News
Govt. urged to stop foreign scholarships awarded on basis of ethnicity
Need for scrutiny stressed
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Civil Society group Mahajana Yuthukam Kendraya has urged the government to inquire into the continuing selection of foreign scholarship recipients on the basis of ethnicity by some Colombo-based diplomatic missions.
The group’s spokesperson Wasantha Alwis told The Island that in addition to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Education Ministry, Foreign Ministry and the University Grants Commission (UGC) was informed of the biased procedures followed by some missions.
Alwis said that the government should intervene to ensure selection process should not be based on students’ ethnicity under any circumstances. “We recently raised this issue in the wake of Pakistan High Commission intervention in organising an examination at Aligar School in Eravur to select a group of students for scholarships offered by the Allama Iqbal Foundation, Pakistan”.
About 200 Muslin students from Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee who had sat the Advanced Level examination were invited to face the examination, Alwis said, adding that an SLMC lawmaker Zeinul Abdeen Nazeer Ahamed made required arrangements in that regard.
Responding to another query, Alwis said that their inquiries revealed Pakistan and Bangladesh had picked students for scholarships without securing prior consent from foreign and education ministries as well as the UGC. Alwis said that recently the media reported Pakistan High Commission of assuring President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa of 1,000 scholarships to Sri Lanka. However, the selection process couldn’t be solely in the hands of the Pakistan HC.
Noting that Pakistan always stood by Sri Lanka during the war against the LTTE and defended the country at international forums, Alwis underscored the urgent need to address this issue. In their letter to the President copied to Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris as well as the UGC, the Mahajana Yuthukam Kendraya revealed that they discussed the issue with Pakistan HC some time ago.
Alwis said that they received an assurance from Pakistan HC that shortcomings pointed out by them would be rectified and in the future the selection process would be conducted in a transparent manner. Unfortunately, the examination conducted at Eravur on August 17 bared the continuing practice of granting scholarships on ethnic grounds.
Alwis pointed out that Sri Lanka couldn’t turn a blind eye to such controversial practices particularly in the backdrop of Turkey officially alerting Sri Lanka regarding FETO terror group funding the education sector as well as a section of the media. Failure to take appropriate action swiftly and decisively could expose Sri Lanka to further violence, Alwis said, urging the government to be mindful of what was happening in the world.
Alwis said that selection for scholarships should be based on proper qualifications. Entirely basing selection process on a selected ethnic group couldn’t be acceptable under any circumstances, Alwis said, pointing out that the government and those in the Opposition seemed either unaware or uninterested in the issue at hand.
Alwis said that the government whichever party in power should be wary of high profile operations undertaken by foreign powers. Foreign scholarships, foreign funding and various other projects needed to be under constant scrutiny, he said.
He said the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (P CoI) that inquired into 2019 Easter Sunday carnage, in its final report observed how the then Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe allowed extremists a free hand thereby created an environment for the NTJ (National Thowheed Jamaat) to strike at will.
The developing scene in Afghanistan was an example to all countries, including Sri Lanka as to how situations were exploited by interested parties, Alwis added.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
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