The Eastern University,Sri Lanka is located in Vantarumoolai, Batticaloa in the eastern province of Sri Lanka.The university has its another campus in Trincomalee. The idea of having a Tamil University on the lines of Hebrew University of Israel in the Eastern Province was mooted in 1960 by a group of professors who were teaching at the University of Ceylon. The project was started by purchasing land near Nilaveli, Trincomalee and was abandoned later due to lack of funds. The present project was started by K.W. Devanayakam, the Home Minister of the UNP government with the collaboration of Prof FRSCP Kalpage, Minister of Higher Education during 1981. This university is located in a sandy area and it is not very fertile like the non-calcic brown soils found elsewhere in Batticaloa. The Eastern University is situated in an area where relative peace is maintained by the warring parties in the Sri Lankan conflict. The UNP government turned the Vantharumoolai High School into a regional university with a view to make it cater to the needs of the local students. The primary instruction was in Tamil and English.