• Calls to stop politicizing universities   

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.