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Global Knowledge Index 2020: Lanka ranks second in South Asia

Published

5 years ago

2020/12/15

Sri Lanka ranked 87th out of 138 countries in the Global Knowledge Index 2020. It has scored 42.1 – the second among South Asian nations. With a score of 44.4, India ranked 75th in the world and was ahead of other South Asian countries

Bangladesh has ranked 112th out of 138 countries in the Global Knowledge Index 2020. It has scored 35.9 — the lowest among South Asian countries.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation jointly released the 2020 Global Knowledge Index (GKI) at a conference in Dubai on Wednesday.

Among other South Asian countries, Bhutan scored 40.9, Nepal 36.2 and Pakistan scored 35.9.

Switzerland topped the Index with a score of 73.6. This is the fourth time in a row that the country has held the top spot. The United States is second with a score of 71.1 and Finland is third with a score of 70.8.

Factors, including education, technology, development and innovation have been considered in creating the index.

The index has been made based on 133 variables under seven sectors. These are: pre-university education; technical and vocational education and training; higher education and research; development and innovation; information and communication technology; economics; and general supportive environment.

The Global Knowledge Index (GKI), produced annually since 2017, is a summary measure for tracking the knowledge performance of countries at the level of seven areas, namely pre-university education, technical and vocational education and training, higher education, research, development and innovation, information and communications technology, economy and the general enabling environment.

It aims to measure the multifaceted concept of knowledge. The concept is a fluid one, often linked to related concepts such as ‘knowledge economy’ or ‘knowledge society’. It is also sometimes restricted to a narrow understanding that limits the focus to education or technology.

Given the variations in its use and meaning, the GKI aims to introduce a more systematic understanding of knowledge by breaking down the concept into its constituent components, thus recognizing the multidimensional nature of knowledge systems in all contexts and applications relating to economic and social structures. This allows a more meaningful and insightful exploration of knowledge policies in relation to different sectors. Additionally, it also enables a more scientific and evidence-based linkage between development and knowledge, in maintaining the notion of human development as applied by UNDP as well as the concept of sustainable development agreed by world leaders in 2015 in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Covering 138 countries and 199 indicators, the GKI provides a systematic tool for guiding and informing policymakers, researchers, civil society and the private sector to collaborate on different aspects of policies to foster knowledge-based societies and bridge knowledge gaps.

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CEYPETCO Fuel prices increased from midnight today (21)

Published

27 mins ago

2026/03/21

Priyan

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) has announced a revision of fuel prices, effective from midnight today (21).

Accordingly,

Auto Diesel – Rs. 382 (increased by Rs. 79)

Super Diesel – Rs. 443 (increased by Rs. 90)

Petrol 92 Octane – Rs. 398 (increased by Rs. 81)

Kerosene – Rs. 255. (increased by Rs. 60)

Petrol 95 Octane – Rs. 455 (increased by Rs. 90)

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Advisory for Severe Lightning issued for Galle, Matara, Kaluthara and Rathnapura districts

Published

7 hours ago

2026/03/21

Priyan

Advisory for Severe Lightning Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre Issued at 12.30 p.m. 21 March 2026, valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 21 March 2026

Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Galle, Matara, Kaluthara and Rathnapura districts after 1.00 p.m.

There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:

The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:

 Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.

 Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.

 Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.

 Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.

 Beware of fallen trees and power lines.

 For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

News

Sri Lanka says it denied US request to land two aircraft at Mattala airport

Published

12 hours ago

2026/03/21

Priyan

Sri Lanka’s president says his government turned down a request from the United States to land two US combat aircraft at a civilian airport earlier this month.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Sri Lanka’s parliament on Friday that Washington had requested permission for the aircraft to land at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in southern Sri Lanka from March 4 to 8.

The request was made on February 26, two days before the US and Israel launched their military offensive against Iran.

“They wanted to bring two warplanes armed with eight antiship missiles from a base in Djibouti”, Dissanayake told lawmakers. “We turned down the request to maintain Sri Lanka’s neutrality”, he added to applause.

The US-Israeli war on Iran has sparked widespread concern globally, as Iranian missile and drone attacks across the wider Middle East have sent energy prices soaring and fuelled fears of a widening conflict.

US President Donald Trump has also been pressuring Washington’s allies to show more support for the war, slamming NATO countries as “cowards” for refusing to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has essentially shuttered the critical Gulf waterway amid the war, forcing leaders around the world to scramble to try to offset the effects on their economies and energy supplies.

Amid the turmoil, many countries have refused to get directly involved in the war while calling for urgent de-escalation.

On Friday, Switzerland announced that it would halt any weapons exports to the US that could be used in military operations against Iran, citing its longstanding policy of neutrality.

“The export of war materiel to countries involved ⁠in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorised for the duration of the conflict”, the Swiss government said.

Sri Lanka’s president also cited his country’s neutrality in the decision to deny the US request to land the two aircraft at Matalla airport earlier this month.

Dissanayake said he had received another request that same day, on February 26, from Iran to seek permission for three naval vessels to make a goodwill visit to Sri Lanka.

“With two requests before us, the decision was clear,” he said, noting that the government denied both to avoid taking sides as signs of escalating conflict emerged.

“Had we said ‘yes’ to Iran, we would have had to say ‘yes’ to the US, as well”, Dissanayake added.

In early March, Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 Iranian crew off IRIS Dena after it was torpedoed by a US submarine off the country’s coast, killing at least 84 people.

Days later, Sri Lanka evacuated more than 200 crew members from a second Iranian vessel, IRIS Bushehr, after the ship requested assistance from Colombo.

[Aljazeera]