The University of Peradeniya has announced the temporary suspension of all academic activities and examinations until further notice, citing the prevailing adverse weather conditions.

University officials said essential services will continue uninterrupted, while special measures have been introduced to safeguard students.

According to the administration:

• Students able to travel safely to their home areas may do so.
• Students unable to return home due to weather may remain in university hostels, except Sarasavi Medura, by notifying hostel authorities.
• Students in risky private boarding places who seek safety in university hostels will be accepted, with records maintained as instructed.
• The university emphasized that no student will be forced to leave hostels.

The administration urged the university community to follow safety instructions until conditions normalize, stressing that protection of students remains the priority. (Newswire)

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The Cabinet has approved the expansion of the Kandy City Wastewater Management Project, extending its scope to cover the University of Peradeniya and prolonging the project timeline until December 31, 2027.

The project, launched in 2010 under a loan agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has been implemented in four packages. 

At its meeting on January 12, 2026, the Cabinet had already extended the project period from January 2025 to August 2027.

Following a request by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya, a feasibility study confirmed the possibility of including the university premises within the project scope. 

The Cabinet has now approved this inclusion, with an estimated cost of Rs. 2,000 million. Of this, Rs. 800 million will be financed through JICA loan funds, while the remaining Rs. 1,200 million will be met from local resources.

The proposal was submitted by the Minister of Housing, Construction, and Water Supply, to strengthen urban wastewater management in Kandy while addressing environmental and public health concerns. (Newswire)

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University of Peradeniya students have made history by staging Sri Lanka’s first sustainable fashion show, transforming waste into wearable art. 

Organised by the ZeroPlastic University of Peradeniya, AURORA 2026 was held at the KCC in Kandy on June 20, bringing together recycled and upcycled materials in a striking showcase of eco‑conscious design.

Backed by MAS Linea Clothing of MAS Holdings as main sponsor and supported by the Sri Lanka Institute of Textile and Apparel, the event challenged the fast‑fashion mindset while positioning students as leaders in sustainability and environmental advocacy. 

The event brought together recycled, upcycled, and environmentally responsible materials and turned them into runway-ready designs, each one a deliberate argument against the throwaway logic that defines fashion at its worst.

The event drew students from across the faculties of the University of Peradeniya, coordinating design, production, logistics, creative direction, and technical delivery into a single cohesive show. 

Designers, models, organisers, volunteers, and technical teams worked together across a collaboration that produced something well outside the expected range of a student project. The success of the night reflected the university’s standing as one of Sri Lanka’s leading academic institutions, one that consistently produces graduates with both capability and a sense of broader responsibility.

“AURORA was never just about fashion. It was about proving that young people at our university can lead on the most important conversation of our time, and do it beautifully,” said Chamodi Nishshanka, President of the ZeroPlastic University of Peradeniya.

AURORA was designed from the outset as more than a fashion event. It served as a platform for environmental advocacy, bringing conversations about plastic pollution, fast fashion, and responsible consumption to an audience that might not engage with them through conventional channels. 

The show challenged audiences to reconsider what they buy, how they buy it, and what happens to it afterwards. Those are not comfortable questions for the fashion industry, and they were not comfortable questions on the night either. That was the point.

ZeroPlastic University of Peradeniya operates within the broader ZeroPlastic Movement, Sri Lanka’s largest voluntary environmental network with over 12,000 members nationally, which has mobilised more than 150,000 people across the country. 

As a flagship initiative of that movement, AURORA 2026 has established a new benchmark for student-led sustainability work in this country. It demonstrated that environmental responsibility need not look austere or worthy. It can look extraordinary. (Newswire)

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The Supreme Court has directed that Prof. W. M. Thilakaratne, a former senior academic of the University of Peradeniya who was found guilty of multiple charges of sexual harassment by a university disciplinary inquiry, be barred from holding any future position in universities or academic institutions in Sri Lanka. 

The ruling was delivered on 08 May 2026 by a three-judge bench comprising Justices Janak De Silva, Achala Wengappuli, and K. Priyantha Fernando in SC/FR Application No. 81/2021. 

The Fundamental Rights petition had been filed by Dr. W.A.M. Udari L. Abeyasinghe, a Dental Surgeon and Senior Lecturer attached to the Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dental Science, University of Peradeniya. 

According to the judgment, the incidents occurred while Dr. Abeyasinghe was serving as an Assistant Lecturer under the supervision of Prof. Thilakaratne, who was also her M.Phil co-supervisor. 

The Court noted that the petitioner’s mother lodged a complaint with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya on 02 July 2018, alleging sexual harassment and emotional abuse between July 2017 and April 2018. 

Following a preliminary investigation, the university appointed a Formal Inquiry Committee, which conducted hearings between July and September 2019. The Committee found Prof. Thilakaratne guilty of several charges, including cyber stalking, frequent hugging, touching despite objections, causing severe emotional distress, violating the university’s sexual harassment policy, and bringing the university into disrepute.  

However, the University Council later rejected the disciplinary findings, citing delays in the complaint being made, and decided not to take action against the professor. 

The petitioner subsequently complained to the University Grants Commission and later to the Human Rights Commission before filing the Fundamental Rights application before the Supreme Court in March 2021. 

The Court upheld a preliminary objection that the petition had been filed outside the constitutional time limit. 

Despite this, Justice Janak De Silva held that the Court retained powers under its “just and equitable jurisdiction” to issue directions in the public interest, particularly considering the seriousness of the findings against the professor. 

The judgment noted that Prof. Thilakaratne had never challenged or sought to invalidate the findings of the Formal Inquiry Committee. 

The Supreme Court subsequently ordered that Prof. Thilakaratne be prohibited from accepting any paid, unpaid, or honorary post in any university, educational institute, or academic institution. The Court also directed the UGC to instruct all universities and institutions under its purview not to offer him any appointment. 

In addition, the University of Peradeniya was directed to strengthen awareness and enforcement of its policies on sexual and gender-based harassment, including conducting mandatory annual seminars for academics, staff, and students. 

The judgment also highlighted Sri Lanka’s obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), stressing that sexual harassment creates hostile working environments and undermines equality in employment. (Newswire)

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Minister Bimal Ratnayake says Deputy Transport Minister Prasanna Gunasena visited the University of Peradeniya today to check on students affected by the flooding. 

He confirmed that the students are safe, but communication remains difficult due to disruptions to phone networks and electricity. 

The minister added that authorities are working to re-establish coordination with the campus. (Newswire)

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The Faculty of Engineering of Peradeniya University has produced a special device as a solution to the incidents of train-elephant collisions reported in Sri Lanka. 

The unique device has been created using artificial intelligence to prevent the deaths of elephants, a recent incident in which nearly six elephants were killed.

According to Professor Lilantha Samaranayake, the dean of that faculty, the new device has been tested and has provided successful results.

He pointed out that this device will notify the train driver even if a wild elephant is on the railway track at a distance of about 500 meters.

The Railway and Wildlife departments have granted approval for this device. 

Professor Lilantha Samaranayake added that the Railway Department has informed that it requires 4 such devices. (Newswire)

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Professor W.M.T Madhujith has been appointed to the post of Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), his appointment is for a period of three (03) years, with effect from August 01, 2024.

Professor W.M.T Madhujith has been appointed to the position in terms of Section 34(1)(a) of the Universities Act. (Newswire)

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Five incidents of suicide have been reported at the University of Peradeniya so far this year, Samagi Jana Balwegaya MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar informed the Parliament. 

Addressing the Parliament yesterday (23), MP Markar stated that it is reported that two students who attempted to take their lives are undergoing counselling.

Pointing out this is the current status of university students, the MP revealed that the university authorities have reported that the students are malnourished and are unable to afford regular meals.

“Some students eat only one meal. Their parents cannot afford to send them money. They are unable to concentrate in their lectures, with some fainting during lectures,” he said.

MP Markar further stated that the delay in providing the Mahapola allowance has further affected the situation of the students. 

Stating that the youth are the future of the nation, MP Markar stated urgent action is required on this matter without delay. He also requested the authorities to take the necessary measures to assist university students. 

Responding to the MP, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha stated that Mahapola Scholarship allowance has been provided to a majority of students, while delays have occurred for some due to issues related to wrong information, which is being corrected. 

Minister Premajayantha further stated that funds are also being obtained from the Treasury to provide the Mahapola Scholarship allowance without delays. (NewsWire)

Five students at #Peradeniya #university committed suicide, and two attempted suicide. This is the current status of state universities.

We should not sit by as the future of our country is destroyed in this way. Urgent action is required on this matter without delay!#lka pic.twitter.com/pcfYt74HPt

— Imthiaz Bakeer Markar (@bakeermarkar) June 23, 2023

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The Peradeniya Police has launched an investigation into the death of a female student at the University of Peradeniya. 

The Police stated that the student was hospitalized last night due to being unwell and had died today (01) while receiving treatment at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital. 

The deceased has been identified as a 26-year-old resident of Ridhigama, Kurunegala and a fourth-year student of the Engineering faculty of the University of Peradeniya. 

Stating that the female student was under medication for an illness, the Police stated investigations are underway to ascertain if she had purchased extra medication that had already been prescribed for her illness.

The Police stated that the postmortem examination has been conducted, while an open decision has been declared by the authorities. The body of the student has been handed over to the relatives. (NewsWire)

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