Cabinet approves recruitment of 20,000 graduates

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

Enabling the Government to expand its drive to employ more graduates, Cabinet has approved the recruitment of 20,000 degree-holders before the end of this year. 

According to Public Administration and Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara, interviews are currently progressing and graduates will be recruited under four stages.

“At the first stage, 5,000 graduates will be recruited. Then 15,000 will be recruited at the second stage. Accordingly, in 2018, we will be recruiting 20,000 graduates. Cabinet is yet to decide on the number of graduates that will be recruited in 2019,” he said.

According to the Minister, the Government has received 66,823 applications and 49,919 of those graduates have been interviewed where a marking scheme is followed to select the best and to keep out malpractice. 

“We have acted in all fairness when recruiting these graduates, so much so that even our own politicians sometimes complained about it. The graduates who had completed postgraduate qualifications were given priority, as they deserve. No party politics was in operation in the selection process. The interviews were conducted by District and Divisional Secretariats,” he added.