UGC chief to file affidavit in SC

September 12, 2012, 10:27 pm 

By Chitra Weerarathne, The Island

President’s Counsel Faiz Mustapha yesterday gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court that his client, Professor Gamini Samaranayake, Chairman of the University Grants Committee, would shortly file, in Court, all documents pertaining to the minutes of the University Admissions Committee, which met on August 22, 2012. Counsel also told the Court that his client would file an affidavit, explaining the inaccuracies he had referred to pertaining to a press conference held on July 26, 2012 at the UGC office. Court granted time till October 12, 2012 to file the documents. Professor Samaranayake was noticed to show cause as to why he should not be dealt with for contempt of the Supreme Court for having delayed to re-issue the re-calculated Z-scores, as ordered by the Supreme Court in a Judgement delivered on June 25, 2012.

Counsel Mustapha said that there was no intentional delay. His client had not intentionally disobeyed the order. The Department of Examinations, asked the UGC for directions pertaining to the recalculation. The UGC sought the advice of the Admissions Committee comprising the Vice Chancellors. Then, advice was sought from the Committee of Experts, comprising Prof. Thatill. That Committee of Experts was appointed by the President. They recommended the recalculation as ordered, considering the two syllabus as different entities. The Committee of Experts however, recommended the pooling of the two entities to make the selections for admissions. Nowhere did Professor Samaranayake act on his own accord and seek to disobey the Court. He did a genuine job. Any error was bona-fide, Counsel said. The matter will be mentioned on November 22, 2012 before the same bench comprising the Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, Justice N. G. Amaratunga and Justice K. Sripavan. J. C. Weliamuna approved for the petitioner students, who had filed a motion complaining of a delay on the part of the authorities to implement the Court order, of June 25, 2012.