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Medical Specialists urge govt. to defer enactment of KDU Bill to allow time for adequate consultation
The Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) yesterday called on the government to defer the enactment of the proposed Kotelawala Defence University Bill, providing an opportunity for adequate consultations from all the relevant stakeholders.
The AMS has, in a media statement ‘Proposed KNDU Bill – more questions than answers’ signed by AMS President Dr. Lakkumar Fernando and AMS General Secretary Dr. R. Gnanasekeram, requested the government not to repeat the same mistakes as predecessors who set up the North Colombo Medical College (NCMC) and SAITM.
Full text of the AMS statement: “As a responsible professional trade union of medical specialists who are concerned about the higher education in general and the QUALITY medical education in particular in our country, we would like to put forward following observations about the much-talked about proposed KNDU bill.
1. KDU is no more a “university established for a specific purpose” (mainly for military recruits) as it has day scholars following wide variety of courses for a fee. Further, the proposed KNDU bill gives powers to recruit “other persons” to KDU with no clear definition of who these other persons are.
2. Since the KDU is funded by the government (even though under different ministry) apparently with huge amount of tax payers’ money, we believe that the QUALITY of their courses (entry, process and exit) should be on par with UGC standards and other guidelines stipulated by relevant regulatory bodies.
3. By giving legal powers to recognize and affiliate other institutions to KDU under this proposed bill, we are going to establish another parallel institution to UGC in our country, funded by the tax payers’ money.
4. With more civilians planning to be recruited to this institution under “other persons “category, majority of the students here eventually will be civilians. Under these circumstances, we feel that the main governing body of this university should have majority of civilian educationists than military hierarchy who could well be political appointees.
5. If the KDU is empowered to recognize courses conducted by outside institutions to the conferment of their own degrees for civilians without the approval of the UGC, it can create an alternative pathway to civilian population to skip the standards of UGC which will undermine the purpose of the whole universities Act and the UGC.
6. If the UGC is given the authority to scrutinize the courses exclusively offered to the military as announced recently, it can undermine the confidentiality of the sensitive military sciences.
7. The role of the regulators of professional courses (eg: Sri Lanka Medical council) will unfairly be undermined leading to passing out of substandard medical and other professionals. It is pertinent to mention here that the minimum standards of medical education were enacted by the present government after a long delay which gave the necessary legal framework for the SLMC to regulate medical education. Hence, any regulation which can possibly by pass these standards will be detrimental to the medical education in Sri Lanka.
On principle, the AMS is not against QUALITY fee levying medical education in our country, if it is regulated and monitored by the UGC and the Sri Lanka Medical Council. However, lack of proper process and transparency will prevent the establishment of such fee levying institutions in Sri Lanka.
After careful consideration of above issues in the proposed bill, we would like to request the government to defer the enactment of this bill till we get the opportunity for adequate consultations from all the relevant stakeholders.
Further, we earnestly request the President and the government not to repeat the same historical mistakes our rulers did in the case of NCMC and SAITM, a few years back. It’s the responsibility of all of us to establish and protect QUALITY university education in our country.”
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.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
