Sitting of Wednesday, 12 March 2025

Order of business

Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.

1. 1 Opening Opening and Papers Presented 3 speeches ▸
2. 2 Petitions Petitions Presented 3 speeches ▸
3. 3 Oral question Oral Question: Mass Media (Q.74/2024(1)) - Postponed 4 speeches ▸
4. 4 Oral question Oral Question: Prison Guard Vacancies (Q.125/2024) 7 speeches ▸
5. 5 Oral question Oral Question: Provincial Commissioner of Revenue - Uva (Q.392/2025) 6 speeches ▸
6. 6 Oral question Oral Question: Scarcity of Coconuts and Archaeological Site Protection (Q.92/2024, Q.210/2024) 4 speeches ▸
7. 7 Oral question Question by Private Notice: Reopening of Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka 3 speeches ▾
   • The Hon. Speaker procedural
     Full speech →
   • The Hon. Dilith Jayaweera SB

     AI summary Hon. Dilith Jayaweera raised concerns over the closure of the Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka and the complete halt of academic activities for about two months. He asked the Prime Minister and Minister of Education for details on student and staff numbers, the reasons for the closure, whether institutional inefficiencies contributed to it, and what steps have been taken to reopen the university. He also questioned alleged irregularities in online semester examinations for the 2022/2023 academic year and requested information on any action taken.

     Education Full speech →
   • The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education JJB

     AI summary Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, responding under Standing Order 27(2), provided student and staff figures for the institution and said it currently has 469 local students, one foreign student, and 25 staff vacancies. She stated that academic activities were suspended for internal students from 19 July 2024 due to ragging-related incidents involving senior monk-students and subsequent disciplinary action, including barring ten students from classes, followed by a temporary closure after an examination boycott. She said the situation was not due to institutional inefficiency, and that discussions with monk-students had produced agreement to restart academic activities on 15 March 2025 and remove temporary structures. She added that reported issues in the online second-semester examinations would be considered during evaluation and that examinations would resume after reopening.

     Education Full speech →
8. 8 Opening Speaker's Announcements and Welcome 2 speeches ▸
9. 9 Procedural Ministerial Statements 5 speeches ▸
10. 10 Debate Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation 120 speeches ▸
11. 11 Papers Papers on Annual Reports - MILCO and Land Reform Commission 5 speeches ▸
12. 12 Adjournment Adjournment Motion: Mitigation of Floods Caused by Nilwala Salinity Barrier 8 speeches ▸
13. 13 Papers Written Answers to Questions 1 speeches ▸