The Supreme Court on Thursday (05) ordered the University Grants Commission (UGC) to immediately admit a Sri Lankan student to a state university medical faculty, ruling that his earlier rejection amounted to a violation of his fundamental rights.
The Court found that the student, who had completed a Russian examination equivalent to Sri Lanka’s GCE Advanced Level and fulfilled the required qualifications, had been unfairly denied admission.
The petitioner, a resident of Borella, had passed the GCE Ordinary Level examination in Colombo before relocating to Russia due to his father’s diplomatic posting. While in Russia, he completed the Senior School Certificate Examination, an examination sat by students from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which he contended was equivalent to the GCE Advanced Level.
He had applied for admission to a medical faculty through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but his application was rejected on the grounds that he did not meet the admission criteria. The petitioner subsequently challenged the decision, claiming it infringed upon his fundamental rights.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Arjuna Obeysekera, with Justices Janak de Silva and Sobhitha Rajakaruna concurring, observed that the petitioner had satisfied all relevant requirements and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no authority over university admissions. The Court therefore directed the UGC to grant him immediate admission to a state university medical faculty.
