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SC focuses on integrity of public examination process: sets 3-month deadline for report from CGE

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1 year ago

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Directs AG to consider criminal proceedings against suspects, refers to PM’s role

by Shamindra Ferdinando

The Supreme Court has given the Commissioner General of Examinations (CGE) Amith Jayasundara three months’ time to submit a comprehensive report on how the integrity of the public examination process could be restored and strengthened against the backdrop of question paper leaks. The SC made the order on Tuesday (Dec 31, 2024).

The SC declared that the CGE’s decision to grant free marks for compromised three questions was contrary to the law and therefore a nullity. However, during the proceedings, the Solicitor General acknowledged the absence of official entry regarding the CGE taking such a decision.

The SC found the CGE guilty of violating Article 12(1) of the Constitution while asserting that the endorsement of the CGE’s decision by the Cabinet-of-Ministers on Nov. 25, 2024, too, was a nullity.

Declaring that fundamental rights of student candidates and petitioners had been violated by the state due to the leaking of three questions in Paper 1 of the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination conducted on Sept. 15, 2024, the three-judge-bench comprising Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, Kumudini K. Wickremesinghe and Arjuna Obeysekere issued seven specific orders.

The directive issued to the CGE was one of the seven orders. The other orders were (1) address the issue at hand (breach of the confidentiality of three questions) on the basis of one of the three solutions provided by experts and any other material available to him (2) Director, CID to submit a detailed report to CIABOC regarding the probe into the conduct of I.G.S. Premathilake (13th respondent and was directed to pay a sum of Rs 3 mn to the State) and C.M. Chaminda Kumara Illangasekera (6th and 9th respondent in two FR cases was ordered to pay Rs 2 mn) their culpability to consider whether they perpetrated offences, conspiracy to commit corruption, corruption and abetment to commit corruption as defined in the Anti-Corruption Act (3) CID to conduct financial analysis of the suspects, further investigations necessitated by forensic analysis of digital devices conducted so far and probe P.A.M. Buddhika Pathiraja whose name transpired in the investigation (4) CID to submit a report to SC within three months from the deliverance of the judgment (5) Attorney General to provide required advice and backing to the CID and expeditiously consider instituting criminal proceedings in respect of offenders and perhaps unprecedented move (6) that AG provides an advisory to Cabinet-of-Ministers, Secretaries to Ministries, heads of departments and statutory bodies emphasizing what the SC called legal principles contained in the relevant judgment and how public officials would be required to adhere to such principles.

The SC has ordered the State to utilise Rs 5 mn paid by two suspects within four weeks from the issuance of the judgment to explore ways and means of protecting the integrity of Grade 5 Scholarship examination.

The SC has also declared that if the petitioners of four FR petitions intended to recover actual costs in moving the court, they should submit the relevant bills to the respondents Premathilake and Illangasekera through the Registrar of SC. In addition, the SC has also sought a report from the AG as regards action taken by him in respect of the judgment.

The SC noted that the opinion of a seven-member expert committee had been obtained at the intervention of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and the CGE on his own didn’t take the decision at issue but submitted the recommendations for the attention of the Premier and necessary action after endorsing them.

After the Premier called a meeting on Sept. 26, 2024 to address the issues at hand, the CGE had handed over the internal decision making authority to the Premier, Education Minister and the Secretary to the Education Ministry. The SC noted that their involvement in the process had deprived CGE decision making authority.

The SC said they may not have intended to take over CGE’s authority but in the end that was the result of their involvement.


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Heat Index at ‘Caution level’ in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Anuradhapura, Mannar, Vavuniya and Monaragala districts

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6 hours ago

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2026/03/26

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Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of  Meteorology
at 3.30 p.m. on 25 March 2026, valid for 26 March 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in
Anuradhapura, Mannar, Vavuniya and Monaragala districts.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry
of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

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US dodges question on AKD’s claim SL denied permission for military aircraft to land

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7 hours ago

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2026/03/26

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President

By Shamindra Ferdinando

A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Colombo declared that the United States and Sri Lanka maintain a long-standing defence partnership, grounded in transparency, mutual respect, and shared interests.

The official said so in response to The Island query regarding President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent bombshell disclosure, in Parliament, that his government declined to allow the US Air Force to use the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, following the eruption of the latest West Asia war.

We sought views of the US on President Dissanayake’s claim against the backdrop of Sri Lanka being a party to the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) since 2007. Sri Lanka extended the ACSA in 2017, for another 10-year period, and its extension comes up next year.

The President revealed that the US had requested permission to use Mattala, between 04 and 08 March.

Claiming that the request had been made on 26 February, two days before the war began, President Dissanayake said that the US had sought to land two aircraft, carrying eight anti-ship missiles, but that the request had been turned down to maintain Sri Lanka’s neutrality. The President revealed that the aircraft were to come from a US base in Djibouti.

The US embassy pokesperson explained that questions related to operational movements, including ‘Operation Epic Fury’, should be directed to the Department of War (DOW) in Washington.

Camp Lemonnier is the primary base of operations for US Africa Command in the Horn of Africa. China, too, has its only overseas military base in Djibouti in the vicinity.

Military sources said whatever various interested parties said about US-Sri Lanka relations, the former provided significant intelligence support during last phase of the conflict that enabled the Navy to hunt down floating LTTE arsenals in international waters. Of the eight LTTE vessels sunk, the US backed four hits with specific intelligence, sources said.

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No decrease in remittances from workers due to Gulf conflict, but significant drop in tourist arrivals – CB Governor

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7 hours ago

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2026/03/26

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CBSL Governor

Sri Lanka’s worker remittances had not seen a decrease despite the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Central Bank (CBSL) Governor, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said yesterday.

“Based on currently available data, they have not seen a decline in remittances. In fact, according to that we have observed, is a slight increase in remittances in the past few days, ” the Governor said at a media conference held at the Central Bank head office in Colombo.

Governor Weerasinghe also mentioned that he had not seen any reports about Sri Lankans returning to the country from the Middle East due to the ongoing conflict.

The Central Bank Governor, however, acknowledged that there had been a decrease in tourist arrivals. He confirmed that tourist arrivals had decreased by around 17 percent due to the current volatile situation in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has decided to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at the current level of 7.75%, following its latest Monetary Policy Board meeting.

By Hiran H Senewiratne

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