News
180,458 monks registered with Department of Buddhist Affairs since 1930s
A total of 180,458 bhikkus had been registered with the Department of Buddhist Affairs comprising 119,465 samanera bhikkus and 60,993 upasampada bhikkus since the 1930s. They are registered as per the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance of 1931, the Performance Report of the Department of Buddhist Affairs for 2023, submitted to Parliament recently, shows.
The Department has established a database of all the monks who have been registered since the 1930s. This database contains information and documents of 52,700 upasampada bhikkus (up to 1939) and 100,700 samanera bhikkus (Up to 1943).
Earlier this month, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickremanayake told Parliament that at present there were 42,122 registered Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka. Wickremanayake added that there were 12, 235 temples, 743 dasasil matha monasteries and 38 devales registered with the authorities.
The Cabinet of Ministers granted their concurrence to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Youth Affairs to appoint S. Achchudan of Special Grade of Sri Lanka Administrative Service, who is currently serving as an Additional Commissioner of Elections at the Elections Commission who is
recommended by the panel of interviewers to the post of Director General of the Sports Development Department with effect form 01.01.2026.
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal furnished by the Minister of Environment to publish the draft bill of the National Environment (Amended) Act in the government gazette notification and subsequently to submit the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Buddhism, Religious, and Cultural Affairs to provide tax relief on imported dates received as donations or gift for Ramadan.
This year’s Ramadan fasting season is scheduled to begin on 19-02-2026 and end on 21-03-2026.
Shafali, Renuka close in on top five in ICC T20I rankings
S. Achchudan appointed as Director General of the Sports Development Department.
Amendment of the National Environment Act No. 47 of 1980
Tax relief for Dates received as donations or gifts for Ramadan
Cabinet nod to establish the Sri Lanka Industrial Transformation and innovation Authority
Temporary employment of Sri Lankan labour in the State of Israel
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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