President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said the responsibility of students organisations is not to protest on the street, but engage with the government meaningfully on educational reforms and broadening the university education.

Speaking at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday, the President said a government should not be an entity that hands out jobs. "A government must create jobs," he said. The President's remarks come amidst a fierce debate on the controversial Kotelawala Defence University Act.

The President also pointed out that measures should be taken to improve and strenthen the higher education institutions opearated by non-state entities. "I too am not in facour ofturning higher education into a mere business," the President said.

The President also added that the controversy surrounding the KDU Act was baseless. "It has become a habit to oppose structural changes without understanding the facts. When I started a Medical Faculty at the KDU, a similar controversy broke out and I managed to explain the reality to the relevant party. Today, the KDU Medical Faculty is on par with other prominent medical faculties in the country," the President stated.