Nalaka Kaluwewe

Nalaka Kaluwewe is the Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education of Sri Lanka. A senior member of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service since 2000, he brings over two decades of experience across government, public communication, and institutional leadership. His previous roles include Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Director General of Government Information, Additional Election Commissioner, and Director General of the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA), as well as leadership positions in state-owned enterprises.

In his current role, Kaluwewe oversees national education policy spanning general, higher, and vocational education, and plays a central role in advancing major sector reforms. He has been actively involved in steering Sri Lanka’s transition toward a competency-based education system aimed at strengthening critical thinking, skills development, and workforce readiness. He holds degrees from the University of Peradeniya, University of Colombo, and the University of Canberra, and is recognized for his leadership, including receiving the Australian Leadership Award.