As enacted

Contents

Act of Parliament · As enacted

Universities (Amendment) Act 2026

Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.

Official translationFrom Department of Government Printing, unchanged

s 1Short title

This Act may be cited as the Universities (Amendment)

s 2Amendment of section 49 of the Act, No.16 of 1978

Section 49 of the Universities Act, No.16 of 1978

(hereinafter referred to as the “principal enactment”) is hereby amended as follows: -

(1)

in subsection (1) of that section –

(a)

by the re-lettering of that subsection as paragraph (a) of that subsection;

(b)

by the substitution for all the words from

“The Dean shall be elected” to the end of the re-lettered paragraph (a), of the following: -

“The Dean shall be elected by the

Faculty Board from among the Senior

Professors,

Associate

Professors and

Senior

Lecturers

(Grade I), of the Faculty.”; and

(2)

by the insertion immediately after the re-lettered paragraph (a) of subsection (1), of the following paragraph: -

Universities (Amendment)

“(b) Where any Senior Professor,

Professor,

Associate

Professor or

Senior Lecturer (Grade I) is elected as the Dean of the Faculty under paragraph (a), and is, at the time of election, holding the post of the Head of a Department of Study of that Faculty, such

Senior

Professor,

Associate Professor or Senior Lecturer

(Grade I) shall cease to hold the post of the Head of that Department of Study upon being elected as the Dean of the

Faculty.”;

(3)

in subsection (2) of that section, by the substitution for the words “unless removed from office,”, of the words “unless removed from office by the

Council in accordance with the due procedure, as may be specified by the Commission,”;

(4)

in subsection (3) of that section, by the substitution for the words “another Head of a Department of that Faculty”, of the words “another Senior

Professor, Professor, Associate Professor or

Senior Lecturer (Grade I), of that Faculty”; and

(5)

by the addition immediately after subsection (3)

of that section, of the following new subsection: -

“(4) No person shall be elected as the Dean of a Faculty for more than two terms.”.

s 3Amendment of section 51 of the principal enactment

Section 51 of the principal enactment is hereby amended as follows: -

(1)

by the repeal of subsection (1) of that section and the substitution therefor, of the following subsection: -

“(1) (a) The Head of a Department of Study shall be a Senior Professor appointed by the

Council upon the recommendation of the

Vice-Chancellor.

(b)

In the absence of a Senior Professor a

Professor, an Associate Professor, a Senior

Lecturer (Grade I) or a Senior Lecturer

(Grade II) shall be appointed by the Council in that order, as the Head of a Department of Study, on the recommendation of the

Vice-Chancellor.

(c)

Prior to make any such appointment referred to in paragraph (a) or (b), the consent of the selected individual with respect to such appointment, shall be obtained.”;

(2)

by the insertion immediately after subsection (1), of the following new subsection: -

“(1A) (a) For the purpose of subsection (1), any Senior Professor, Professor, Associate

Professor, or any Senior Lecturer (Grade I) or any Senior Lecturer (Grade II), who has been confirmed in the relevant post, shall be eligible to be appointed as the Head of a Department of Study.

(b)

In the absence of a Senior Professor

Professor, Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer

Universities (Amendment)

(Grade I) or a Senior Lecturer (Grade II) for the purpose of subsection (1), who is eligible to be appointed as the Head of a Department of

Study, a Senior Professor, Professor, Associate

Professor or a Senior Lecturer (Grade I) in a related discipline of another Department of

Study of the same Faculty, determined by the

Senate, shall be appointed in such capacity and in such an event, the Vice-Chancellor shall provide an explanation to the Council for such appointment.”;

(3)

in subsection (2) of that section, by the substitution for the words “unless removed from office,”, of the words “unless removed from office by the

Council in accordance with the due procedure, as may be specified by the Commission,”;

(4)

in subsection (3) of that section, by the substitution for the words “the Vice-Chancellor shall appoint another Professor, Associate Professor, Senior

Lecturer or Lecturer”, of the words “the Council shall appoint, on the recommendation of the

Vice-Chancellor, another

Senior

Professor,

Professor, Associate Professor or a Senior Lecturer

(Grade I),”; and

(5)

by the addition immediately after subsection (3)

of that section, of the following new subsection: -

“(4) No person shall be appointed as the

Head of the same Department of Study for more than one term:

Provided that, where all eligible persons in a Department of Study have completed their terms as the Head of that Department of Study in accordance with the preceding provisions and no other eligible persons are available for such appointment, a person who has previously held the post of the Head of that Department of

Study may, with the consent of such person, be re-appointed to the post of the Head of that

Department of Study. Such re-appointment shall be made in accordance with the procedure set out in subsection (1A):

Provided further, no person shall hold the post of the Head of a Department of Study for more than two consecutive terms.”.

s 4Sinhala text to prevail in case of inconsistency

In the event of any inconsistency between the Sinhala and Tamil texts of this Act, the Sinhala text shall prevail.

Universities (Amendment)