News

Nilaveli to get coral conservation lab

Published

3 days ago

2026/08/30

A dedicated Coral Conservation Centre and Laboratory being established in Nilaveli, Trincomalee, is expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s capacity to conserve and restore vulnerable coral ecosystems, while providing a new platform for marine research.

Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakody inspected the facility on August 25 as construction progressed under a national initiative to protect the country’s coastal and marine ecosystems.

The centre will focus particularly on rare coral species, including Black Coral and Red Coral, among the 245 coral species identified along Sri Lanka’s eastern coastline. Authorities have already begun conservation and artificial propagation programmes for these species, with encouraging results, officials said.

The laboratory is designed to replicate natural marine temperatures and other environmental conditions required for coral growth. Corals cultivated under controlled conditions will subsequently be transplanted to suitable seabed locations as part of restoration efforts.

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of September. The facility is thereafter planned to develop into a Coral Museum and Research Centre, catering to university students, researchers and the wider public.

Beyond restoration, the centre is expected to facilitate research into coral species, marine ecosystems and conservation techniques, while raising public awareness of the ecological and economic importance of coral reefs.

The initiative forms part of wider Government efforts to strengthen marine biodiversity conservation, promote sustainable management of ocean resources and protect fragile ecosystems from the growing impacts of climate change.

Similar conservation initiatives are planned for other parts of the country, authorities said.

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Cabinet aporives recruitment of Nursing Instructors for Nursing Schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media on Contract Basis

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/1

Priyan

There are 17 nursing schools under the Ministry of Health and Mass Media including the postgraduate primary nursing school.

There are 142 vacancies in the posts of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) as on 31.03.2026 in those schools while 24 officers are to be promoted to the special grade on 31.12.2025 owing to the vacancies existing in the post of Special
Grade Nursing Officer (Education). Therefore, the number of vacancies is to be 166.

In addition, there are 24 vacancies in the post of Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education).

Although at present action has been taken to upgrade the nursing schools to nursing colleges and upgrade the nursing diploma course to nursing degree course, no action has been taken so far to carry out recruitment for the training relevant to the appointment for the post of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education).

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to recruit retired nursing instructors and nursing instructors who served in the nursing schools belonging to the three armed forces and are retired or have resigned legitimately from service to the post of Grade I / Special Grade Nursing Officer (Education) on contract basis.

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Signing agreement for the establishment of BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility in Sri Lanka

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/1

Priyan

It has been decided to establish a BIMSTEC technology transfer facility in Sri Lanka by entering into a Host Country Agreement at the second leaders’ summit of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) held in New Delhi, India, in 2008, with the objective of enhancing regional cooperation.

The relevant cooperation agreement was signed by the member countries at the 5th BIMSTEC summit on 30-03-2022 in Colombo.
The prime objective of this technology transfer facility is to provide technology, capacity building, and management of intellectual property for the micro, small, and medium-scale
enterprises of the BIMSTEC member countries.

According to the cooperation agreement, an agreement should be entered into between Sri Lanka, as the host country, and BIMSTEC Secretariat for formalizing the legal status, privileges, and immunities of the technology transfer facility.

The drafted agreement has received the relevant institutional approval and legal clearance.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Science and Technology to sign the proposed agreement.

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The cabinet approves agreement on mutual legal cooperation in criminal matters between the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Korea

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/1

Priyan

Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 11-12-2023 to sign an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Government of Sri Lanka regarding mutual cooperation
in criminal matters.

However, according to the aforementioned approval, the relevant agreement could not be signed between both parties.

Through this agreement, opportunities will be provided
for mutual assistance to other countries in handing over judicial documents and collecting evidence for the use of criminal case matters.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution provided by the Minister of Justice and National Integration to sign an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the Government of Sri Lanka to cooperate in criminal matters.