News
Govt. reverses decision: KDU to admit local students for medical degrees
View(s):By Dilushi Wijesinghe
The Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) has resumed accepting applications from fee-paying local students (day scholars) for its Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree programme. The decision comes just weeks after controversy erupted over the course being limited only to cadets and foreign students, first announced in Parliament by Deputy Defence Minister Major General Aruna Jayasekara on May 22.
The Sunday Times learns that the decision was made on Friday. The KDU website now carries details of the MBBS degree, including the application process, course fees, and other information. Applications, reopened yesterday, will close on July 18, 2025.
Meanwhile, the fundamental rights application filed by university-qualified GCE Advanced Level students who were deprived of applying for the KDU medical degree by the government’s sudden decision last month is due to be taken up on Tuesday.
KDU had been enrolling fee-paying day scholars in different courses, including the medical degree. Accordingly, on May 21, 2025, it called for applications via its official website. The next day, however, Deputy Minister Jayasekera, in a special statement in Parliament, said local students would not be taken in and that only foreign students and cadets (the latter are not fee-paying) would be enrolled. No reason was given.
Yesterday, neither the Defence Ministry nor KDU officials offered an explanation, when asked, as to the circumstances that led to the decision being reversed.
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