing forested land, providing irrigation, finance, health, education, and markets.

Kagama & Minneriya Settlements

Examples of dry-zone colonies started before independence through State Council planning.

Gal Oya Project

First multi-purpose development scheme (irrigation, power, settlement) begun in the early 1950s.

Mahaweli Development Project

Largest post-independence river-basin plan to supply water, power, and settlements across the dry zone.

Objectives of Mahaweli Project

Year-round irrigation, hydro-electricity, land settlement, flood control, and fisheries development.

Polgolla Dam

1970-77 diversion dam sending Mahaweli water via Sudu Ganga and Bowatenna to North-Central Province.

Victoria Reservoir

Hydro-electric dam downstream of Polgolla, built with UK aid as part of Mahaweli scheme.

Kothmale Reservoir

Dam across Kothmale Oya; Swedish-funded component of Mahaweli project for power and irrigation.

Randenigala Reservoir

West German-financed dam below Victoria providing electricity and irrigation water.

Certified Price for Paddy (1948)

Government guarantee to buy rice at a fixed price, protecting farmers from market swings.

Bathalegoda Paddy Breeding Centre

Research institute that developed high-yield rice varieties for local conditions.

Govijana Sewa Centres

State farming service centers offering advice, inputs, and machinery to cultivators.

Agricultural Credit via State Banks

Low-interest loans provided to farmers to finance seed, fertilizer, and equipment.

Land Rehabilitation Law (1972)

Legislation limiting individual landholdings to 10 ha for paddy and 20 ha for other crops.

1975 Land Reforms

Nationalized about 62 % of plantation acreage, transferring ownership from companies to the state and smallholders.

State Plantation Corporation (1958)

Government body created to manage nationalized tea, rubber, and coconut estates.

Up-Country Estate Development Bureau (1976)

Agency overseeing plantation improvement in Sri Lanka’s central highlands.

People’s Estate Development Board (1976)

Institution tasked with rehabilitating and distributing state plantation lands to smallholders.

Rubber-Rice Pact (1952)

Bilateral agreement allowing Sri Lanka to barter rubber to China for rice, ensuring stable markets.

Replanting Subsidy Scheme (1977)

Government aid program supplying seedlings and fertilizer to rejuvenate aged rubber and tea fields.

Small-Scale Landowners (1–10 acres)

New class of tea & rubber growers created by post-1972 land distribution policies.

Minor Export Crops

Coffee, cocoa, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon—promoted after 1968 for diversification.

Minor Export Crop Research Institute (1972)

Matale-based center providing R&D and extension for smallholder spices and beverages.

Export Substitution Policy (1970-77)

Government strategy to produce domestic alternatives to imported consumer goods.

Ekala Industrial Zone (1959)

Sri Lanka’s first state-planned estate offering serviced plots to factories near Negombo.

Ratmalana Industrial Estate (1960)

Early government-run industrial park south of Colombo for light manufacturing.

People’s Bank (1961)

State bank giving credit facilities to small and medium industrialists.

Sri Lanka Standards Bureau (1966)

Agency set up to determine and enforce quality of locally made products.

Colombo Economic Commission (1978)

Body established to attract foreign direct investment and manage free-trade zones.

Export Processing Zone – Katunayake (1978)

First EPZ near airport hosting export-oriented industries, notably garments.

Biyagama & Koggala EPZs

Later free-trade zones expanding Sri Lanka’s export-manufacturing capacity.

Free Education Policy (1945 onward)

C.W.W. Kannangara’s program providing tuition-free schooling from grade 1 to university.

University of Ceylon (1942)

First national university, later moved to Peradeniya in 1952.

Vidyodaya & Vidyalankara Universities

Former Buddhist monastic colleges converted to state universities; renamed Sri Jayewardenepura and Kelaniya.

Moratuwa University (1972)

Technical university specializing in engineering and architecture at Katubedda.

Jaffna University (1974)

Institution founded to expand higher education in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province.

Universal Franchise (1931)

Granting of voting rights to all adults, increasing political focus on social welfare.

Hal Potha (Rice Book)

Ration book introduced to systematize post-WWII rice subsidy.

Food Stamp System (1977)

Replaced ration books with coupons to continue food subsidies to the poor.

Rural Health Expansion

Post-1948 program building hospitals, clinics, and midwifery services outside cities.

Decline of Epidemic Diseases

Sharp post-independence reduction in malaria, polio, tuberculosis through immunization and public health.

Rural Road Development

Improved village access to markets, water, electricity, and communication after independence.

Public Housing Schemes

Flats in cities and aided self-help housing in villages to alleviate shelter shortages.