Speaker endorses certificate on Universities (Amendment) Bill

The Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, today (03) endorsed the certificate on the Universities (Amendment) Bill.

The Bill, which was passed in Parliament on January 23 with amendments and without a vote, seeks to amend the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978, according to the Department of Communication of Parliament.

The relevant Gazette notification for the Bill was published on November 21, 2025, and it was presented for its First Reading in Parliament on December 03, 2025, by the Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

The objectives of the Act include granting the Faculty Board to elect a Dean from among Senior Professors, Professors, Associate Professors, and Senior Lecturers (Grade I) of the Faculty, enabling the Council to remove a Dean from office prior to the completion of the term, and introducing limitations on the term of office of a Dean of a Faculty, the statement said.

Additionally, the Act amends and clearly defines the procedure to be followed by the Council when appointing a Head of a Department of Study, and it enables the Council to remove the Head of a Department of Study prior to the completion of the term of office, and introduces limitations regarding the term of office of a Head of Department of Study.

Accordingly, the Universities (Amendment) Bill comes into force as the Universities (Amendment) Act, No. 2 of 2026, it added.