Reopening of Buddhist and Pali University only after consultations with Mahanayakes

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Cabinet of Ministers has the power to close down the Buddhist and Pali University without after consulting the University Grants Commission (UGC), Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardane said yesterday, at the post-Cabinet press conference, responding to a question posed by a journalist.

Minister Gunawardane said that the Minister of Higher Education Susil Premajayantha had, on Monday, submitted a Cabinet paper on the alleged incidents of ragging at the Buddhist and Pali University.

“After consulting the report, we decided to close the university. The Cabinet can decide whether to close the university if students continue to misbehave. We also decided that the university will be reopened after consulting the Maha Nayakas and other religious leaders,” he said.

The Minister said that the Buddhist and Pali University was not a university in the traditional sense and it had not been established under the Universities Act.

“As the name suggests, this is a religious university. It was established through a separate act passed in Parliament. So, this can’t be compared to a regular university. What is acceptable at a university, established under the Universities Act, can’t be tolerated at Buddhist and Pali University,” he said.

On 19 December, the Buddhist and Pali University’s administration office decided to close the university until further notice due to reports of serious incidents of ragging and indiscipline among a section of the students. The government had earlier called for a report on these allegations and the report was presented by Minister Premajayantha to the Cabinet on Monday.