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Sir John Kothalawla gifted Kothalawala Defence Academy and present day degree awarding boutique at Kandawala estate

(Lanka-e-News -27.Sep.2015, 8.30PM) In 1979, Sri Lanka Armed Forces recommended to the Government of Sri Lanka a course of higher studies, which would enable young officers to gain higher academic qualifications. Accordingly a study team comprising of officials from the Services as well as the universities was sent to India where they visited the National Defence Academy. On return the study team proposed the setting up of a Defence Academy to award a degree in Defence Studies.

In 1980, General Sri John Kotelawala CH, KBE, LLD, having understood the necessity of a suitable location for the proposed Defence Academy, informed the Commander of the Army Lieutenant General JED Perera VSV, D.Litt.(Honoris Causa), FIBM of his intention to donate the Kandawala Estate, the 48 acres land with its moveable and immovable properties to the Government for establishing a Defence Academy.

This offer was gladly accepted and initial steps were taken to set up the Academy. By this time Sir John was promoted to the rank of General and when he passed away on, 02nd October 1980, the Government and the Services decided to honour him by naming the Academy after him. It was thus named as the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy. The Act of Parliament cited as the Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy Act No. 68 of 1981 and several later amendments effected the establishment of the Academy

In 1986 the Board of Management of the KDA decided to elevate the Academy to the status of a University, which would confer the degree of Defence Studies on Officer Cadets who successfully complete the degree programme. Consequently, the Act of Parliament No. 27 of 1988 elevated the Academy to University status and its first convocation was held in 1991.

So far, This Academy has delivered qualified brave military officers to the country and some have also made the supreme sacrifice for the motherland.

In year 2007, the name of the academy was changed as General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. The purpose of the university was to train/educate cadet officers up to the graduate level and also to provide post graduate level education for  officers of tri forces.

Soon after the completion of war in 2009, defence forces started venturing into business activities. Under the leadership of then secretary of  defence, Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapakshe, the vice chancellor of the university, General Milinda Peiris proposed a method to provide few vacancies of under graduate degree programmes conducted by Sir John Kotelawala Defence University to civilian students on payment basis compromising military training to a certain level. In this way, the conversion of once a pride and only tri forces defence academy of Sri Lanka (The pride of General Sir John Kotelawla) into a degree awarding boutique for money.

The infrastructure of the university premises was developed to accommodate civilian students. No proper government tender procedures were followed while awarding tenders and colossal amount of public money was wasted/ robbed which is required to be investigated by Financial Crime Investigation Division. 

Degree programmes were developed abruptly without proper planning in order to attract more students to earn money. Lack of qualified academic staff at the university has worsen the situation as degree programmes were designed and conducted by less (Not) qualified civil/ military staff. Military officers without a university education at undergraduate or postgraduate level started functioning at decision making levels. The position of Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Rector (KDU Southern Campus), Majority of Deans of faculties, Majority of Heads of Departments and Majority of lecturers of some faculties are not at all qualified to conduct degree programmes to civilian/ Military students. The present aim of the university is to attract students for degree programmes with whatever qualifications in order to earn money. The faculties were established in abrupt manner for tis purpose. Large number of civilian students with very low Z- Score or with without minimum requirement for university entrance have been enlisted brining down the quality of degrees awarded by a Government University. Administrative authorities seems do not understand the importance of degree programs conducted across 9 faculties of this university .The main aim of the university is to attract more and more civilian students to generate more funds for the university. In fact, few degree programmes are conducted only for civilians as they is no necessity within military to have graduates in such fields.  The parents trusting the university spend big amount of money for degree programmes. But the university has failed to provide them with education up to an acceptable standards due to non planned degree programmes and lack of qualified staff with required numbers and required facilities to run degree programmes for such a large number of students. It is required to deeply look in to the contents of degree programmes to ascertain whether these programmes are in accordance with acceptable educational bodies of Sri Lanka.

The enlistment of civilian students was initiated to give few vacancies left in the university after enlistment of cadet officers to the university. However, the sad story today is that the population of civilian students at the University for All Degree Programmes is 75 % and the population of cadet officers is 25%.  The ratio of civilian to military students of the university is 3:1. Thus it is very clear that how the once prestigious defence academy of the country has become a degree awarding boutique over the period of last 4 years. Presently, the university is defence only by name and civilian population has dominated the university and one cannot expect a proper military training in the university.

When this Academy was initially established, the degree programmes were designed by experience military officers as per the requirement of tri forces to cater military requirements. However, presently the programmes are modified or designed to suit for the civilian students totally neglecting the service requirements.  

There are serious of questions exists about the status of the university. Whether it is a government university (It has to be since military is involved). Then is this the beginning of government starting to privatize the university education system. What permits military to conduct degree programmes to civilian students. Are Sri Lankan military authorized/ qualified to offer and conduct degree programmes to civilian students. Is the money charged for degree courses are properly accounted for? Is the government pays the salary of staff at KDU? 

Today, the KDU has become a place where no proper military training/education or proper degree programmes for civilians are conducted. If this process continues, the defence forces of Sri Lanka will not receive qualified / brave military officers from KDU or the civil society will not receive qualified graduates to the society. It is high time to authorities to act and reinstate the will of Sir John Kotelawla and revert back to original aim of establishing this prestigious defence academy in 1981 and conduct proper military training/ education only to cadet officers within the university premises or to hand over the university to qualified civil administrators under university Grants Commission to conduct proper degree programmes and serve justice to the civilian students for their hard earned money/ effort. It is time for the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Higher Education of Sri Lanka to act promptly and separate the military training and civilian training of the university by a suitable means to avert the continuation of this disaster.

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by     (2015-09-27 15:18:54)

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  7 discussion on this news

It is very sad that this Academy has become "just" a disgrace. I thought that this Academy (in the name of Sir John Kothalawala) serves a particular function. That is giving free tertiary education to our (local) innocent, middle-class or poor bright students who could not get a chance to enter our Srilankan Universities. Since from few years, I hear a very sad story. Many many Australian students (born to migrated Srilankan parents) who could not enter a medical faculty in Australia secured a place in KDA very easily. This is just because their parents have money. I don't think that this is fair...As I understood, some of the students may not have the basic entry requirement to any University in Australia or anywhere. Just because they have money...they can get a medical degree. What a joke....?
-- by Mervin on 2015-09-28

Gotabaya Rajapaksha basically sold the KDA degrees to overseas students just because they have money. What a disgrace.
-- by Dr. Wasaladasa on 2015-09-28

This very true about current KDU under current vice chancellor. So many children from high-ranking military officers (only high ranks one) are studying at KDU without even the most basic requirements for SL university entrance. There are students studying medicine with and without minimum passes. The students from these families don’t need to worry about studying hard for A/L and should only worried about getting three passes for A/L and they have guaranteed place at KDU. There are many talented students who apply and come for the interviews with very good results. But they are not selected by the vice chancellor and the selection committees just to fulfill their own friend’s requirements. The Vice Chancellor is a dictator and there are so many things go unnoticed at KDU, where they should have been investigated. They work hard for the previous government and they are here because of them and they are not here because of their academic qualifications. Academically they don’t deserve to be in these positions and it is a disgrace to the other VCs in this country. Feel sorry for the really talented people in this country and its worth investigating number of children who are studying at KDU, coming from high ranking military families.
-- by Nishan Sama on 2015-09-29

The civil staffs at KDU are being treated like monkeys where the military is the zookeeper. There are so many complaints about them and so far MOD or any other responsible authority and they did nothing against it . Majority of them at Ministry of Defence Sri Lanka and KDU are previous government’s people and they are still working closely together. This is a State university and it not a strict defence university anymore. This is a disgrace to the whole university system in Sri Lanka. the majority of the military people , apart from very few are clueless chickens.
-- by Wimal on 2015-09-29

There were many articles published related to KDU and here are two of the many found on Internet. http://www.lankaenews.com/news/289/en http://lankaenews.com/news/1187/si So far nothing done to look in to these matters. As long as you are a female army officer ( like Dean FAHS , P.T.R. Makuloluwa ) looks like , you can escape from many illegal activities without being punished and you receive special attention and care from senior military officers, even though your are the most unpopular, unpleasant woman on earth, even though you have billions of complaints against you.
-- by Gayan Anthony on 2015-09-29

This VC Milinda Peiris is the one who worked on the corrupted plan on sending General Sarath Fonseka in to the prison. He is also a spineless army officer who rose to the ranks by kissing back sides of the previous government and is a corrupted army officer. according to the General Fonseka in his appeal he mentioned that Major General Milinda Peiris was tried by the army for giving false evidence at an inquiry. According to him Complaining against the composition of the members of the Court Martial, Gen. Fonseks informed the court that the president of the GCM Major General Milinda Peiris was found to be an untrustworthy person and while he was serving as the Commander of the Army he was investigated for giving false evidence at an Army inquiry. Gen. Fonseka stated based on a recommendation made by Court of Inquiry he while serving as the Army Commander removed Major General Milinda Peiris from the main command stream of the Sri Lanka Army.
-- by Ananda on 2015-09-30

They treat civil staff n students as fools. Although many committees are appointed, the decisions are taken by VC, and it is very unethical and insulting the state universities as well. Some military officials not having academic qualifications are in positions like deans and senior academic staff. Some paying students have not fullfil the necessary qualification and are having minus z scores, but they have been selected for the course due to large sum of money they are paying annualy. This is the time for the involvement of Ministry of Higher Education for this problem.
-- by Don chandrakumara on 2015-09-30

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