About Us » Organization » Chancellor
Chancellor
GENERAL R De S DALUWATTE WWV RWP RSP VSV USP LOM ndc psc
The Chancellor of the University, appointed by His Excellency the President, presides over at the convocations of the University. His tenure of service as Chancellor lasts for a period of five years.
General Rohan Daluwatte was born on 9th May 1941. He hails from a highly respectable family from Ambalangoda. His father D. H. Paulis De Silva was an outstanding athlete of St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia and a reputed planter.
Rohan Daluwatte had his Primary Education in a leading Buddhist school – Dharmapala Vidyalaya, Pannipitiya. Here, he shone as an outstanding junior athlete. Later, he joined Ananda College, Colombo. He won the titles of Junior Athletics Champion in 1950, Senior Champion in 1958 and 1959 consecutively and Open Champion in 1960. He was also an outstanding cadet at Ananda, where he learned the basics in Army training.
General Daluwatte joined the Sri Lanka Army in 1961 as an officer cadet. After being enlisted in the Army, he was sent to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, United Kingdom for Military Training and later to the Royal Armoured Corps Centre, Bovington for Youth Officers Training. Young Rohan Daluwatte had the proud distinction of representing the British Combined Services Team in Hop-step and Jump and was awarded combined services colours too. He also captained the Sandhurst Basketball team.
He became the first in order of merit among the Sri Lankan cadets, and was commissioned to the First Reconnaissance Regiment of the Sri Lanka Armoured corps. He never gave up sports. In the army he played Badminton, Tennis and Basketball.
During his tenure in the Army he held important positions such as Chief Instructor of Officer Cadet School in ATC from 1979 to 1981, Commanding Officer,1st Reconnaissance Regiment Sri Lanka Armoured Corps,Commanding Officer of Sri Lanka Army Service Corps, Coordinating Officer Commanding Troops in Mannar, Director-Supplies and Transport, Commandant of Army Training Centre and Military Secretary, Army Headquarters. He was instrumental in establishing the Army Command and Staff College.
Operation Riviresa was a combined military operation launched by the Sri Lankan Military in Jaffna where planning and preparations for the operation were done by Major General Rohan Daluwatte who was the Overall Operations Commander.
During his Military career General Daluwatte was awarded with the following Gallantry awards and medals.
- Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya
- Rana Wickrama Padakkama
- Rana Sura Padakkama
- Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
- Uththama Seva Padakkama
- Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Service Medal
- Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal
- Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal
- Sri Lanka Armed Service Long Service Medal
- President’s Inauguration Medal
- 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal
- North and East Operation Medal
- Purna Bhumi Padakkama
- Vadamarachchi Padakkama
- Riviresa Campaign Service Medal
Having served in many high ranking positions in the Sri Lanka Army, General Daluwatte became the Commander of the Army in 1996 and continued till 1998.After his retirement he was promoted to the rank of General and was appointed as the Head of the newly formed Joint Operations Command and later as the Chief of Defense Staff. He was also the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Brazil from 2002 to 2005. Later he was appointed as the Chairman of the Gems and Jewellery Authority of Sri Lanka.
