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GMOA, SLMC should follow court order

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8 February 2017 12:22 am - 1     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Higher Education and Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella, in an interview with Daily Mirror, stresses the need for promotion of private investment in higher education in Sri Lanka to create more and more opportunities for students. He says a Court Order regarding SAITM should be respected by all. The excerpts of the interview:   

 

How do you see the future of private education in the backdrop of the court ruling in recognition of degrees obtained from the SAITM?
This is a court order. Whether you agree with it or not, you have to follow the court order. The Court of Appeal has gone deep into the matter. Both the judges have retained a unanimous verdict. The court order has to be followed. The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) is giving an ultimatum to the government on the court order. How can they do it? If they are educated people, they should understand that the government cannot defy a court order. Asking the government to change the court order is ridiculous.   


As the Higher Education Minister, how can you make medical education a success in our country without the cooperation of the GMOA and the Sri Lanka Medical Council?
If you go through the judgment carefully, you would know SAITM was created by the previous government in 2011. Up to now, there has not been a single protest or an application to court. Why were they silent all this time? The court is asking that. When it was started, the GMOA did not protest. The Medical Council did not protest. The Deans of medical faculties did not protest. Lecturers did not protest. Why? This issue has nothing to do with doctors. This is entirely a political campaign. Up to January 8, no one protested. Why? They were not in a position to protest during the last government. We know what happened during the last government- tying public servants to trees, killing journalists and torching media houses etc. All these people are scared. This is not the only private medical college. The Kotalawala Defence University started a medical faculty. What right do they have to form a medical college? The Defence Academy started it due to pressure by the former Defence Secretary. Only now, they have started protests.   

Urges SLFP to submit proposals on constitution making

What will be the future of private education in Sri Lanka?
The policy of the UNP government is different from the policy of the Joint Opposition. We encourage private education. It is the need of the hour. Even the previous rule supported private education. SAITM was started by Mahinda Rajapaksa. Then, Minister S.B. Dissanayake was there. They facilitated the Rs.600 million loan to the SAITM hospital. How can they oppose it now?  

UNP for power devolution beyond 13th Amendment

What are the future projects in the pipeline for the higher 
education sector?

Several foreign universities are keen to come and invest in Sri Lanka. They remain hesitant because of the pending court decision on SAITM. Now, it has been resolved. There are several inquiries about investment here. Now, Manipal University of India has signed an MoU with us to start a branch campus in Kalutara. That is the first big one. Already, talks are underway to start one in the Northern Province. Tamil doctors, living abroad, are very keen to start one in the North. It has to be gradual.   
Why was SAITM created by the previous government? Now, we have an admission system tilted towards the rural areas. For example, students are admitted on the all-island merit system. So, they are the brightest in the stream. It is not the case with the Science Stream. There, only 40 percent of students are taken on the all-island merit system. The rest are taken in terms of the quota allocated to each system. Students from areas like Colombo, Kandy and Galle cannot enter the medical faculties even after passing the exam with distinctions in all the subjects. However, from the underdeveloped areas, students with three passes enter the medical faculties. For the last 40 years, this has been there. They were discriminating the students from the big cities. During the period, nearly 4000-5000 students have been shut out from admission to the medical faculties. What are we going to do with them? How can we help them?  
The government gave thought to this. The previous government also thought about it and decided to open private universities. Then, students can pay and study in their own country. Is it wrong? We spend Rs.7000 million per year for students going abroad. The country loses this amount. If we start private universities, we can save a lot of money. The Sri Lanka Medical Council recognizes third grade degrees from foreign countries. It had become a big business for them. They recognize degrees from Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, and Baluchistan. They do not recognize degrees conducted and offered by a homegrown private university.   
Well, we are carrying out a quality assurance programme at all the universities. It is aided by the World Bank. We want to improve the quality of lecturers . The World Bank is helping us. The UNP approach is different. We believe in autonomy for the universities. The Vice Chancellors and the Senates must run the universities. They must be accountable as well. If there is unrest among students, they should be held responsible. The universities should compete with each other for excellence as in other countries. Lectures have to be advanced with modern knowledge. When Singapore gained Independence, they did not have a university. Today, they have some of the best universities in the world. Our universities date back to the 1940s. But, we are nowhere near the top. Those universities developed as they had autonomy and political independence.   

Are you planning to change the current admission criteria based on the Z-score?
That is not on the cards.   

Confident of making constitution making a success this year

Apart from plans in the higher education sector, there is talk about a Cabinet reshuffle. How true is it? 
I do not know anything about it. I have seen some media reports. That is it. The President and the Prime Minister have not talked about it.   

What do you feel about the necessity for a Cabinet reshuffle? 
Well, I personally feel it is premature.   

Three expressways lead to three most sacred places of  Buddhist worship 

The government has assigned you to talk about the Constitution making process. There seems to be a stalemate. Why is it?
It was Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa who first talked about the need to introduce a new Constitution. He was the first leader to say it. The UNP devolved power under the 13th Amendment. He said devolution under the 13th Amendment was not enough. No leader has said that before. He said it to get the support of India. He talked about the 13th Amendment plus. Once the Tigers were crushed, he was asked about it.He declined, saying it was a matter for Parliament to decide. That is what we are doing now. How can you oppose this? When he was in power, he could not gather a Select Committee. No one had faith in him. All thought he was trying to bide time. The committee in Parliament is now functioning.  

But the process looks stagnant. 
Why is it?

The UNP stand is very clear. We are for devolution. We got a mandate for it. No other political party has it. The President won the Presidential Election, and the UNP the parliamentary election. There is a mandate for devolution. We are asking the other parties. There is a kind of stalemate because the SLFP has not put forward its point of view. We are urging the SLFP to put forward its view on devolution. The SLFP must respond to the mandate the UNP got. The President and the Prime Minister openly talk about devolution. We got an overwhelming mandate from the North and the East. That has to be respected. We urge the SLFP to put forward its proposals without any delay.  

What are the contours of power devolution you advocate?
It is based on the 13th Amendment.   

What is your position on the 
concurrent list?

As I told you, not a single section of the Constitution has been drafted yet. We are gathering ideas. Some say the concurrent list should be abolished. Some say no. We are only gathering information.   
Has the UNP taken a position on the concurrent list?
We are for consensus with other parties. We do not have hardline positions. We believe in devolution beyond the 13th Amendment. We are asserting what Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa mentioned.   

How confident are you that this process will reach a successful conclusion?
It will. The President recently reiterated in the East that he is committed to a new Constitution and further devolution of power. I am very confident. It will happen this year. I am confident that we could win a referendum. If the SLFP and the UNP work together, we can win a referendum.   

How are you proceeding with your road projects?
At this moment, in every electorate barring the North and the East, Uva and Colombo, we are constructing roads under ADB assistance. We will cover the other areas at the end of this year.  
We are building three expressways. These are leading to the three most sacred places of Buddhist worship. The central expressway is to go to worship the Dalada Maligawa, the Dambulla Highway to worship the Jayasirimaha Bodhi and the Ruwanpura expressway to Sripada.   

How far have you progressed regarding the Ruwanpura expressway?
We will start work on the Dambulla expressway on February 27.   
 

Who is the contractor?
It is a Chinese firm. The Ruwanpura expressway will be built again by a Chinese company. Everyone is asking why Chinese. That is because they are the only ones coming up with money for investment.


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  Comments - 1

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  • aravinda Wednesday, 08 February 2017 07:58 PM

    Good interview.


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