Allied Health Sciences Faculty to be disbanded?

Unions plan protests as UGC delays announcement of cut-off marks

By Lakna Paranamanna

The Inter University Students Council (IUSC) expressed their grave concern about the University Grants Commission not announcing the cut-off marks for the Peradeniya Allied Health Sciences (AHS) Faculty.
“We fear that this is a sign which indicates that student admissions would not take place from this year onwards,” said Union Convenor Udul Premaratne. Currently, some 450 students belonging to three batches are studying at the Peradeniya AHS Faculty, following five basic courses in nursing, physiotherapy, medical laboratories, pharmaceuticals and radiology.
Early this year, several protests and sathyagraha campaigns were also conducted by the students of the AHS to object to the inability of the authorities to grant proper academic facilities to the students. However, according to Premaratne considering the current situation, even the continuity of the course is not assured. “If the authorities have decided to cancel academic sessions at the AHS faculty from this year onwards, it is a great injustice done to the students,” pointed out Premaratne.
Premaratne asserted that they have already conducted two protests against this matter and added that they will be organising several more until the relevant authorities provide a solution to this matter.