# State Ministry of Higher Education

The State Ministry of Higher Education (Sinhala: උසස් අධ්‍යාපන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශය, romanized: Usas Adhyāpana Rājya Amātyāṅśaya; Tamil: உயர் கல்வி இராஜாங்க அமைச்சு) is a Non-cabinet ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for formulating and implementing national policy on higher education and other subjects which come under its purview. Broadly, this involves the maintenance, expansion, standardisation and general oversight and regulation of higher education institutions in the country.
The current State Minister of Higher Education is vacant.

## Ministers
### Parties

Sri Lanka Freedom Party  United National Party  Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
Ministers of Higher Education :
| Name | Party | Took office | Left office | Head of government | Ministerial title |
| J. R. Jayewardene | United National Party | 14 February 1980 | | J. R. Jayewardene | Minister of Higher Education |
| A. C. S. Hameed | United National Party | 18 February 1989 | 28 March 1990 | Ranasinghe Premadasa | Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology |
| Lalith Athulathmudali | United National Party | 30 March 1990 | | Ranasinghe Premadasa | Minister of Education and Higher Education |
| W. J. M. Lokubandara | United National Party | August 1993 | | D. B. Wijetunga | Minister of Education and Higher Education |
| Richard Pathirana | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 19 August 1994 | | D. B. Wijetunga | Minister of Education and Higher Education |
| Indika Gunawardena | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 19 October 2000 | | Chandrika Kumaratunga | Minister of Higher Education and Information Technology Development |
| Sarath Amunugama | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 14 September 2001 | | Chandrika Kumaratunga | Minister of Education and Higher Education |
| W. A. Wiswa Warnapala | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 28 January 2007 | | Mahinda Rajapaksa | Minister of Higher Education |
| S. B. Dissanayake | | 22 November 2010 | | Mahinda Rajapaksa | Minister of Higher Education |
| Kabir Hashim | United National Party | 12 January 2015 | 22 March 2015 | Maithripala Sirisena | Minister of Highways, Higher Education and Investment Promotion |
| Sarath Amunugama | Sri Lanka Freedom Party | 22 March 2015 | 17 August 2015 | Maithripala Sirisena | Minister of Higher Education and Research |
| Lakshman Kiriella | United National Party | 4 September 2015 | 14 October 2015 | Maithripala Sirisena | Minister of University Education and Highways |
| Lakshman Kiriella | United National Party | 14 October 2015 | 25 February 2018 | Maithripala Sirisena | Minister of Higher Education and Highways |
| Kabir Hashim | United National Party | 25 February 2018 | 22 November 2019 | Maithripala Sirisena | Minister of Higher Education and Highways |
| Bandula Gunawardane | Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna | 22 November 2019 | | Gotabaya Rajapaksa | Minister of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation |

## Secretaries

Higher Education Secretaries :
| Name | Took office | Left office | Title |
| Sunil Jayantha Navaratne | 22 November 2010 | | Higher Education Secretary |
| Udaya R. Seneviratna | 19 January 2015 | | Highways, Higher Education and Investment Promotio Secretary |
| D. C. Dissanayake | 8 September 2015 | 27 November 2019 | University Education and Highways Secretary |
| D.M.A.R.B. Dissanayake | 27 November 2019 | Present | Higher Education, Technology and Innovation Secretary |