Higher Education and Education Deputy Minister Dr. Madura Seneviratne told Parliament yesterday that the government is taking major steps to centralize the registration of all degree-granting institutions, including state, private, and non-governmental institutions, in order to regulate the use of academic titles such as “Professor” and “Doctor” and prevent misuse.
He stated that a new regulatory mechanism is being developed to bring all such institutions under a centralized monitoring system overseen by the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission (UGC).
According to the Deputy Minister, the UGC has mandated that the title “Professor” may only be used by individuals currently serving at a university. Retired or resigned academics would not be permitted to use the title unless officially recognized as Emeritus Professors.
He further noted that honorary titles may still be awarded and that academic titles can continue to be used if formally approved by university governing bodies.
Dr. Seneviratne said the UGC is also developing legal frameworks to address the misuse of doctoral and professorial titles, with the aim of ensuring that such designations are used only by properly qualified and actively serving individuals.
The proposed measures include mechanisms to investigate unearned or improperly used titles and potentially prohibit their use in public or official contexts, treating misrepresentation as a form of fraud.
He warned that if these standards cannot be effectively implemented, stricter restrictions may be introduced to prevent the misuse of academic titles.
The Deputy Minister made these remarks in response to a private member’s motion presented by SJB MP Rohana Bandara, who called on the government to formulate a course of action to prevent the misuse of the titles “Professor” and “Doctor” in society.
Dr. Seneviratne stated that the government is committed to working through the UGC to establish a proper framework to address the issue.
