The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a Rs. 476 million digital transformation project to modernise academic and administrative operations at the University of Kelaniya over a two-year period from 2026 to 2027.

The initiative aims to address limitations in the university’s existing IT infrastructure, which authorities say is no longer sufficient to meet the growing demands of a rapidly evolving, digitally driven global higher education environment.

Under the project, all core learning, teaching, and management processes are expected to be digitised, benefiting a large academic community that includes 16,368 undergraduate students, 1,114 postgraduate students, 56,619 external degree candidates, and around 1,700 academic and non-academic staff members.

Key objectives of the programme include improving service delivery through streamlined administrative systems, expanding access for both local and international students via digital platforms, and strengthening financial sustainability by enhancing operational efficiency.

Sri Lanka has recorded a rise in the number of PhD holders, alongside a broader shift towards higher educational attainment over the past decade, according to the latest data on the population aged 25 and above in the Census of Population and Housing 2024.

Here are 7 key figures from the report:

1. PhD holders increased from 6,557 in 2012 to 11,757 in 2024, though still accounting for just 0.1% of the population.

2. The number of people with degrees more than doubled, rising from 358,052 (3.0%) to 780,958 (5.6%).

3. Those with a tertiary education grew significantly from 2,195,117 (18.2%) in 2012 to 3,635,462 (26.2%) in 2024.

4. Individuals with G.C.E. A/L or equivalent rose from 1,724,574 (14.2%) to 2,677,022 (19.4%).

5. The population with secondary education increased from 7,079,569 to 8,096,402, accounting for around 58% in both years.

6. Those with only primary education declined from 2,214,792 (18.4%) to 1,738,942 (12.5%).

7. The number of people with no schooling dropped from 561,163 (4.7%) to 400,511 (2.9%).

Sri Lankan school Tamil debaters have created history by winning their first-ever international championship, securing the title at the Sampanthan Paindhamizh Chudar 5.0 competition in Malaysia.

The victory was achieved by the National Development Squad of the Tamil Debaters’ Council of Sri Lanka, making them the first non-Malaysian team to win the prestigious championship, organised by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). The achievement marks a major milestone for Sri Lankan Tamil debating on the global stage.