The cabinet had given approval for five higher education development projects worth Rs. 5435 million, Higher Education Minister Professor Wiswa Warnapala told The Island.

"The first Cabinet paper allocated Rs. 673 millions for the six storeyed building to house the clinical facilities of the Medical and Allied Science Faculties of the Rajarata University. Fourth year students of the faculty would benefit from the project. We also allocated Rs. 6 million for a new art gallery of the Peradeniya University. Conservation of work done by former librarian of the university Ian and Roslin Gunathilake is the main objective of this art gallery," Prof. Warnapala said.

The government had allocated Rs. 165 million for the infrastructure development of the Wayamba University. The funds will be utilized for the four storeyed building of the Finance Faculty of the University in Kuliyapitiya, he said.

Prof. Warnapala said that there were 600 students in the Faculty of Graduate Studies of the Jaffna University. The faculty was running in a rented house. The government had allocated Rs. 42.35 millions for a three storied building including lecture halls, office rooms, auditorium, canteen and many other facilities, for the use of the faculty.

"We implemented the project called IRQUE (Improve the Relevance and Quality of Undergraduate Education) which is recently completed. The Ministry started a new project called Higher Education for the 21st Century (HTEC). The project is funded by the World Bank and the cabinet approved Rs. 40 million US dollars for it," Prof. Warnapala said.