No UGC approval for Batticaloa campus

Colombo (News 1st): The controversial education institution under construction in the Batticaloa district known as the Batticaloa Campus was started in 2013 during the Mahinda Rajapaksa tenure. The MoU was signed between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development and the Sri Lanka Hira Foundation for the establishment of a vocational training centre. UPFA MP Dallas Alahapperuma said that during their administration a decision was taken to set up 25 vocational training institutes providing the NVQ qualifications, and this one was set up in Batticaloa. He said the programs offered were Diploma in Quantity Surveying, Diploma in Information & Communication Technology and Certificate in Building Career Skills with no mention of the Sharia Law. The administration of this institute files for permission from the Ministry of Higher Education to register it as a University. The UGC Chairman said the University Grants Commission or the Ministry of Higher Education had not granted permission as of yet. UNP MP and chairman of the sub-committee on higher education, Prof. Ashu Marasinghe said that Rs. 3,600 million project was being funded by a foreign investor. However, later it was claimed the funds were foreign aid and thereafter another claim was made that this institution was funded by an interest-free loan to the Hira Foundation. The MP said that upon investigation, they found all the funds from overseas had been received to the account of Batticaloa Campus Pvt Ltd. Minister of Higher Education Rauff Hakeem speaking on the Satana program confirmed that UGC approval was not obtained.