log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 8 pages PRICE ` 6 Breather on Covid front, no deaths PANAJI: Goa heaved a sigh of relief with no Covid deaths being reported in the last 24 hours. The positivity rate was at 1.6 per cent with 54 of the 3,441 samples testing positive. With 90 recoveries the active Covid count now stands at 702. Pegasus probe: SC to pass interim order NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court decided to pass interim orders after the government refused to file a “detailed affidavit” responding to a plea for a probe into allegations that it used Israeli-based Pegasus software to spy on citizens.  >> See pg 7 India crosses 75 cr Covid vaccine doses NEW DELHI: India has crossed the landmark of administering 75 crore Covid vaccine doses, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said. He said the country’s vaccination drive continues to create new dimensions under the leadership of PM. Congress leader Oscar no more NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Oscar Fernandes died aged 80, the official Twitter account of the Congress informed on Monday. Fernandes reportedly breathed his last at a private hospital in Mangaluru.  >> See pg 7 Retail inflation dips in August NEW DELHI: Subdued prices of food items like vegetables pulled down retail inflation for the third month in a row to 5.3% in August. The food inflation was also lower than 3.96% in preceding month of July. Aadhaar-PF linking extended till Dec 31 NEW DELHI: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Monday announced that the deadline to link the Aadhaar card to the universal account number (UAN) has been extended till December 31. 1st commercial flight lands in Afghanistan KABUL: Pakistan’s national flag-carrier ran its first commercial flight to Kabul since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August. WEATHER >> Max: 29 C Min: 24.2 C Humidity: 91 % TIDES Low: High: 09.59 22.41 04.55 15.21 The Goan (Playstore) PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VII, NO. 87 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 2 8 3 unveils qualification SC panel rebukes Goa for Govtfor ClassnewVIII teachers test I to notifying mining scheme Kids’ fitness is at risk while they miss sports & hobbies IN SHORT >> Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday GOA 6 Tourists to Colva beach increase, so do hawkers & the menace GOA Calangute p’yat averts public ire, builder to get notice for blocking chapel access WASHINGTON illions of people stuck for years in the employment-based Green Card backlog in the US, including a sizable number of Indians, can hope for a lawful permanent residency in America by paying a supplemental fee if a new House bill is passed into law. The move, if included in the reconciliation package and passed into law, is expected to help thousands of Indian IT professionals who are currently stuck in an agonising Green Card backlog. A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently in the US. M Djokovic’s Grand Slam bid foiled as Medvedev claims first major Graduates with BEd exempted from GTET THE GOAN I NETWORK SAYS STATE SHOULD HAVE OBTAINED COURT’S APPROVAL PTI NEW DELHI More than two months after the Goa government issued the ‘Goa Mineral Ore Permanent Fund Trust Scheme’ notification, a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee has criticised the State for publishing it without obtaining the apex court’s approval. The scheme aims to set aside 10 per cent of the e-auction sale proceeds and 10 per cent of the future sale/export price of iron ore for the welfare of communities and restoration of areas affected by mining. “It is seen that the State of Goa have formally notified the Goa Mineral Ore Permanent Fund Trust Scheme in Gazatte dated 01.07.2021. This should not have been KEY PANEL OBSERVATIONS is seen that the State of Goa has formally 1Itthe Goa Mineral Ore Permanent Fund Trust notified in Scheme Gazette dated 01.07.2021 hould not been done without 2Thisapproval ofhaveHon’ble Court to thefirst obtaining the this Scheme The scheme aims to set aside 10 per cent of the e-auc3tionprice ofproceeds andthe welfare ofofcommunities and sale 10 per cent the future sale/ export iron ore for restoration of areas affected by mining The CEC has however suggested that the court may approve the “draft of the Goa Mineral Ore Permanent Fund Trust Scheme” 4 done without first obtaining the approval of this Hon’ble Court to the Scheme,” read the Central Empowered Committee’s (CEC) report dated September 8. However, the CEC, which assists the Supreme Court in matters related to wildlife and forests, suggested that the court may approve the “draft of the Goa Mineral Ore Permanent Fund Trust Scheme”. “Hon’ble Court may consider granting approval to the draft of the ‘Goa Mineral Ore Permanent Fund Trust Scheme’ subject to the con- NEET: TN Assembly passes Bill to scrap entrance exam dition that as and when any changes in the Scheme become necessary prior approval of this Hon’ble Court will be obtained,” read the report. The CEC said the state government had submitted the notification through an affidavit in the Supreme Court. “The CEC is in agreement with this revised Draft Scheme ‘Goa Mineral ore Permanent Fund Trust Scheme’. The said scheme has been filed before this Hon’ble Court through an affidavit by the State of Goa”. In 2016, the CEC had informed the SC that an earlier draft notification was at variance with the panel’s views and suggested that the fund should be permanent instead for 20 years with an extension of another 20 years and should be used for only for affected people and ecological restoration. PANAJI In a significant move, the State government has introduced a new Goa Teacher Eligibility Test (GTET) as a qualifying barrier for those desiring to be teachers in elementary classes from 2021 onwards. “The Government  of Goa is pleased to declare that the persons who desire  to be teachers in Class I to VIII (Elementary) shall be  required to qualify the Goa Teacher Eligibility Test  (GTET),” says a notification issued in the first week of September under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (Central Act 35 of 2009).  According to the notification, GTET will be conducted by State Council for Education, Research and Triaining (SCERT) from 2021 onwards. There is one significant exception though. Graduates desirous of taking up teaching in classes I to V, will be permitted to teach without TESTING TIME FOR TEACHERS „„GTET will be conducted by SCERT in two papers: Paper I for those desirous of teaching in class I to V and Paper-II for teachers in Class VI-VIII „„For Paper-I, that is to become a teacher in classes I-V, the qualification required to answer the GTET is Senior Secondary (HSSC) with 50 per-cent marks and he/she will have to either pass or be answering the final year of a 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education (DEEd) „„Those holding a 4-year Bachelor of Elementary Education degree or have answered the final year of such a degree are eligible to sit for GTET’s paper-I GTET provided they have acquired the Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree through any National Council for Technical Education (NCTE) recognized institution.  They however will have to mandatorily undergo a six-month Bridge Course in Elementary Education recognised by NCTE, within two years post appointment. “Person who has acquired the qualification of  Bachelor of Education from any NCTE recognized  institution n Social justice, says govt n Admission to medical courses to be based on Class 12 marks PTI CHENNAI The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday passed a Bill to dispense with the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET) and provide for admission to medical courses based on Class 12 marks to ensure social justice. Chief Minister M K Stalin introduced the Bill and all parties, including the main opposition AIADMK and its ally PMK, besides others like Congress, supported the Bill, which seeks to provide for admission to UG courses in medicine, dentistry, Indian medicine and homeopathy based on Class 12 marks. The BJP staged a walkout, protesting against the government move. Stalin tabled the Bill based on the recommendation of the high-level committee led by retired judge AK Rajan which submitted its report in July. The retired Madras High Court Judge had said the report was prepared after looking into around 86,000 representations from various stakeholders and a majority of them said they don’t want NEET. Stalin said after careful consideration of the recom- mendation of the high-level committee, to ensure social justice, the state government has decided to do away with NEET. The chief minister said that the committee has reported that NEET undermined the diverse societal representation in MBBS and higher medical studies, favouring mainly the affordable and affluent sections of the society and thwarting the dreams of underprivileged social groups. Meanwhile, the death by suicide of a medical aspirant fearing the outcome of the test he was to take echoed in the House with the main oppo- sition AIADMK targeting the government over the incident. The opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami claimed that the DMK government failed to provide clarification if NEET would be held this year and pushed the 19-year-old aspirant Dhanush to death. “Chief Minister MK Stalin said once DMK assumes charge, NEET will be cancelled. The government failed to make a proper decision due to which students, parents were left stranded. Students were not able to prepare themselves 100 per cent and this led to the death of Dhanush,” Edappadi said. WHAT THE PROPOSED BILL SAYS „„An employment-based immigrant applicant with a “priority date that is more than 2 years before” can adjust to permanent residence by paying a “supplemental fee of $5,000” „„The fee is $50,000 for the EB-5 category (immigrant investors) and provisions expire in 2031 „„For a family-based immigrant who is sponsored by a US citizen and with a “priority date that is more than 2 years before”, the fee for getting a Green Card would be USD 2,500 „„Supplement fee would be $1,500 if an applicant’s priority date is not within two years but they are required to be present in the country „„Fee to be in addition to any administrative processing fee paid by the applicant According to the committee print released by the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over immigration, an employment-based immigrant applicant with a “priority date that is more than 2 years before” can adjust to permanent residence without numerical limits by paying a “supplemental fee of $5,000.” The fee is $50,000 for the EB-5 category (immigrant investors). The provisions expire in 2031, the Forbes magazine reported. For a family-based immigrant who is sponsored by a US citizen and with a “priority date that is more than 2 years before”, the fee for getting a Green Card would be USD 2,500. The supplement fee would be $1,500 if an applicant’s priority date is not within two years but they are required to be present in the country, according to the committee print. This fee would be in addition to any administrative processing fee paid by the applicant. However, the bill does not contain permanent structural changes to the legal immigration system, including eliminating country caps for green cards or increasing the annual quotas >Continued on P5 THE GOAN I NETWORK alleging that the MLAs had produced forged documents before the Speaker to defend themselves against disqualification. In his complaint, Chodankar has said that the MLAs produced what was purported to be a resolution MAPUSA Two Nigerians who were arrested for overstaying escaped from the detention centre in Mapusa late evening on Monday but were soon nabbed in a joint search operation by the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) and Mapusa Police, sources in the police informed. According to sources, the duo escaped at around 8.30 pm during the shift change among the IRB security staff at the detention centre. The two Nigerians were identified as Michael Ovitus Mbama and Obino Ezeigwe. “The duo just walked out of the main gate from the detention centre during the change in shift of the security staff,” a police source aware of the developments informed. The staff at the detention centre soon realised about the escape of the duo and the IRB staff along with Mapusa Police launched a search operation in the town. The duo were finally tracked down and apprehended in the Mapusa market. Both were sent for medical check at the North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa and lodged back at the detention centre. >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 DATA THAT TN GOVT BANKED ON „„A study of medical admissions four years before and after NEET shows nearly a 10-time dip in state board students securing medical admission, from 380 to just around 40 „„There is an exponential rise in CBSE students making it, from a mere three to over 200, almost a 70-time high „„A large majority of them had taken private tuition to crack the test „„A large percentage of candidates cracked NEET after preparing for two to four years „„It is a first-of-its-kind study on the impact of NEET in medical admissions through the prism of social justice, economic backwardness beyond reservations shall be considered for appointment  as a teacher in classes I to V provided the person  so appointed as a teacher shall mandatorily undergo a six month Bridge Course in Elementary  Education recognized by the NCTE, within two  years of such appointment as primary teacher,” states the notification. The GTET will be conducted by SCERT in two papers: Paper I for those desirous of Two Nigerians escape from detention centre, nabbed WET SPELL! Intermittent rains have rendered the Miramar circle flooded with water on Monday. Water-logging was also witnessed at various other spots in the capital city. The Meteorological department has warned of heavy showers in the State till September 15. Narayan Pissurlenkar Case against defector MLAs now in special court, says Congress THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Panaji Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) has transferred the case filed by the Congress party alleging that a forged resolution of the Congress legislature party was submitted as proof of a party resolution to ‘merge’ Soon, US residency for a fee, Indians may benefit PTI SPORTS of H-1B visas. Before becoming law, the provisions would have to pass the Judiciary Committee, the House of Representatives and the Senate and be signed by the president, the report said. According to a report in CBSNews, if successful, the legalisation plan would allow undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries, farm workers and other pandemic-era essential workers to apply for permanent US residency, or green cards. Reacting to the bill, David J Bier, Immigration policy analyst at Cato Institute, said, “employment-based applicants can adjust if they have waited 2 years from their priority date... this is almost like abolishing the EB caps for adjustment applicants who can pay $5K. Awesome!”. with the BJP to a special court that deals with cases of MLAs and MPs, state party president Girish Chodankar informed. A day after the Speaker dismissed his petitions for the disqualification of 10 former Congress MLAs who ‘defected’ to the BJP, the Goa Congress Chief Girish Chodankar filed a complaint with the police State to petition Centre in bid to tide over tar balls THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Close on the heels of tar balls ravaging Goa’s coastline, the State government on Monday decided to write again to the Centre to tackle this annually-occurring phenomenon. Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral disclosed that the State will again petition the Ministry of Environment and Forest as there was no action from it on the report sent by the State environment department two years ago. “This is an annually-occurring phenomenon and is beyond the control of the State government. Our government will again write to central ministry to take immediate ac- Tar balls will be cleared in 2 days: Babu PANAJI: Tourism Minister Babu Ajgaonkar said that the tar balls will be cleared by the beach cleaning agency in two days. “We want to maintain the international standard of our beaches. Beaches will be cleaned in two days”, Ajgaonkar said. tion”, Cabral said. Loads of tar balls have surfaced on around the 105 km  beach shoreline in recent days. The quantum of the tar balls this year is so high that major beaches frequented by tourists have turned black. It may be recalled that two years back, based on a research done by scientists on measures to control oil spillage into the sea, the State gov- ernment had written to the Centre for immediate measures to control the menace. Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress criticised the government for its inaction to control tar ball menace. “The BJP is in power at the Centre and the State. Despite this, there is no action to tackle this menace”, Trajano D’Mello, Congress spokesperson said.