2025-02-21
News Categories : Committee News
Two sub-committees were appointed by the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Youth Affairs and Sports to promote sports and youth activities in the country.
Accordingly, Hon. Members of the Committee, Attorney-at-Law Nilanthi Kottahachchi, Ruwan Mapalagama, Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran, and Attorney-at-Law Hiruni Wijesinghe, were appointed as members of the Sub-Committee on Sports. Hon. Members of the Committee, Lasith Bhashana Gamage, Dinindu Saman, and Kosala Nuwan Jayaweera, were appointed as members of the Sub-Committee on Youth Affairs. Other Members of the Committee were given the opportunity to join the Sub-Committee at their own discretion.
The Sub-Committees were appointed during the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Youth Affairs and Sports met for the first time in Tenth Parliament on 19.02.2025 under the chairmanship of Hon. Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage. Hon. Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, Eranga Gunasekara, was also present at this meeting held.
The Hon. Members of Parliament presented the issues existing in sports and youth affairs across the island and suggestions for strengthening those sectors. The Hon. Members of Parliament emphasized that the interest shown by children in sports in the Northern and Eastern provinces as well as in the central province is not at an optimal level and due to this, there is a tendency for them to resort to anti-social activities. Therefore, the need for an awareness-based program to encourage children towards sports was also discussed.
Speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, pointed out that sports are a powerful factor in creating national unity in the country and pointed out that there are issues related to sports in all provinces of the country. The Committee Chairman said that the Ministry should be informed in writing about the various issues related to sports and that the Ministry will intervene and take necessary measures to resolve all the issues for the development of sports in the country. The Committee Chairman further emphasized that a program is underway to identify and take appropriate action against corruption and irregularities committed under the guise of developing sports in the country.
The Committee also discussed the identification of school children's sports abilities from an early age and the fact that this information was not available in one system. Accordingly, the Chairman of the Committee, who emphasized the importance of having this information in one system, pointed out that a software engineer has already voluntarily started work on creating a data collection system.
Also, expressing his views on youth affairs, the Hon. Members presented facts about the corruption and irregularities that have occurred in the National Youth Services Council. Accordingly, the importance of taking prompt action in this regard was also emphasized.
Meanwhile, although the annual report of the National Youth Services Council for the year 2022 had been submitted to the Committee for approval, it was decided to consider the report again in the Committee in the future as time was needed to study the report.
This Committee meeting was attended by Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament including Committee Members and a group of officials of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
2025-11-27
The appointments of three chairmen of state-owned institutions were approved by the Parliamentary Committee on High Posts yesterday (Nov. 26).Accordingly, the appointments of Dr. D.B.P.H. Dissabandara as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, Mr. M.D.C.A. Perera as the Chairman of the National Lotteries Board, and Eng. P.V.A. Hemalal, as the Chairman of Kahatagaha Graphite Lanka Limited, were approved by the Committee on High Posts.The meeting was chaired by Hon. Prime Minister, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, and a group of members of the committee participated in this meeting.
2025-11-27
The Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection, Hon. Member of Parliament (Dr.) Najith Indika, stated that the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board must take the lead in streamlining the procurement process and easing existing legal barriers related to importing equipment used to test drivers for drug use.These matters were taken up during the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection, which met in Parliament on 20th November 2025 under the chairmanship of Hon. MP (Dr.) Najith Indika.The Committee reviewed the progress of the 2025 budget proposals and special project implementations of the Ministry of Public Security & Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils & Local Government.Officials from the Sri Lanka Police Narcotics Bureau highlighted the difficulties in conducting roadside drug tests due to the lack of necessary equipment.The Committee Chair noted that the government has prioritized eliminating drug abuse and stressed the importance of regulating drivers who operate vehicles under the influence of drugs. He further stated that essential equipment required to identify drug users must be made readily available and that legal barriers affecting their procurement process and importation should be addressed promptly.Police officials also informed the Committee that notable progress has been made in implementing budgeted programmes related to drug prevention. Officials from the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board briefed the Committee on the progress achieved under their purview as well.The Committee additionally reviewed the progress of the 2025 budget proposals of the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils & Local Government. The Ministry Secretary reported significant progress and noted that many suspended development projects have now resumed.Hon. Members of Parliament G.G. Ponnambalam, Mujibur Rahman, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, and Dharmapriya Wijesinghe were also present at the committee meeting.
2025-11-26
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection recently (Nov. 18) reviewed 12 performance reports and annual reports of institutions functioning under the Ministry of Justice and National Integration.The Committee met in Parliament on the 18th under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Dr. Najith Indika.Accordingly, the Committee examined the 2022, 2023 and 2024 performance reports of the Registrar’s Office of the Supreme Court, the 2023 and 2024 performance reports of Judges of Supreme Court, the 2022 Annual Report of the Supreme Court Complex Management Board, the 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the National Authority for the Protection of Victims and Witnesses of Crime, and the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Department of Community Based Corrections.In addition, the Committee reviewed the 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka, the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Department of Official Languages, the 2020,2021,2022 & 2023 Annual Reports of the Official Languages Commission, the 2022 and 2023 Annual Reports of the National Institute of Language Education and Training, the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Department of Prisons, the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Prisoners’ Welfare Fund, and the 2023 and 2024 Annual Reports of the Debt Conciliation Board.The Committee also inquired into audit observations related to these institutions, and relevant officials presented their explanations. Attention was also drawn to the current activities of these institutions, as well as existing issues and shortcomings. The Committee Chair informed officials to notify the Committee if amendments to the legal framework governing these institutions were necessary to ensure more efficient service delivery, and assured the Committee’s support in facilitating such changes.Further, regarding the 2024 Annual Performance Report of the Department of Community Based Corrections, it was noted that the Auditor General’s report highlighted the incomplete construction of the building for the Legal Aid and Community Correctional Office in Puttalam. The Committee requested a report on this matter.Accordingly, approval of the Committee was granted for all performance and annual reports reviewed, except for the 2023 and 2024 Annual Performance Reports of the Department of Community Based Corrections.Hon. Members of Parliament Mujibur Rahman, Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe, and Major General (Retd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara, along with a group of government officials, participated in the Committee meeting.
2025-11-26
The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, Manpower and Human Capital has examined the operation of private universities in Sri Lanka and the issues relating to their recognition by the University Grants Commission (UGC).The matter was discussed when the Committee met in Parliament on 21 November 2025, under the chairmanship of Hon. Member of Parliament Hesha Withanage.During the discussion, the Committee Chair highlighted the emergence of institutions awarding degrees of inadequate quality and the resulting harm caused. He noted that many such institutions operate with profit-making as their primary objective rather than providing quality education. The Chair stressed the importance of ensuring that the entire process, from student admission to awarding of degrees remains under the supervision of the UGC.The Vice Chair of the UGC, expressing his views, underscored the need to establish a Higher Education Commission to regulate and monitor private universities and other degree-awarding institutions. He explained that such a body would enable the creation of comprehensive data systems and facilitate links with universities worldwide, allowing access to essential information on institutional standards and programme quality. This, he noted, would help ensure accurate decision-making when granting approval to prospective private universities. These comments were further supported by the Additional Secretary (Non-State Higher Education) of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training, and by officials of the UGC.The Committee also focused on issues related to state universities, scholarships offered for foreign degree programmes, and other related matters.Hon. Members of Parliament Krishnan Keleichelvi, Nilusha Lakmali Gamage (Attorney-at-Law), Chanaka Madugoda, Thurairasa Ravikaran, and Sunil Rajapaksha, along with officials from the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training and the UGC, were present at the discussion.
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