[2] After school he joined Ceylon Law College, qualifying as an advocate of the Supreme Court.

[3] Swaminathan was appointed Governor of Western Province in June 1994 after the controversial dismissal of Suppiah Sharvananda by President D. B.

[7][8] In October 2010 he was appointed to the Parliamentary Council which was established by the controversial 18th Amendment to make non-binding recommendations the president on the membership of various national commissions.

[12][13] Swaminathan was re-appointed as a National List MP following the 2015 parliamentary election.

[22] He is a trustee of the Sri Ponnambala Vaneswara Temple at Sea Street in Kochchikade, Colombo which was founded by his great-great-grand father A.