Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Nalin Bandara criticized the government’s decision to restrict admissions to the medical faculty of the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) to only cadet officers and international students.
Speaking in Parliament, Bandara questioned the origins and implications of the move, saying, “I wonder if this is a decision of the NPP or the JVP. I don’t believe this is a decision of the NPP.”
Highlighting the economic impact of outbound medical education, Bandara noted that between 700 and 800 Sri Lankan students leave the country annually to study medicine abroad.
“That means $700 to $800 million is flowing out of our country each year,” he said. “Because of KDU, at least $12 million is retained in Sri Lanka. What is this decision? Who wants this?”
Bandara expressed concern that the new policy would forfeit a valuable opportunity to develop the domestic education sector, pointing to countries like Malaysia and India that benefit from providing educational services to foreign students.
“This is a stupid decision,” he said. “As a country, we can only move forward if we take these opportunities,” he said, questioning who was responsible for the decision.
Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekera announced in Parliament yesterday that, beginning this year, admission to the KDU medical faculty will be restricted to cadet officers and foreign students.
He noted that a recent admissions notice for the 2025–2026 academic year included provisions that required correction. (Newswire)