KDU Medical: Why Civilian Students Were Halted

The discussion explores the historical challenges of medical education privatisation in Sri Lanka and proposes a middle path balancing economic efficiency with equity. Sujata traces the history of private medical education attempts in Sri Lanka, noting a pattern of “stealth policy” used to avoid political opposition. 1982 White Paper: A comprehensive education policy proposed by Ranil Wickremesinghe was rejected due to political unrest. Ragama Incident: An early attempt at private medical education that faced violent protests and was absorbed into the state system in 1989. 2008/2018 Attempts: Efforts involving Neville Fernando and subsequent absorptions into KDU (General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University) faced continuous resistance from groups like the GMO. Current Controversy: The recent decision to halt local civilian student admissions at KDU is described by Sujata as a purely political decision rather than one based on data or policy. Sujata argues for a standardised regulatory framework to ensure meritocracy regardless of a student’s ability to pay.