The Supreme Court on Thursday (05) ordered the University Grants Commission (UGC) to immediately admit a Sri Lankan student to a state university medical faculty, ruling that his earlier rejection violated his fundamental rights.
The Court found that the student, who completed a Russian examination equivalent to Sri Lanka’s GCE Advanced Level and met the required qualifications, had been unfairly denied admission.
The petitioner, residing in Borella, passed the GCE Ordinary Level in Colombo before moving to Russia due to his father’s embassy posting. There, he completed the Senior School Certificate Examination, attended by students from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, which he maintained was equivalent to the GCE Advanced Level.
He applied through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for admission to a medical faculty, but the application was rejected for not meeting admission criteria. The petitioner argued this violated his fundamental rights.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Arjuna Obeysekera, with Justices Janak de Silva and Sobhitha Rajakaruna, noted that the petitioner met all relevant criteria and that the Ministry had no authority over university admissions. The Court directed the UGC to admit him immediately to a state university. ( NewsWire)