S.J. Walpita
Encyclopedia
S.J. Walpita, CCS
( - June 2, 2007) was a Sri Lanka
n civil servant and Diplomat. He was the former Permanent Secretary
of Ministry of Industries & Fisheries and Vice Chancellor of University of Ceylon
, Peradeniya
. He was also Ceylon's Ambassador
to the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.
He was educated at Royal College Colombo
and University College, Colombo prior to taking a position as a Research Assistant and Demonstrator in Physics at the University of Ceylon
. He remained there until 1945. After a stint in the Ceylon Civil Service
, he became Additional Controller and then Controller of Establishments in the General Treasury
in 1958. He held a number of other positions in civil service before taking the appointment of Vice Chancellor, University of Ceylon
, Peradeniya
in 1966. After only two years in that role, he became Ambassador of Ceylon to the Federal Government of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, serving between 1968 and 1972.
Ceylon Civil Service
The Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, originated as the elite civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule in 1833 and carried on after independence, until May 1, 1963 when it was abolished and the much larger Ceylon Administrative Service was...
( - June 2, 2007) was a Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n civil servant and Diplomat. He was the former Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
of Ministry of Industries & Fisheries and Vice Chancellor of University of Ceylon
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka 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 University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
, Peradeniya
Peradeniya
Peradeniya is a town of about 50,000 inhabitants on the outskirts of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It is situated on the A1 main road connecting Kandy and Colombo, just a few kilometres west of Kandy....
. He was also Ceylon's Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.
He was educated at Royal College Colombo
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
and University College, Colombo prior to taking a position as a Research Assistant and Demonstrator in Physics at the University of Ceylon
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka 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 University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
. He remained there until 1945. After a stint in the Ceylon Civil Service
Ceylon Civil Service
The Ceylon Civil Service, popularly known by its acronym CCS, originated as the elite civil service of the Government of Ceylon under British colonial rule in 1833 and carried on after independence, until May 1, 1963 when it was abolished and the much larger Ceylon Administrative Service was...
, he became Additional Controller and then Controller of Establishments in the General Treasury
General Treasury Building
The General Treasury Building is the building that houses the Treasury of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Finance & Planning along with several of its departments. It was formally known as the Secretariat Building therefore it is still officially referred to as the The Secretariat...
in 1958. He held a number of other positions in civil service before taking the appointment of Vice Chancellor, University of Ceylon
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka 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 University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
, Peradeniya
Peradeniya
Peradeniya is a town of about 50,000 inhabitants on the outskirts of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It is situated on the A1 main road connecting Kandy and Colombo, just a few kilometres west of Kandy....
in 1966. After only two years in that role, he became Ambassador of Ceylon to the Federal Government of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, serving between 1968 and 1972.