K. Sivagananathan Memorial Trust Awards today

Monday, 10 March 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The K. Sivagananathan Memorial Trust (KSMT) and the Association of Professional Bankers of Sri Lanka (APB) will hold its 12th Annual K Sivagananathan Memorial Oration and Awards ceremony today, 10 March, at 5:45 p.m. The event is in commemoration of the late K. Sivagananathan, an innovative banker in Sri Lanka. The late K Sivagananathan had contributed most to uplift, upgrade and grow to unprecedented heights through many new innovations in Sri Lanka’s premier State bank, the Bank of Ceylon and his tireless contribution to improve the standard of education in banking and finance in Sri Lanka to international standards together with the APB and Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka. "This year 64 students who have obtained the highest marks in all three languages in the Diploma in Banking and Finance examination in March and September 2013 conducted by the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka, will be awarded cash prizes and certificates. " This year Ranjit Fernando, former Director/CEO of National Development Bank and former Secretary to Ministry of Industries and Constitutional Affairs will deliver the Memorial Oration titled ‘An Effective CEO’. This annual event will be attended by the elite of the banking and financial institutions, professionals, bankers and the other invitees. The commemoration ceremony will also be addressed by Guest of Honour Rohini Nanayakkara, former General Manager, Bank of Ceylon and current Chairperson of LOLC Group of Companies, the President of the Association of Professional Bankers, and Nathan Sivagananathan, Chairman of the K. Sivagananathan Memorial Trust and the General Secretary of APB. This year 64 students who have obtained the highest marks in all three languages in the Diploma in Banking and Finance examination in March and September 2013 conducted by the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka, will be awarded cash prizes and certificates. "This year Ranjit Fernando, former Director/CEO of National Development Bank and former Secretary to Ministry of Industries and Constitutional Affairs will deliver the Memorial Oration titled ‘An Effective CEO’" As a result of the banking examinations conducted by the IBSL which is affiliated to IFS School of Finance, UK, formerly known as the Chartered Institute of Bankers London, open to the bankers and public, tremendous enthusiasm has been shown not only by bankers but by those who aspire for a career in banking and finance. The K. Sivagananathan Memorial Trust (KSMT) is a non-profit organisation mainly dedicated to providing assistance to financially disadvantaged students pursuing higher studies in the field of banking and finance and encouraging them to excel in their examinations to achieve a higher standard to be on par with the developed countries, which was one of late K. Sivagananathan’s wishes. The KSMT has distributed over 594 cash prizes and certificates since 2002 to students who excelled in the banking exams conducted by the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka and has sponsored needy students to do the entire banking examination and also sponsored gold medal to be awarded at the 15th Convocation of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka held in 2010 to the youngest candidate below the age of 24 years who completed the CBF examination with the first attempt. This year a large number of highest achievers in DBF examination hail from outstations like Mirigama, Kandy, Chunnakam Vavuniya, Jaffna, Moneragala, Bandarawela, Bandaragama, Beliatta, Ambalantota, Nattandiya, Karaveddy, Nattaranpota, Imbulgoda, Batticaloa, Amparai, Manipay, Lunuwila, Narammala, Pelmadulla, Udugampola, Mahiyanganaya, Chanknai, Mathugama, Neervely, Meegoda, etc. Late K. Sivagananathan who was keen to open the IBSL examinations not only to bankers but also to public would be proud to see the excellent results shown by the non-bankers and students from outstation. The late K. Sivagananathan’s involvement with the IBSL contributed to its association with the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB) London, to raise the professional standards of bankers in Sri Lanka which will no doubt contribute in a big way for bankers to run their banks and branches to keep up with globalisation of the financial sector. The KSMT has also donated books on banking and finance to the IBSL Library. It has not only provided financial assistance for education in banking and finance but it has also supported other charity projects by donating books, sports goods and supplies to schools and orphanages. In 2013 a donation of 10 bikes were made to the Foundation of Goodness for distribution for the displaced families including young widowed women and students from the remote interior villages who were desperate to rebuild their lives. In 2014 a donation was made to the School Development Society of J/Vigneswara College, Karaveddy. The K. Sivaganananathan Memorial Trust was formed on 7 August 2002 to fulfil one of the last wishes of the late Sivagananathan which was to assist needy students pursuing careers in the field of banking and finance. Sivagananathan rose from the ranks to the level of senior Deputy General Manager of Bank of Ceylon, by sheer determination, dedication, perseverance and hard work. He became a Fellow of the Institute of Bankers (London) in 1961. In a letter found after his death, where he had made a request to form a trust to grant assistance to educate needy students in banking/finance. After his retirement from Bank of Ceylon, he served as CEO at Janashakthi Insurance Company PLC and thereafter, as a Consultant to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka up to the time of his untimely death. The trust also launched a website www.kstrust.lk on 5 March 2012. The website has articles on banking and links to various sites for students to learn the latest trends in the banking world. All these will help the students to excel in their studies and to raise the professional standard of bankers on par with international standards. The trust also organised an award function in the north for students who couldn’t attend the K. Sivagananathan Memorial Oration and Award Ceremony in Colombo. The Board of Trustees of the K. Sivagananathan Memorial Trust consists of eminent bankers, educationists, top mercantile executives and businessmen. Following are the Trustees: Deshamanya A.S. Jayawardena, former Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka and former Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and present Chairman of Bartleet Trans-Capital Ltd.; Dr. N.E.H. Sanderatne, Visiting Senior Fellow, University of Peradeniya; D.M. Gunasekera, General Manager, Bank of Ceylon; Rohini L. Nanayakkara, former General Manager of Bank of Ceylon and present Chairperson of LOLC Group of Companies, the Director General, Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka; Pius Joseph, Managing Director Joseph & Company; Dr. Arul Sivagananathan, Managing Director Hayleys Business Solutions International Ltd.; and Nathan Sivagananathan, Chief Growth Officer, MAS Holdings and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of KSMT.