30 January 2024 12:10 am Views - 48
By Ajith Siriwardana
Some universities were planning to invite politicians and presidential candidates to universities and such moves should be stopped, State Minister of Higher Education Dr. Suren Raghavan said yesterday. He told a news conference at the Government Information Department that politicizing of universities should be stopped.
“I learnt that some universities are planning to invite politicians and presidential candidates to universities. This should be stopped. Please stop politicizing universities. Universities are meant for academic activities. Politics is discussed in that scope. It should not be partial. The senate and its academics should decide who should be invited to universities for events,” he said.
Referring to ragging in universities, he said some 82 complaints with regard to ragging have been received up to now from August last year since the establishment of the hotline 1197.
The Minister said only 30 of them came under ragging and that stern action would be taken against those found guilty of ragging incidents.
He said maximum punishment of 12 year-jail term could be imposed on those found guilty of ragging.
Commenting on the arrest of six fourth-year students of Sabaragamuwa University, he said they were not arrested for ragging and that they were arrested on a personal dispute with a group of batch mates.