A Marshal in a

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

University A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

is an official tasked with maintaining discipline within the university premises. The role played by Marshals is similar to that of

campus police Campus police or university police in the United States and Canada are Police officer, sworn police or peace officers employed by a college or university to protect the private or public property of the campus and surrounding areas and the peo ...

, however they are not law enforcement officials. They intervene in instances of misconduct and breakdown of law and order and report the incident to the police. Each university has a Chief Marshal heading its marshals with the assistance of a Deputy Chief Marshal. The appointment of Marshals are done by the University Act.

History

The units of Marshals were formed in the campuses of the

University of Ceylon The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka (earlier Ceylon) from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the Univ ...

and thereafter continued in the University of Sri Lanka. They were units responsible for maintaining student discipline on instructions of the

vice-chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

and the senior faculty and providing security for university students and property. They did not carry firearms and law enforcement within the university was provided by the

police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

. After the University of Ceylon was dissolved, its former campuses became independent universities and maintained the Marshals units. These were dropped in the 1980s and replaced by private

security guards A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, factory guard, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) ...

who did not have the authority to maintain student discipline. Subsequently, clashes between student groups and

ragging Ragging is the term used for the so-called "initiation ritual" practiced in higher education institutions in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The practice is similar to hazing in North America, fagging in the UK, in France, in ...

resulting in student deaths were blamed on the lack of disciplinary or actual control applied by the security guards. In recent years units of Marshals were re-instituted in several universities.Marshals back in universities, Associated Newspapers of Ceylon

Universities with Marshals

(dissolved in 1972 to establish the University of Sri Lanka.) * University of Sri Lanka (dissolved in 1978) *

University of Colombo The University of Colombo (informally Colombo University or UoC) is a Public University, public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is the oldest institution of modern higher education in Sri Lanka. Specialised in t ...

(Western Province) *

University of Peradeniya The University of Peradeniya (, ) is a Public research university, public university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka, University Grants Commission. It is the largest university in Sri Lanka, which was origin ...

(Central Province) * University of Sri Jayewardenepura (Western Province) *

University of Kelaniya The University of Kelaniya (UoK; , ) is a public university in Sri Lanka. Just outside the municipal limits of Colombo, in the city of Kelaniya, the university has two major institutions and seven faculties. History The University of Kelaniy ...

(Western Province) *

University of Moratuwa The University of Moratuwa (also referred as Moratuwa University) ( ''Moraṭuwa Wiśwawidyālaya'', ) is a public university in Sri Lanka. It is located on the bank of the Bolgoda Lake in Katubedda, Moratuwa, a suburb of Sri Lanka's capital C ...

(Western Province) *

University of Jaffna The University of Jaffna (, ''Yāpanaya Wiśwawidyālaya''; ; abbreviated UoJ) is a public university in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Established in 1974 as the sixth campus of the University of Sri Lanka, it became an independent, autonomous university in 1 ...

(Northern Province) *

University of Ruhuna The University of Ruhuna ( (Ruhuṇa Viśvavidyālaya, Rohana sarasaviya),; ) is a public university in Matara, Sri Lanka. It is the only university in the southern region of Sri Lanka (also referred to as the ''Kingdom of Ruhuna''). It was e ...

(Southern Province) * Eastern University, Sri Lanka (Eastern Province) * Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (North Central Province)

Ranks

*Chief Marshal *Deputy Chief Marshal *Marshal (Grade I) *Marshal (Grade II)

Uniform

Marshal's wear a dark blue uniform with a peak cap in the style of police uniforms. Ex-police and military personnel wear medal ribbons.

References

{{authority control Universities in Sri Lanka School police departments

History

Universities with Marshals

Ranks

Uniform

See also

References