Sri Lanka’s EIAs fall behind in reporting social impacts, says report View(s):A new study on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in Sri Lanka finds that the overall quality of reporting on how development projects affect people—including identifying the social effects, predicting, evaluating and mitigating them before major decisions are made—is low and often fails to safeguard local communities. The addressing of social impacts is primarily governed by project-specific Terms of References (ToRs) issued by Project Approving Agencies (PAAs). Approximately 45% of EIA reports contain no explanation of the methodology used to identify or evaluate social impacts. Suggestions to address issue The study lists several recommendations to address the low quality of social impact reporting in Sri Lankan EIAs. Establish an annual monitoring and evaluation mechanism to assess the reporting quality of EIAs over time.

Liver transplants – another first by NHSL in the state sector By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Recipient of new liver segment from adult living donor prepares to go home View(s): View(s):It is a first not just for the flag-bearing Liver Transplant Programme of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) but also for the state health sector. “Donor safety was ensured with a thorough and comprehensive assessment of all systems such as the heart, lungs and liver,” says Consultant Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary & Liver Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Prabath Kumarasinghe. Since its launch in 2017, the NHSL’s Liver Transplant Programme has performed 67 transplants after securing livers from cadaveric donors. The Liver Transplant Programme’s ‘firsts’ include paediatric liver transplant; split-liver transplant; liver transplant for Budd-Chiari Syndrome; redo liver transplant; dual organ transplant; and ABOi transplant, in addition to the usual transplants. A split-liver transplant is a surgery where a single liver from a deceased donor is divided to provide a portion to two recipients, commonly an adult and a child; a liver transplant for Budd-Chiari Syndrome (BCS) is a cure for this rare vascular liver disease; and a redo liver transplant is a second liver transplant to replace a failing or previously transplanted liver.

Hundreds of weevil species likely endemic, researchers find By Malaka Rodrigo View(s): View(s):Once a familiar household pest, the damage caused to grain by the rice weevil, called ‘gulla’ in Sinhala, has largely reduced, yet scientists have recorded 264 related species in Sri Lanka. New species continue to be discovered, including in Sri Lanka, and according to Ms Wijesinghe, about 175 species could be endemic or potentially endemic to Sri Lanka. The near disappearance of rice weevils from rice is therefore no mystery. While grain-feeding weevils shaped public memory, most weevil species are not pests at all. Sri Lanka is home to hundreds of species associated with forest trees, vines, shrubs, palms, grasses, and even aquatic plants.

Macquarie University’s Open Day in Colombo View(s):Founded in 1964 to offer students, staff and partners a more flexible alternative to the prevailing university model, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia is now reaping the rewards of its innovative, interdisciplinary approach. Macquarie University’s Open Day in Colombo Saturday, 7th February 1pm, Shangri La Hotel will offer students the opportunity to hear directly from professional and academic staff about the benefits of studying at Macquarie and in Sydney, Australia. Our Open Day willprovide students the opportunity to have their queries answered and to meet our academics for in-depth information about our courses. A feature of our Open Day will be toshowcase the many generous scholarships offered to Sri Lankan students. Registration to attend our Open Day is compulsory – https://events.mq.live/mq-sa-open-day-2026-colombo/If you have any queries related to Open Day, please email Tharuka.Dissanayake@mq.edu.auShare This Post FacebookTwitterEmail × Send Email to FriendSend Please enter valid email WhatsappDeliciousDiggGoogleStumbleuponRedditTechnoratiYahooBloggerMyspaceRSS

to outsource certain healthcare tests and diagnostics By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):The government is not privatising outright its health diagnostics facilities in state hospitals but rather choosing to adopt a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to outsource selective medical testing and treatment facilities in their hospitals, according to Finance Ministry officials. A new Public-Private Partnership (PPP) will be formed by the ministry to substitute the existing National Agency for Public-Private Partnership (NAPPP) to implement such government initiatives and projects. Although 80 government hospitals currently have dialysis services, it has been observed that the existing facilities are insufficient to meet increasing clinical demand. As a consequence, taking into consideration the difficulties encountered by the kidney patients the requirement to expand dialysis services has been recognised. The Cabinet Memorandum cited financial limitations for purchasing high-cost equipment and complex, time-consuming procurement procedures as reasons for shifting to this model.

Celebrating excellence behind bylines View(s):Recognising and celebrating journalism that strives for excellence is vital to strengthening the profession in Sri Lanka. To this end, the Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka, together with the Sri Lanka Press Institute and its affiliated unions—the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka, the Free Media Movement, and the Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association—organises an annual awards ceremony to honour achievements in the print media. The Journalism Awards for Excellence 2024 took place on Tuesday at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, with former Justice Ministry Secretary Nihal Jayawickrema serving as chief guest. Our pictures show the highlights of the event as journalists who excelled in their beats received their awards. Share This Post FacebookTwitterEmail × Send Email to FriendSend Please enter valid email WhatsappDeliciousDiggGoogleStumbleuponRedditTechnoratiYahooBloggerMyspaceRSS

Deputy Secretary General of Parliament suspended View(s):By Ranjith PadmasiriDeputy Secretary General of Parliament and Chief of Staff Chaminda Kularatne has been suspended with effect from Friday (23). The decision to suspend Mr Kularatne, the second most senior parliamentary official after Secretary General Kushani Rohanadeera, was taken by the Parliament Staff Advisory Committee (SAC), chaired by Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne. Mr Kularatne was served his letter on Friday, following a preliminary inquiry conducted by former administrative service official S P Liyanage, on the instructions of Speaker Wickramaratne. He was instructed to look into how Mr Kularatne came to be appointed to the post of Deputy Secretary General, when he purportedly lacked sufficient experience as a permanent government employee to qualify. The Sunday Times understands that some members of the SAC had raised concerns that an explanation had not been called from Mr Kularatne before his suspension.

Applications open for scholarship at COMSATS University Islamabad View(s):The Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education has called for applications for scholarship at COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) PakistanThe 2026 COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), a premier public sector institution in Pakistan and a key member of the COMSATS network had invited applications from international students for its fall 2026 admission cycles. The Scholarship Opportunities for COMSATS Member States are provided therefore the international students enjoy the same fee structure as Pakistani students, promoting equal access and opportunity. Students from COMSATS member states applying for graduate programme (MS and PhD) may be eligible for scholarships that cover full tuition fee for the entire duration of the degree programme. Deadline for the Fall 2026 Admission is June 30. (KW)Share This Post FacebookTwitterEmail × Send Email to FriendSend Please enter valid email WhatsappDeliciousDiggGoogleStumbleuponRedditTechnoratiYahooBloggerMyspaceRSS

Dhammachakka Puja at Sarnath calls for peace View(s):The Dhammachakka Puja at Sarnath brought together multiple Buddhist monastic traditions at the sacred site where the Buddha delivered his first sermon. Organised by the International Dhammachakka Puja Committee, the week-long observance from 15-21 January brought together monks from different traditions and nationalities. High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, Mahishini Colonne observed that the Dhammachakka Puja affirms a living philosophy grounded in wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental cultivation – a teaching offered for the welfare and happiness of all. Prof. Wangchuk Dorjee Negi, Vice-Chancellor, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, and Shri Sanjay Singh, Deputy Superintendent Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Sarnath Circle. Bhikkhuni Dieu Luong and Mrs. Doan Thi Phuong Thao from Vietnam, benefactors and well-wishers of the Maha Bodhi Society of India, attended the programme.

JVP leaders in tune with music from India View(s):Cabinet ministers of the JVP-NPP government and the party’s General Secretary Tilvin Silva are seen in harmony with the rhythmic tunes coming from India in the company of India’s High Commissioner Santosh Jha and his wife at a live music concert titled “Timeless Bollywood Melodies – Anuradha Paudwal Live in Colombo” on January 23 at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre, to mark India’s 77th Republic Day, which is tomorrow. Share This Post FacebookTwitterEmail × Send Email to FriendSend Please enter valid email WhatsappDeliciousDiggGoogleStumbleuponRedditTechnoratiYahooBloggerMyspaceRSS

Meditative performance sets the stage for KALA View(s):It says much that in a crowded room, abuzz with chatter and the excitement of an opening night, a young artist could, with very simple repetitive actions still the noise. Led by Saskia Fernando and TAKE on Art Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Bhavna Kakar (India), KALA looks to bring together not only artists but curators, collectors and writers from across the region to engage in a stimulating and sustainable collaboration. It was at the opening of the Shared Ground exhibition among an eclectic array of artists from different disciplines that this performance unfolded. They are all mid-career artists whose practices are ‘deeply rooted in socio-political, post-colonial, ecological, and material research’. ‘Shared Ground – South Asia in Conversation’, KALA’s expansive exhibition is now on at Level 3, 138, Galle Road, Colombo 3 and continues until February 15.

From 100 metres to 5000 feet View(s):A few weeks ago, I travelled through the Central Province. What was once a temporary hut on reservation land between the road and the river grew into a large permanent building. But what struck me most was his remark:“This restaurant is built on reservation land. No house, no shop, no fishing hut would be allowed within 100 metres of the southern and western shoreline, and in the north and east the line was pushed even further, to 200 metres. The government’s recent call to vacate housing above 5,000 feet, while difficult to implement, is at least an acknowledgment of the dangers posed by fragile terrain.

The island that voted before Paris View(s):By S. Y. QuraishiHere’s a historical detail that not just Sri Lanka but the whole of South Asia should be proud of: In 1931, women in a small island colony in the Indian Ocean gained the right to vote—years before women in Paris, Brussels, or Geneva. Taylor called its first truly democratic election, this distant outpost of empire was already experimenting with universal adult franchise. For a moment, it felt as if Sri Lanka’s democracy had matured. The pendulum swings backFive years later, Sri Lanka again became a test case for democracy—this time under a pandemic. Crisis and renewalBy 2022, disastrous policies—sudden tax cuts, a nationwide fertiliser ban—triggered Sri Lanka’s first sovereign default.

Exposition of Buddha’s Sacred Relics from Gujarat at Gangaramaya Temple View(s):By Damith WickramasekeraAn exposition of the Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, discovered in 1960 in the Aravali region of Gujarat, will be held at the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo for seven days, from February 4 to 11. Arrangements have already begun for the exposition with a forward team from India arriving in Colombo to handle the preparation for the exposition. The exposition will begin on the evening of Independence Day on February 4 with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake leading devotees in worship of the Sacred Relics. The Devnimori archaeological site, where the corporal relics of Lord Buddha were discovered is situated at in the Aravalli District of Gujarat. The inscription on the casket is in Brahmi script and Sanskrit language and read, ‘dashabala sharira nilay,’ (the abode of the Body Relic of Lord Buddha).

Discussing the way forward? View(s):Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara Chairman – Institute of Bankers (IBSL) (left), Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Central Bank Governor and Dr. Hans Wijesuriya, Chief Digital Adviser to the President during a discussion at the IBSL National Banking and Finance Conference this week in Colombo. Hitad.lk has you covered with quality used or brand new cars for sale that are budget friendly yet reliable! Now is the time to sell your old ride for something more attractive to today's modern automotive market demands. Browse through our selection of affordable options now on Hitad.lk before deciding on what will work best for you!