• A/L students file FR citing discrimination, violation of rights, fair admin. practice

A group of students has filed a fundamental rights (FR) petition before the Supreme Court (SC), challenging the recent decision to exclude local students who sat for their General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level (A/L) or equivalent exams in Sri Lanka from applying to the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree programme at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU).

In the petition, the petitioners — all Sri Lankan citizens who either applied or were planning to apply for the 2025/2026 MBBS intake — say that the sudden change in eligibility criteria is unfair, discriminatory, and violates their constitutional rights under Article 12(1), which guarantees equality before the law.

The students argue that this restriction, which was only introduced after the application process had already begun and applications had been accepted, applies solely to the MBBS programme, and that all other degree programmes at the KDU remain open to local civilian students as before. 

They also point out that students with similar foreign qualifications obtained outside Sri Lanka — even if they are Sri Lankan citizens — are still allowed to apply for the MBBS programme as “foreign students”. This, the petitioners say, results in the unequal treatment of students who are otherwise in the same position.

They further said that the policy shift was officially announced in the Parliament on 22 May by the fourth respondent in the case — the Deputy Defence Minister, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd.). However, the petition notes that no explanation was provided at the time or since, either in the Parliament or to the affected students and the general public. The complete lack of reasoning, they claimed, makes the decision arbitrary and contrary to principles of natural justice and fair administrative practice.

The students are accordingly asking the SC to declare that their FRs have been violated by this decision; to nullify the new eligibility rule that bars local students from applying to the MBBS programme, to direct the KDU and the relevant authorities to consider the already-submitted applications and allow prospective applicants to submit new ones based on the original eligibility criteria, to issue interim orders to halt the implementation of the decision and to ensure that applications from local students are accepted until the case is heard.

On 22 May, Jayasekara announced in the Parliament that starting from this year, admission to the KDU Medical Faculty would be limited to cadet officers and foreign students.