Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2021-07-19

Vesting the Government owned lands enjoyed by the Open University of Sri Lanka, with the said University

- The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) established in the year 1980 in terms of the Universities Act, No.16 of 1978, is one of the sixteen (16) national universities within the purview of the University Grants Commission. This University conducts seventy five (75) academic programmes from the Foundation Stage to the Doctoral Stage and 44,600 students have been enrolled to the said University for the year 2020. This University, being the sole higher education institute established by the Government for the purpose of providing higher education through open and distance education methods, has its nine (09) Regional Centres and nineteen (19) Study Centres established island‑wide. In view of providing proper education to students, the proposal made by the Minister of Education to vest seventeen (17) Government owned land plots where Regional Centres and Study Centres are located, with the Open University of Sri Lanka as per the provisions of the State Lands Ordinance enabling to further improve the adequate physical facilities of the said Centres, was approved by the Cabinet.