<ul><li>Claims responsibility for same cannot solely be relegated to a few NIE officials&nbsp;</li><li>Finds fault with all involved in planning and implementing including political and admin. leadership such as Edu. Min., Dep. Edu. Min., Edu. Secy.</li><li>Govt. says revised Gr. 1 curriculum from 29 Jan.&nbsp;</li></ul> Claiming that responsibility cannot be limited to a few National Institute of Education (NIE) officials over failures in the education reform process, the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has requested the appointment of an independent body, similar to a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI), to examine the entire process and recommend action against those responsible. Speaking to The Daily Morning, CTU President, Priyantha Fernando said that action taken against several NIE officials over the inclusion of an inappropriate website reference in the Grade Six English module addresses only one issue. He said the decision to postpone the Grade Six education reforms by one year itself shows the reform process has not delivered the intended results. He pointed out that large sums of public money was spent on printing modules, training teachers, revising school timetables, and holding meetings linked to the reform process. Despite this neither students, parents, nor teachers have seen any meaningful outcome. “Taking action against a few officers is not enough. Everyone involved in planning and implementing this process must be held responsible” he said.Speaking further, Fernando said that accountability should extend beyond NIE officials to include the political and administrative leadership, including the Education Minister, the Education Ministry Secretary, and the Deputy Education Minister. "During a recent meeting, we requested the President to appoint a body like a Presidential Commission and order a full investigation. He indicated that he would consider it, but no step has been taken so far." The comments come amid disciplinary action against several NIE officials over the Grade Six English module controversy. The NIE Deputy Director General (DDG) Darshana Samaraweera has been sent on compulsory leave, and two other NIE officials have been suspended. Earlier, the NIE DG Prof. Manjula Vithanapathirana stepped down pending the outcome of an internal inquiry. Earlier this month (January 2026), the Cabinet of Ministers decided to review the Grade Six education reforms and defer their implementation until next year (2027). Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the decision followed findings from investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department and the NIE, and that the NIE Governing Council would take disciplinary action against the officers found responsible. He also said the Cabinet agreed the Grade Six reforms needed further review, though reforms planned for Grade One would continue as scheduled.Meanwhile, the Government is taking steps to keep the public and all stakeholders informed about the new education reforms, Dr. Jayatissa stated. Speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing held at the Government Information Department, Dr. Jayatissa noted that due to concerns raised by certain factions, it is not possible to advance the education reforms without informing all the relevant parties. He said that therefore, steps are being taken to ensure that everyone is kept up to date. He further noted that following the controversy surrounding the Grade 6 English module, two officials, including the DD of the NIE, have been sent on compulsory leave to facilitate investigations. He also emphasised the education reforms have not been stopped and that other related activities are continuing. Preparations are underway to implement the revised curriculum for Grade 1 students from 29 January, while the curriculum for Grade 6 students has been temporarily suspended, he added. This period will be used to inform all stakeholders and resolve existing concerns. Speaking further, Dr. Jayatissa said: “Some Opposition groups are still spreading damaging opinions about the education reforms. As a Government, we are committed to implementing reforms that will fundamentally improve education for an entire generation and contribute to national development. These reforms cannot move forward if there is confusion or disruption caused by small groups or individuals. Therefore, the Government intends to inform the public about the education reforms and provide time for structured discussions with all the relevant parties. Only the Grade 6 curriculum has been temporarily suspended for a few months. During this period, we will be able to address and resolve the disruptions caused by a few parties.”

Edu. reform failures:  CTU urges Presidential CoI appointment 

<ul><li>House Leader and Min. Bimal Rathnayake claims same not subjected to proper methodological process&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Challenges Sajith to expose any other flaw other than inappropriate web link</li><li>Sajith says not ready to be dictated by Govt. on anti-Harini NCM debate dates</li><li>Govt. requests at least a 2-day adjournment debate on edu. reforms&nbsp;</li></ul> It was revealed that a last-minute revision to the Grade Six English language module introduced under the new education reforms was carried out without following the proper methodology.Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake said this was revealed by the investigation committee appointed by the National Institute of Education (NIE).&nbsp;The NIE had appointed a preliminary investigation committee to probe the inclusion of the inappropriate website in the Grade 6 English language module. According to the committee’s report, steps have been taken to suspend two female officials of the NIE.&nbsp;In addition, the Deputy Director General of the NIE was sent on compulsory leave on Monday (19) in relation to the controversial Grade 6 English module.&nbsp;Minister Rathnayake said: “A committee was appointed by the NIE to investigate this issue. Accordingly, statements were obtained from eight individuals. Disciplinary action has been proposed against three of them, and those actions are now in effect. When a textbook is printed, it undergoes 12 rounds of checking, followed by three rounds of proofreading. It is then reviewed by the NIE, and the final copy is also checked before printing”. Rathnayake was questioned as to how the error went unnoticed despite such a process, and whether there could have been a conspiracy behind it. Responding, he said: “It is logical to question whether there was a conspiracy. However, the investigation has revealed that a revision was made at the last minute without following the entire process. While the full methodology was followed when preparing the original module, the last-minute revision has not adhered to it”.He also responded to allegations regarding the granting of permanent appointments at the NIE to officials with insufficient qualifications. He was questioned about two officials whose qualifications were challenged, including claims that one official’s daughter is contesting the Pannala Pradeshiya Sabha Election representing the National People’s Power, and whether political affiliation influenced the appointments. Rejecting the allegations, Rathnayake said: “Absolutely not. We have not done anything like that. Whether a person has asked for votes or even if they were involved in initiating our Party, I can say with certainty that we will not interfere in such matters. There was a mistake. As far as I understand, the issue of qualifications is a separate matter, and errors can occur when unqualified individuals perform such work. It is clear however that a serious mistake was made. After reviewing the entire module, it is evident that no other content was added with the intention of directing children towards anything inappropriate. That is why I challenge the Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, if not this week, then next month (in February), to demonstrate whether there is anything inappropriate in this module apart from the link in question”.Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated the Government is prepared to debate the no-confidence motion (NCM) scheduled to be brought by the Opposition against the Education Minister, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, tomorrow (22) and on 23 January. Addressing the Parliament, Dr. Jayatissa further noted that if the Opposition is not ready for the debate on the aforementioned dates, an adjournment debate on education reforms could instead be held tomorrow and on 23 January.However, expressing his views on the matter, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa asserted the decision regarding the timing of the NCM debate should rest with the Opposition, not the Government.&nbsp;He further stated the Opposition is not ready to debate the motion as dictated by the Government.A discussion took place in the Parliament yesterday (20) between the Government and the Opposition on the proposed NCM against Dr. Amarasuriya, with sharp differences emerging over its presentation and the timing of a debate.Rathnayake said that media reports had indicated the Opposition was in the process of collecting signatures for an NCM against the Education Minister, describing such a move as a serious Parliamentary matter. He said that signing an NCM and then failing to present was problematic, and added the Government was prepared to allocate tomorrow and 23 January for a debate if required. He said the Government wanted clarity on whether the Opposition intended to submit the motion.Dr. Jayatissa also said the Opposition had initiated the NCM in response to education reforms introduced by the Premier in her capacity as the Education Minister. He said that the Government was ready to debate the matter and to explain its position on education reforms. "Even if the Opposition does not present the NCM, we, as the Government, would request an adjournment debate tomorrow to discuss education reforms. We are prepared for a full-day debate." Premadasa responded by saying there is a clearly defined constitutional process for presenting an NCM. He said the Opposition has the right to decide the date and time of such a motion, and these decisions could not be dictated by the Government. "The Opposition will present the NCM at the appropriate time and in the proper manner. Several Opposition Parliamentarians have yet to sign the motion. It will be submitted once all the required signatures are obtained." Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunathilleka also said the matter falls within the responsibility of the Opposition, and assured the necessary steps would be taken. He said the motion would be handed over to the Speaker of the Parliament at the appropriate time.

Gr. 6 English module controversy: NIE probe finds last-minute revision 

SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has stated that he intends to re-submit facts to Parliament regarding a major scam in which over 640 individuals were allegedly defrauded by two foreign employment agencies. Premadasa said the scam is estimated to have defrauded a sum of Rs. 860 million to Rs. 900 million from the foreign job seeking victims.Speaking during a peaceful protest organised by the aggrieved parties near the Gangodawila Court in Nugegoda yesterday (20), Premadasa emphasised the main Opposition, the SJB, stands firmly with the victims.&nbsp;He further pledged to provide the necessary legal assistance free of charge to help them recover their losses.Premadasa also affirmed that he will continue to take a stand at all times to ensure that justice and fairness is upheld.

Foreign job scam: Sajith comes to victims’ aid  

<ul><li>Claims that plantation Tamils systematically and institutionally discriminated in post-Ditwah rebuilding of housing, cites non-provision of Rs. 5 m housing grant/land allocation&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul> The Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) has urged France to link the European Union’s (EU) Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP +) trade concessions to Sri Lanka to the Malaiyaha community’s land and housing rights.&nbsp;A delegation of the TPA, led by Opposition Parliamentarian Mano Ganesan met with the Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka, Rémi Lambert, at Ganesan’s residence in Colombo, where wide-ranging discussions were held on post-disaster recovery, land rights, and the situation of the Malaiyaha (plantation) Tamil community. During the meeting, the TPA delegation briefed the Ambassador on what they described as the systematic discrimination faced by Malaiyaha Tamil Sri Lankans under the Government’s Rebuilding Sri Lanka housing initiative, particularly in the aftermath of the Ditwah disaster.Speaking later on the social media platform X, Ganesan stated that the Malaiyaha community, especially plantation residents, had been among the worst affected by the Ditwah disaster, and yet they continue to be excluded from equal treatment in the State’s housing and resettlement programmes. He pointed out that despite official commitments, the promised Rs. 5 million housing grant and land allocation for each displaced family had still not been extended to the plantation community. “This is not an oversight. It is institutional discrimination,” Ganesan claimed.He also noted that repeated requests by the TPA and civil society organisations for a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss these unresolved, community-specific injustices had so far gone unanswered.According to Ganesan, the TPA delegation urged France to use its good offices to press the Sri Lankan Government to end this discriminatory practice and to ensure equal rights, resources, and dignity for Malaiyaha Tamil Sri Lankans. He further stated that he had appealed to France, as a leading Member of the EU, to insist that land and housing rights for the Malaiyaha community be made a condition for Sri Lanka’s continued access to GSP+ trade concessions.The meeting also focused on the broader impact of the Ditwah disaster on Sri Lanka’s Hill Country and the urgent need to move away from temporary and cosmetic solutions toward a rights-based, land-centred, and preventive recovery model.Both sides emphasised the importance of international partnership in ensuring that recovery efforts are not only about rebuilding houses, but about restoring dignity, security, and long-term justice to communities that have endured structural injustice for generations.

TPA meets French Envoy: Wants GSP+ linked to Malaiyaha rights 

The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) clarified that no medical drugs or devices are permitted to be sold in Sri Lankan market without NMRA registration amidst allegations of unregistered Indian drugs including cancer drugs being sold in private pharmacies near major hospitals.&nbsp;Speaking to The Daily Morning, an official from the NMRA further clarified that under the existing provisions, all the medical products available for consumer use including drugs must be registered with the Authority. “The basic principle is that no unregistered medical products should be available in hospitals or pharmacies for patients’ use,” he said.The official stated the Market Control Division of the NMRA performs regular market surveys to identify unregistered medicines. “We conduct inspections and raids from time-to-time and take necessary actions accordingly,” he added. Along with these inspections, the pharmacy owners and the consumers are also being educated to avoid purchasing unregistered medical products from the market.&nbsp;“If we receive any special complaints about unregistered products being sold in any specific place, we especially focus on it and take prompt necessary actions,” he said, noting the Authority pays special attention to the complaints they receive.&nbsp;Addressing the allegations regarding a private pharmacy opposite the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital/National Cancer Institute selling an unregistered Indian drug to a patient, the official said the matter would be investigated and necessary actions would be taken.&nbsp;Speaking of penalties, he said the cases of unregistered medicines are directly sent to courts where the punishments are decided according to the law.&nbsp;Concerns and allegations were raised by the Doctors' Trade Union Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights organisation’s Chairperson, specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa that several unregistered medical drugs from India are being sold in private pharmacies across the country. Specially highlighting an incident related to a cancer patient purchasing a drug from a private pharmacy opposite the said Hospital which was later discovered to be unregistered, and not having improved the patient’s health regardless, Dr. Sanjeewa has urged the NMRA to look into the matter.

NMRA probes unreg. pharma drugs 

<ul><li>Pvt. sector min. wage hiked by Rs. 3k&nbsp;</li><li>State pension provisions of post-1 Jan. 2016 recruits to be amended&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul> The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the relief measures proposed in this year’s (2026) Budget to improve the living standards of plantation workers. To ensure that plantation workers receive a fair daily wage, the President, while presenting the 2026 Budget, proposed raising the daily minimum wage for plantation workers to Rs. 1,550 by proposing a daily attendance incentive of Rs. 200. A sum of Rs. 5,000 million has been allocated in the 2026 Budget to implement the proposal. Accordingly, from 1 January 2026, the attendance incentive will be paid through companies for a period of six months, after which it will be directly credited to the plantation workers’ personal bank accounts. The Plantation and Community Infrastructure Ministry is coordinating with all the relevant parties to ensure the proper implementation of this mechanism, said the Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. Under the system, the Cabinet has approved the joint proposal submitted by the Labour Minister and the Plantation and Community Infrastructure Minister for the payment of the incentives to plantation workers.Meanwhile, the minimum wage of employees in the private sector has been increased by Rs. 3,000, with effect from 1 January 2026. Issuing a statement, the Labour Commissioner General, H.M.D.K. Nadeeka Wataliyadda stated that accordingly, the minimum wage has been increased from Rs. 27,000 to Rs. 30,000. The wage increase has been implemented in accordance with the provisions of the National Minimum Wage of Employees (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2025. Wataliyadda noted that when properly enforcing the said Act, every employer, including both the immediate employer and the principal employer, is bound by the provisions of the Act in respect of any employee engaged in an industry or service through an intermediary or contractor. Furthermore, according to Section 4 of the Act, no allowance other than Budgetary relief allowances received by an employee as at 31 March of last year (2025) shall be used to offset or substitute the minimum wage. In line with the wage increase, the responsibility of applying it to all statutory payments, including the Employees’ Provident Fund, the Employees’ Trust Fund, overtime payments, gratuity, maternity benefits and leave payments, lies with the employers, Wataliyadda noted. If any employer fails to make the required payments properly, complaints may be submitted through the Labour Department’s Complaint Management System via cms.labourdept.gov.lk, or submitted in writing to the nearest Labour Office, Wataliyadda added.&nbsp;Elsewhere, Cabinet approval has been granted to amend the provisions regarding pension entitlements in the appointment letters of State employees recruited after 1 January 2016. According to the 2016 Budget proposal, which introduced a more suitable contributory pension scheme for public officers, all officers recruited to the public service from 1 January 2016, had the following provision included in their appointment letters: “This appointment carries a pension. You are subject to any future policy decisions regarding the pension scheme applicable to you as determined by the Government.” However, since 1 January 2016, a new pension scheme for State employees has not been implemented. Accordingly, to confirm their entitlement under the existing pension scheme and to amend the pension-related clause in their appointment letters, the 2026 Budget has proposed necessary changes, Dr. Jayatissa stated. Accordingly, the appointment letters of all State employees recruited after 1 January 2016, will be amended to include the following pension provision: “This appointment carries a pension. In addition, you are required to contribute to the Contributory and Non-Contributory Pension Scheme / Contributory Male and Non-Contributory Pension Scheme. You must make contributions as prescribed by the Government from time to time.” Accordingly, the proposal submitted by the Public Administration Minister to issue the relevant circular instructions for the amendment has been approved by the Cabinet.

Salaries, pensions: Plantation daily wage hiked by Rs. 200

<ul><li>Cite post-grad qualifications, training, Board certification, clinical and non-clinical duties, added responsibility, some not engaging in pvt. practice&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul> The Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) organisation has urged the Government to separate the Specialist Medical Service from the Grade Medical Officers’ (MOs) Service without delay, saying that medical specialists need clear administrative recognition and a pay structure that reflects postgraduate qualifications, added responsibility, and training.In a statement, the AMS stated that specialists are registered separately with the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) but continue to function within the same service framework as Grade MOs. It added this system has weakened incentives to specialise and limited the State’s ability to reward specialists fairly, especially those without private practice.Referring to the separation of academic and non-academic services in Sri Lankan universities in the late 1990s, the AMS stated that experience showed the value of distinct services based on qualifications and duties. "Before that change, university registrars and professors were paid on similar scales, meaning that any benefit given to academics extended to non-academic staff as well. Governments then found it difficult to offer academics compensation that matched their postgraduate qualifications and academic workload. After the separation, academic salaries rose significantly."The AMS further stated that the same principle applies to the medical sector as specialists undergo years of postgraduate education, examinations, and overseas training, and accept continuous clinical and legal responsibility for patients under their care. "Consultants remain accountable at all times, a burden that does not end with working hours. This level of responsibility, together with the delayed earning capacity, needs proper recognition through service conditions and remuneration," it added, and noted that many specialists serving in peripheral hospitals or full-time public sector roles do not have access to private practice and depend entirely on Government salaries.The AMS also listed key reasons for a separate Specialist Medical Service, including the recognition of specialist qualifications, the acknowledgment of the effort required to reach Board certification, the recognition of clinical and non-clinical duties after certification, and administrative recognition in addition to the existing SLMC registration. The proposed separation, the AMS added, would allow an exclusive service minute and a dedicated salary structure for specialists, alongside a clearer and fairer framework for Grade MOs.Multiple attempts to contact the Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni, and the Health Ministry Secretary, Dr. Anil Jasinghe proved futile.&nbsp;

Medical specialists service: Seek separation from Grade MO’s

All generators of the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Power Plant, which were temporarily shut down for maintenance work, are restored to normal operation. A spokesperson for the Plant stated that accordingly, all three generators have now been connected to the national power grid. As a result, an electricity capacity of 900 megawatts was added to the system.On 3 November of last year (2025), one of the generators of the coal Plant was shut down for routine maintenance, while another unit became inactive on 20 December due to a sudden technical fault. The Ceylon Electricity Board noted that both of these generators are now operational after completing the necessary repairs.

Norochcholai Plant fully restored 

The Anuradhapura Divisional Criminal Investigation Division has recovered three locally-manufactured grenades from a house in the Matale Junction area in Anuradhapura. Police said the raid was carried out following a tip-off received, and that a former commando soldier residing at the premises was arrested in connection with the discovery. Subsequently, the grenades were handed over to officers of the Police Special Task Force for safe disposal.

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TPA meets French Envoy: Wants GSP+ linked to Malaiyaha rights

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