Universities in the Sri Lanka have generally been instituted by Special Presidential Decree, University Orders, Acts of Parliament and the Higher Education Act 1978.
Ordinance
Ceylon University Ordinance No.20 of 1942
Acts of Parliament
Ceylon University (Amendment) Act No.36 1956
Vidyodaya University and Vidyakara University Act No.45 of 1958
Higher Education Act No.20 of 1960
University of Ceylon Act No.01 of 1972
Universities Act No.16 of 1978 (this Act established the University Grant Commission and a University Service Appeals Board provided for the administration of universities with their campuses and outset the six campuses of the single University of Sri Lanka, the set up under the previous Act No.1 of 1972, were converted to six independent universities on 1 January 1979)