SLIIT UNI’s Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) brought mathematics beyond the classroom through SLIIT MathFest 2026, an innovative competition aimed at developing analytical thinking, creativity, problem-solving and teamwork among school students.
Organised by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics (DMS), the competition was held on 10 July 2026 at SLIIT UNI in Malabe, bringing together students from around 40 national, provincial, private and international schools across the Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara education zones.
Moving beyond conventional classroom calculations, MathFest encouraged students to apply their mathematical knowledge creatively while demonstrating their skills under time pressure. The competition featured questions based on common academic content from the Grade 11 Ordinary Level and first-year Advanced Level syllabuses under Sri Lanka’s Local, Cambridge and Edexcel curricula.
The competition consisted of two rounds. The first featured a 45-minute computer-based examination comprising multiple-choice and short-answer questions. The four highest-performing teams advanced to the final Buzzer Round, where participants tested their speed, accuracy and mathematical reasoning in front of an audience. Questions in both rounds were presented in Sinhala, English and Tamil.
Ananda College, Colombo 10, emerged as the overall champion of SLIIT MathFest 2026. Ave Maria Convent, Negombo, secured the first runner-up position, while St. Joseph’s College, Maradana, and Asian International School, Colombo, were named second and third runners-up respectively.
NSB Group Records Rs. 22.5Bn Operating Profit in 1H 2026 as Lending and Core Income Grow
National Savings Bank (NSB) Group delivered a resilient core banking performance during the first half of 2026, supported by growth in net interest income, a significant increase in fee-based earnings and continued expansion in loans and advances. The results highlight the Group’s ability to sustain business momentum while managing cost pressures and fluctuations in market-related income.
The Bank recorded total operating income of Rs. 45.8 billion for the six-month period, reflecting a 3.1% increase from Rs. 44.5 billion reported during the corresponding period of 2025.
Net operating income also grew by 2.3% year-on-year to Rs. 49.1 billion, compared with Rs. 48 billion a year earlier, providing a stable platform for the Bank’s operations and its customer-focused growth strategy.
Net interest income rose 5.5% to Rs. 44.2 billion from Rs. 41.9 billion in the first half of 2025. The improvement was supported by a 4.7% decline in interest expenses to Rs. 54.5 billion, despite a marginal decrease in interest income to Rs. 98.6 billion.
The performance reflects NSB’s disciplined approach to balance-sheet management and its continued focus on maintaining a sustainable mix of funding and assets.
Meanwhile, the Bank recorded strong growth in fee-based revenue, with net fee and commission income increasing by 37% to Rs. 1.40 billion from Rs. 1.02 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The increase highlights the growing contribution of transaction-based services and NSB’s efforts to diversify non-interest income through customer-focused and digitally enabled banking solutions.
SLIIT MathFest 2026 Inspires a New Generation of Mathematical Thinkers
