R.H.A.S.S. Karunarathna and others vs University Grants Commission and others – SC FR No. 09/2015-2020

In the case between the Petitioners—a group of students including Siriwardena, Bandara, and 33 others—and the University Grants Commission (UGC), together with university registrars and government officials, the court addressed the legality and constitutionality of the UGC’s university admission policy. The central legal issue pertained to whether the strict rule preventing students from withdrawing from a registered academic year to seek admission in a subsequent year based on improved results was valid, fair, and enforceable. The findings established that no explicit right or legitimate expectation for such a withdrawal existed absent a clear and unequivocal assurance from the UGC. The statutory framework, together with the terms outlined in the admissions handbook and its Annexe I, expl