Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne on Tuesday endorsed the certificate on the Universities (Amendment) Act, formally bringing the new law into effect.
The Bill was passed in Parliament on Jan. 23, 2026, without a vote and with amendments. It amends the Universities Act, No. 16 of 1978.
The proposed legislation was published in the government gazette on Nov. 21, 2025, and was presented to Parliament for its first reading on Dec. 3, 2025, by the Prime Minister in her capacity as Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education.
The amendments grant faculty boards the authority to elect a dean from among senior professors, professors, associate professors and senior lecturers (Grade I). The Act also empowers university councils to remove a dean before the completion of his or her term of office and introduces term limits for the post.
In addition, the Act revises and clearly defines procedures for appointing heads of departments of study. It allows councils to remove a head of department prior to the completion of the term of office and imposes limits on the duration of those appointments.
With the Speaker’s endorsement, the legislation has come into force as the Universities (Amendment) Act, No. 2 of 2026, according to a statement issued by Parliament of Sri Lanka. (Newswire)