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The Buddhist and Pali University’s administration office has decided to close the university from December 19 until further notice due to reports of serious incidents of ragging and indiscipline among a section of the students.

A statement issued by the Ven. Neluwe Sumanawansa Thera details a series of incidents where student monks and lay students had engaged in serious acts of indiscipline.  

He said on the night of November 29, a mob of students led by the student union’s president and secretary–both monks–had surrounded the lecturers’ hostel and hurled insults and abuse at those inside. This was after an incident earlier that night where several senior lecturers, including the Dean of the Buddhist Studies Faculty, the Dean of the Language Studies Faculty and wardens of student hostels, had advised students not to behave in a rowdy manner following reports of a disturbance in the student hostels.

It had also been reported that some students had disconnected the electricity supply to a hostel where foreign students were housed and had also kicked at the doors of rooms where both foreign and local students were housed. Homagama Police came to the scene following a call made to the 119 emergency hotline and a complaint had also been lodged officially by university authorities at the Homagama Police Station regarding  this incident.

University authorities had suspended 22 students over the incident that occurred on November 29. The university said a group of students had objected to a subsequent announcement made by the administration stating that students who wished to can take part in the daily Buddha Vandana being conducted at the university. This had escalated into a situation where a group of students carrying clubs and poles surrounded the official residence of the monk who serves as the hostel warden on December 5, and they behaved in a threatening manner.

Meanwhile, students had also held a protest against the university administration on December 13 following the airing of a programme by a private television channel that exposed the extent of ragging inside the university.

Given this situation, the administration needs time to restore order so students have a proper mentality to engage in academic studies, the university said, adding that this was why the university would be closed from December 19 onwards.

Accordingly, students who were accommodated at the university’s hostels had been instructed to vacate them before 4.00 p.m. on December 19. Any students who remained in the hostels past this deadline would face action according to the Prohibition of Ragging and other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act No.20 of 1998, the university said.

PSC hurriedly calls for applications for secretary’s post, but no age limit given

The Public Service Commission has hurriedly called for applications for the post of a secretary to the Commission. The advertisement for the post came up on December 13 with the closing date coming up in two weeks.

The Commission is seeking qualified officers in the Special Grade of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service for the post. It said the officer should have an active and satisfactory service period of not less than eight years in the Special Grade.

The applicant should also have earned all salary increments after the promotion to the Special Grade.

But what was interesting was that there was no age limit to apply for the post. At a time when the Government is trying to reduce the retirement age in the public sector, questions were raised about calling applications without giving an age limit.

Guidelines for post of Excise chief: Influence peddling

The top most position in the Excise Department–the Commissioner General’s position would be falling vacant soon.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the capacity of Finance Minister has set out guidelines on filling the vacancy, mainly keeping in mind to raise the revenue from the Department and increase efficiency. An estimated Rs 200 billion revenue had been targeted for next year.

Among the guidelines was that a person efficient even from the Excise Department and with experience should be picked for the post.

Irrespective of the guidelines, a former officer who at one time served in the Presidential Secretariat and later held a post related to Information had found his way into the prospective candidate list with the help of a State Minister. But his attempt was not successful after it was found that he had tried to get the job.

PM visits Archbishop Emeritus Gomis and they recall their childhood days

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena visited St. Anne’s Elders’ Home in Kelaniya on Wednesday to meet Colombo’s former Archbishop Oswald Gomis. It is a visit that Mr Gunawardena undertakes every year during the Christmas season. He was accompanied by his son and Parliamentarian Yadamini Gunawardena and Indigenous Medicine State Minister Sisira Jayakody.

The Prime Minister and former Archbishop are related on their mothers’ side. Dr Gomis, now 90, reminded the Prime Minister during the meeting how they both used to swim in the Kelani River when they were young. He also reminisced on how he used to visit the Prime Minister’s grandfather, known as “Boralugoda Ralahamy” when he was a child.

“Philip, Dinesh, and now I, am seeing the fourth generation of the Boralugoda family,” Dr Gomis said, referring to Yadamini Gunawardena.

“We are both from the same village. I am proud that you are maintaining the honour of the Boralugoda family,” the former Archbishop told the Prime Minister, as he was leaving.

Drugs in schools: Crackdown fails because some Police officers themselves are addicted

The Police and the Education Ministry are trying their best to crackdown on drugs entering schools.

But, when it was revealed that some Policemen themselves were addicted to drugs, the task became more difficult.

Recently, Kandy Police arrested a 25-year-old person with 80 miligrams of drugs.

Upon questioning him, they found out he was a Police officer attached to the Ministers’ Security Division and was on special duty to guard cricketers taking part in a recent tournament played in Kandy.

He had told the investigators he was an addict and while he was on duty at the Kandy hotel where the cricketers were residing he had used drugs in the hotel bathroom.

Circulars failed to address female codes of attire

The confusions over the dress of public service officers occurred when provisions were introduced with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers, to arrive at their office premises in modest attire.

However, during the Cabinet meeting held late last month it was decided to cancel the Public Administration Circulars issued on the attire of officers in the staff grade. Accordingly this particular circular was also cancelled.

This effectively meant the Public Administration Circular issued in 1989 on the attire of officers in the staff grade and other circulars applicable to the uniform of officers, for whom a uniform had been prescribed, was
validated again.

In the circular 8/89 issued by the Public Administration Ministry it was decided that public officers and corporation officers in the staff grade should be attired either in the national dress or shirt and trouser with tie when they attend office and attend to their official duties and functions.

The circular issued in 1989 did not mention about the dress code of female government employees.

However, the circular issued in 2019 during the COVID-19 crisis stated that the official dress of women may be saree, osari or any other appropriate dress. But since the 2019 circular now stands cancelled, there was no particular dress code for female employees.

It now appeared that authorities in charge had chosen to ignore the absence of a circular for a dress code for females. Perhaps that may the best way to address the issue given the controversy caused by teacher unions recently.