ugc snubs pm’s instructions when establishing usJ dental faculty

•  However, for an unknown reason, a few weeks after the said decision, yet another meeting was held at the UGC on October 1, 2025, where the directives given by the Prime Minister were completely ignored

By Nirmala Kannangara

University Grant Commission’s failure to abide by the instructions given by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, in her capacity as the Minister of Higher Education,  on the process followed to establish the Faculty of Dental Sciences,University of Sri Jayewardenepura, has irked the Government Dental Surgeons’ Association.

The Government Dental Surgeons’ Association (GDSA) claims that the Faculty of Dental Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura (FDS,  USJ), had been established without a feasibility study which is mandatory to invest public funds.

According to the GDSA, from the inception of the FDS USJ, the process has been followed by personal motives over national interest, bypassing the proper channels and disregarding  educational standards.

“The real victims of these activities are the undergraduates. They are trapped in an institution lacking adequate clinical training,” GDSA sources said.   

Based on the request made by the GDSA on  issues regarding how the Faculty of Dental Sciences was established at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, a meeting was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on August 7, 2025 with the stakeholders -- the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC).

According to the GDSA, the Prime Minister had given directions at this meeting to the UGC to appoint a technical committee for the appraisal of the FDS USJ public investment proposal.

“The Prime Minister clearly gave directives to the UGC to include representatives of the GDSA in this committee to conduct a comprehensive two month feasibility needs including needs on the establishment of the FDS USJ analysis. As per the given directives, the UGC at its 1153 meeting held on August 20, 2025, appointed this committee including the GDSA representatives,” sources said.

However, for an unknown reason, a few weeks after the said decision, yet another meeting was held at the UGC on October 1, 2025, where the directives given by the Prime Minister were completely ignored. The composition of the committee appointed on August 20 was changed by removing the GDSA representatives and including Sri Lanka Dental Association representatives.

“By letter dated October 2, Secretary UGC informed the removal of GDSA representatives from the committee to conduct the two month feasibility needs on the establishment of the FDS USJ analysis. It is the GDSA that informed how the FDS USJ had been established without following the proper government guidelines. If the UGC included our representative to this committee, headed by Dr. S. Raviraj, they know that we will bring up how a feasibility test hasn’t been conducted together with other manipulations which occurred when establishing this Faculty. What was the reason for the UGC to ignore the Prime Minister’s directive given to include GDSA representatives, but replacing them with Sri Lanka Dental Association representatives? The UGC has openly ignored the Prime Minister’s directive,” sources said.

All attempts made by this newspaper to contact the Secretary UGC proved futile.