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GCE O/L candidates’ NIC applications overdue: CG Registration of Persons
View(s):Commissioner General of the Department of Registration of Persons R.M.S. Sarath Kumara has appealed to school principals to expedite the applications for National Identity Cards (NIC) for schoolchildren due to sit the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examination in December.
The appeal came as the number of applications for NIC’s for the school candidates were found to be lower than the amount due.
Mr Kumara said, though some 225,000 applications had been received, some 175,000 more applications were due.
“We have also found that some of the applications received had shortcomings and need to be returned to the schools to be completed,” he said.
He said, though some of the shortcomings were related to filling the application by the applicants, there were other faults such as the failure of the principal to sign the application or place his official seal along with his signature.
“Our officials need to check each of them and, in the event of a shortcoming, we have to return them to the respective school,” he said.
He said that, in addition, those who have not sent in their applications also should send them soon.
“As there is speculation that elections also will be held, we need to be prepared to issue NICs for those who do not have them. Therefore, the workload of the Dept is set to increase,” he said.
He said they were considering sending mobile units to some of the schools in rural areas to complete the NIC application and issue the cards.
Education Ministry Secretary Upali Marasinghe said that schools have been told to complete and send the applications by June.
- Damith Wickremasekara