Large number of GCE (O/L) students fail to obtain NICs

by Ananda KANNANGARA

[email protected]

Although the Department of Registration of Persons (DRP) called upon the school authorities to encourage GCE (O/L) students to obtain National Identity Cards, only 200,000 students had done so during the past six months.

DRP Commissioner A. G. Dharmadasa told the Sunday Observer that a large number of students had not obtained their NICs in time, and there will be a rush to the Department in future, when they apply for IDs.

According to the Examinations Department over 500,000 school and private candidates will sit the examination under the new and old syllabuses and it will commence at 2,700 centres on December 8.

Examinations Chief, Anura Edirisinghe said that although school children should obtain NICs after they reach 16, they are permitted to use postal identity cards.

Meanwhile, a Senior Postal Department official said that issuing postal identity cards is an additional burden to the Department and called upon school authorities to urge their students to obtain NICs soon after they reach 16.

A senior DRP official said that school children can inquire about their NICs from the Department for Registration of Persons, (DRP) at Keppettipola Mawatha, Colombo 5.