A preliminary discussion was held in Parliament pertaining to the future plan of getting support of the university academic staff through Vice-Chancellors for the purpose of formulating national policies, as per a decision by the National Council Sub-Committee on identifying short and medium-term programmes related to National Policy chaired by MP Rajapaksa.
The meeting was held with the presence of Prof. Sampath Amaratunge, Chairman of the University Grants Commission, and a group of lecturers including vice chancellors of universities across the country, and was able to thus arrive at a preliminary agreement regarding the basic structure identified by the sub-committee on identifying short and medium-term programs related to National Policy.
As a preamble to this program, Prof. Krishan Deheragoda gave an explanation to the Committee on the main areas where policy preparations should focus on. The university vice-chancellors and lecturers who were present at the occasion expressed their views on how policies should be prepared in this country.
Accordingly, it was decided to prepare basic structure identified by the sub-committee on identifying short and medium-term programs related to National Policy together with university professors in accordance with each identified field given the priority and to move ahead.
Committee Chairman MP Namal Rajapaksa said that they wish to propose to the National Council to establish a separate bureau for policy formulation in Sri Lanka and to implement the required legal changes through Parliament.
Dr. Naseer Ahmed, State Minister (Dr.) Suren Raghavan, MPs A.L.M. Athaullah, Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi, Wajira Abeywardana and Sagara Kariyawasam were present at the occasion.
MIAP