Tissa Vitharana

Vidya Jyothi Upali Tissa Vitharana (30 August 1934 – 13 February 2026) was a Sri Lankan physician and politician who was a Member of Parliament and a cabinet minister. He was the leader of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and served as Governor of North Central Province from 2019 to 2020.

Early life and family Vitharana was born 30 August 1934 in Nuwara Eliya in central British Ceylon. He was the son of Pieris Vitharana, a Public Works Department engineer, and N. P. Maggie Perera, sister of N. M. Perera. He was educated at Trinity College, Kandy and Ananda College, Colombo. He played cricket for both schools. Vitharana captained the university's cricket team in 1957/58 and took part in the Sara Trophy Tournament. Specialising in bacteriology and virology, Vitharana joined the Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Colombo in 1972, serving as its director from 1983 to 1994. The Communist Party of Sri Lanka CPSL and LSSP joined the UPFA in February 2004. Vitharana was appointed a UPFA National List MP in the Sri Lankan Parliament following the 2004 parliamentary election. He was appointed Minister of Science and Technology after the election.

Vitharana was re-appointed a UPFA National List MP following the 2010 parliamentary election. He lost his cabinet position after the election but shortly afterwards, in May 2010, he was appointed Minister of Technology and Research. He was promoted to Senior Minister of Scientific Affairs in November 2010. He lost his cabinet position following the 2015 presidential election.

At the 2015 parliamentary election, Vitharana was placed on the UPFA's list of National List candidates. However, after the election he was not appointed to the National List.

Vitharana was awarded the Vidya Jyothi title in 2017.

On 4 December 2019, Vitharana was appointed Governor of the North Central Province, Sri Lanka. He was sworn in before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Personal life and death Vitharana was married to Kamini Meedeniya.