The Department of Registration of Persons has decided to issue from this April the National Identity Cards (NICs) for the students those who are to sit for the G.C.E. (O/L) examination in 2018, said Commissioner General of Registration of Persons Viyani Gunatilake to the NEWS.LK, the Government’s Official News Portal of Sri Lanka. According to the Commissioner General the application forms and the photographs of the applicants should be sent to the department’s head office at Battaramulla before 31st March 2018 as per the Circular issued to the Principals of the schools. The CG further added that this step was taken to avoid the inconveniences faced by the department since some school principals send the applications passing the due date. He further said that the department hopes to issue about 35, 000 new NICs this year.