Recruitments and promotions in the Principals Service are to be effected, disregarding the 60 per cent and 40 per cent limits imposed for seniority and merit respectively.

Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, addressing yesterday’s Cabinet press briefing in Colombo, said that those who have fulfilled the statutory requirements would be eligible for recruitment or promotion under the new scheme, which has been approved by the Cabinet, on a Memorandum submitted by Education Minister Susil Premajayanth.

Until such time the Public Service Commission is appointed, the Secretary to the Education Ministry has been empowered to handle the process of recruitments and promotions, he added.

The Cabinet of Ministers, he said also approved a proposal by Labour Relations and Manpower Minister Athauda Seneviratne for Sri Lanka’s National Institute of Labour Studies, to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with India’s VV Giri National Labour Institute.

The objective of the National Institute of Labour Studies, inter alia is to implement Workers’ Education Programmes, in collaboration with local and foreign Institutes, to conduct seminars, workshops, conferences on labour studies and broaden the knowledge base on labour issues, by carrying out research and studies,Yapa said.