4,928 more to universities
SC wants new rankings released before Sept. 10
The Supreme Court yesterday recommended the implementation of the third out of the four proposals submitted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to facilitate the accommodation of 4,928 more students to state universities and thus resolve the 2011 GCE A/L, Z-score crisis.
The Bench comprised Chief Justice Shirani A. Bandaranayake, Justices N.G. Amaratunga and K. Sripavan.
The CJ asked the UGC to direct the Examinations Chief to release the new rankings on or before September 10 and suggested an extra intake of 25 per cent to each faculty of each university.
The normal annual university admission is 21,000.
The CJ had advised the UGC on August 30 to increase the intake of students to the universities and increase the infrastructure to accommodate them as a means of resolving Z-score crisis. She recalled a similar situation that arose in 1991 and pointed out that it was resolved by the intake of more students.
The CJ advised the UGC to take steps to release the new rankings taking into consideration that the new syllabus and old syllabus were two different entities.
The Attorney General told Court he would instruct the Examinations Chief to assist the UGC in releasing the rankings without any delay.
Counsel Faisz Musthapha PC appeared for the UGC and submitted the four proposals to Court.
The first stipulates the admission of an additional 3,675 students; the second stipulates the admission of 3,048 students; the third 4,928 students and the fourth 4,457 students.
Court fixed the matter to be mentioned on September 12.
The AG and the UGC counsel undertook to release the rankings in terms of the Supreme Court judgment of June 25.
Inundated with fundamental rights petitions by hundreds of GCE A/L students on the Zscores, the Supreme Court granted leave to proceed with another set of six petitions for the alleged infringement of their fundamental right to equality and fixed the matter for argument on September 3.
Counsel Saliya Peiris, President’s Counsel Manohara de Silva and M.A. Sumanthiran instructed by Mohan Balendra and Sanjeeva Jayawardena with Niranjan Arulpragasam instructed by G.G. Arulpragasam appeared for the petitioners.
Attorney General Palitha Fernando with Senior State Counsel Nerin Pulle and State Counsel Suren Gnanadas appeared for the AG. President’s Counsel Faisz Musthapha instructed by Gowry Shangary Thavarasha appeared for the UGC.