Issue of duplicate leaving certificates
Students lose or misplace their original certificates sometimes. The rules of education are clear on this, the issue of duplicate certificates happen on the payment of Rs 1. There is no known official change communicated in this rule. There is no clarification on the request for triplicate certificates etc. Some overzealous heads, while being unaware of the same, put the students to unwanted expenses of notarised affidavits and have their own rules of questioning the veracity of affidavits and their own schedule of delivery, irrespective of the urgent needs. The department of education will do well to dispatch a circular to this effect, if it is mandated, which will avoid unwarranted discussions. It is noted with regret that some schools ask for police clearance, akin to passport verification. These dictatorial practices without the explicit sanction of educational authorities must be stopped forthwith. While the GBSHE provides duplicate mark sheets at a variable costs, forwarded through the respective schools after due verification, it does not insist on the cumbersome process and legal formalities.
Nelson Lopes, Chinchinim
If not for a last-minute positive reversal of decision, thousands of Indians and other nationals from outside the European Union living and working in Britain on a Tier 2 visa may have to leave the country or will be deported if they earn less than 35,000 pounds a year, once the term of the visa expires. There could be several Goan skilled professionals who will be affected by this new rule. Earlier a Tier-2 visa-holder could apply for ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’ (ILR) in the UK with an annual income of around 21,000 pounds at the end of five-year of living and working in the UK. This new visa rule will immensely affect those who have worked in the UK for several years and have settled there with their families. They will have to return back home and start life afresh. This will be a very difficult proposition as a result of the level of unemployment prevailing in India. Hopefully there will be a reconsideration of the rule and the UK Home Office will undertake research into industry-specific threshold after postponing the deadline. This new visa rule comes just a couple of months before the UK seeks a referendum on June 23 as to whether the country should remain in the EU or not. Obviously UK is slowly but surely losing its appeal as an employment destination for Indian nationals.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Danger on roads
The amount of road accidents being reported in the papers are increasing. Not only that, they are quite gruesome. Judging by the rash riding by almost 80 percent of the motorists on the road today, it is not unbelievable to think that there is an average of one death every day in Goa. This is a serious issue and it’s interesting that there are activists out there who are shouting about so many issues, but nobody is talking about this issue that is affecting Goans. What is even more shocking is these accidents are being caused by Goans themselves without any regard to their fellow motorists
Amey Kurtakar, Margao
