Major student unrest at Sri Lankan universities over government plans to allow the setting up of private institutions looks set to escalate, with students stepping up demonstrations last week and more campaigns organised by student groups in the coming days. Dozens of students have been arrested and some 200 suspended from their institutions. Unrest has been growing over the last two months, spreading to virtually all of the country's 25 universities by the end of October and stoked further by Education Minister SB Dissanayake's hardline stance against protesting students. Unrest has continued at six main universities with exams disrupted, and other activities culminating in the storming of the education ministry in Colombo and alleged attacks on the minister's official car.