Over 20,000 qualify for Varsities

Dharma SRI ABEYRATNE

According to the cut off marks issued yesterday by the University Grants Commission (UGC) 20,270 students have qualified for university admission for the academic year 2008/2009, Higher Education Minister Prof. Wiswa Warnapala said..

Based on the results of 2009 Advanced Level Examination, these students have been selected to follow 68 courses of study. When compared to last year the UGC has taken steps to increase the total intake by 620 students for this academic year.

Out of 20,270 students 19,340 students were selected under the normal provision of admission whilst 930 students were selected under special provisions.

More like the previous year 1,148 students have been selected for Medicine, 78 for Dental and 1,110 for Biological Science. For the students who followed mathematics 1,196 students were selected for Engineering while 1,718 were selected for Physical Science. The largest number of intake is seen for Arts is 3,724 while 3,139 students will be admitted for Management.

Initiatives have been taken by the UGC to introduce five new courses of study for this academic year. Those are Animal Science and Fisheries, Aquatic Resources Technology, Palm and Latex Technology and Value Addition, Hospitality, Tourism and Events Management and Food Production and Technology Management.

The UGC has made provisions to introduce a course of study in Law for this academic year at the University of Peradeniya in line with five new courses.

"A special arrangement was made to send applications to 340 students in IDP camps in the North and East. Accordingly, UGC granted approval to Zonal Directors to certify the university entrance applications on behalf of the principals.

As usual, students will be admitted to the Jaffna University but the number of intake will increase when the ground route is available," Prof. Warnapala said.

Owing to the recent issues regarding the Allied Health degree program of the University of Peradeniya, students were selected to follow this program at the other universities, UGC Chairman Prof. Gamini Samaranayake said.