log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY JUNE 15, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 358 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 GOOD LIFE »PAGE 12 WEEKEND READ »PAGE 15 Allu Arjun becomes Shaktimaan? Stretch away the sniffles My dad, my hero SPORTS »PAGE 8 South Africa wins World Test Championship Building relationships of joy New to Korean cuisine? Boundary catches involving 'Bunny Hops' now illegal Not Ranveer Singh, but Allu Arjun to step into Mukesh Khanna’s shoes to play Shaktimaan: Report IN SHORT >> Crackdown on illegal trawlers PANAJI: The Department of Fisheries has swung into action contemplating a crackdown on unlicensed mechanised fishing vessels with concerned officers pulled up for alleged laxity. The authorities are exploring the possibility of deregistering boats that continue to operate without valid licences.   >> See pg 3 6 landlords booked over foreigner data PANAJI: Goa Police have booked six landlords including a Jaipur-native for letting out their premises to foreign tenants without filling the mandatory C-forms. The January to May data reveals that six FIRs have been registered -- Anjuna (2), Mandrem, Mapusa, Verna and Colva PS.   >> See pg 3 Around 15 Goans move to surrender passports daily  MAJORITY ARE FROM SOUTH GOA  PORTUGUESE CITIZENSHIP LURE CONTINUES TO BECKON GOANS  FOCUS ON BETTER LIVELIHOODS VIBHA VERMA THE GOAN I PANAJI In a continuing trend driven by an aspiration for better livelihoods, hundreds of Goans are surrendering their Indian passports each year in favour of Portuguese nationality. Data provided by the Regional Passport Office (RPO) reveals that, on average, nearly 10 to 15 Goans apply daily at the Panaji RPO to surrender their Indian passports. On some days, the number goes up to 25.  According to the RPO, the bulk of applicants hail from South Goa and belong to the minority community, confirming a demographic trend that has remained consistent over the years. “Nearly 10-15 Goans apply daily at the RPO in Panaji to surrender their Indian citizenship. On some days, the number rises to 20-25. A majority of those surrendering citizenship are from South Goa and belong to the minority community,” the head of the Goa Passport Office Nijo Varghese PORTUGAL CALLING UNSCRUPULOUS AGENTS „„Data reveals that nearly 10 to 15 Goans apply daily at Panaji RPO to surrender Indian passports „„On some days, the number goes up to 25  „„Bulk of applicants hail from South Goa and belong to minority community „„RPO has cautioned against relying on agents for surrendering Indian passports „„Agents often charge Rs 1,500 for applications that cost only Rs 500 when processed through official online portal CONNECTING THE DOTS „„Goa connection to Portugal is rooted in history as it was a Portuguese colony „„Has allowed generations of Goans to apply for Portuguese nationality UNLOCKING EUROPE People queue up to submit their documents at the Portuguese Consulate in Panaji.  (File pic) ality through birth records or ancestral links. Portuguese passports come with access to the European Union job market and residence rights across the Schengen area, a prospect that remains alluring to many. In 2022, a notification by PANAJI: The mass removal of 28 of the 30 Block Level Officers (BLOs) of Panaji assembly constituency issued in mid-April has been kept in abeyance by the office of the Deputy Collector & SDM, Panaji following directions from the North Goa Collector.   >> See pg 5 09 Here’s to the silent hero we call dad Caring for the aged: Tackling abuse, ensuring dignity Role of the printing press in Goa’s cultural history Legal remedies for AI crash victims: SDR, compensation & the path ahead 11 the Ministry of External Affairs created anxiety among those holding dual nationality or planning to surrender their Indian citizenship. A widespread confusion prevailed over whether Goans who had already lost Indian citizenship could still avail of the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) facility. Three years on, the apprehensions have largely eased. As the Ministry ensured that Goa’s unique historical context is respected, these are no longer a barrier to obtaining OCI cards. Interestingly, no NEET: Rajasthan lad tops, Goa’s topper stands at 570 nationally told The Goan.  The numbers, though consistent, are not surprising. The Goa connection to Portugal is rooted in history as it was a Portuguese colony until 1961, and this legacy has long allowed generations of Goans to apply for Portuguese nation- Order on BLOs held in abeyance MAGAZINE MAGAZ „„Portuguese passports come with access to EU job market and residence rights across the Schengen area, a prospect that remains alluring to many Varghese said. On average, four to five Indian passports are revoked daily at the Panaji office. The circular dated November 30, 2022 clearly stated that those persons holding foreign nationality and attempting to renew their Indian  passport will face revocation (of their passports) under Section 10 (3) (b) of the Passport Act of 1967. Meanwhile, the RPO has also issued a caution against relying on agents for surrendering Indian passports. The IIS officer stated that agents often charge as much as Rs 1,500 for applications that cost only Rs 500 when processed through the official online portal. “The process is digital and seamless. We urge citizens to use the Common Service Centres (CSCs) available across Goa,” he said. In a separate development, the Panaji RPO currently releases around 350 appointments daily, which also include Police Clearance Certificate applications and other services. Over 500 cops moved in ‘cosmetic reshuffle’ THE GOAN I NETWORK PIT STOPS: An ambulance navigates a pothole-ridden road at Patto Plaza, Panaji, on Saturday. The recent heavy rains have taken a toll on several roads in the State.   Narayan Pissurlenkar IMD sounds flash flood, high wave warning for Goa today THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The India Meteorological Department (IMD) flagged a low to moderate flash flood risk across Goa on Saturday-Sunday. Similar warnings have been issued in coastal Maharashtra including Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Raigad as well as Karnataka’s Uttara and Dakshina Kannada districts, touching Goa borders. The IMD Goa has also forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall and isolated extremely heavy spells across the Konkan region including Goa till June 16. While June 17 could witness very heavy rainfall in isolated pockets, isolated heavy rain activity is expected to continue from June 18 to 20. A high wave warning has also been issued till 8:30 pm on Sunday with the stakeholders advised to be careful while carrying out marine operations and near shore recreation. Similarly, >Continued on P6 PANAJI National Testing Agency announced the NEET results and Rishabh Talwadker, a student of PACE Academy emerged as the topper in Goa with a percentile of 99.9732044 (a total score of 616) and an All India Rank (AIR) of 570. Talwadkar also went to Aakash Educational Services Ltd for coaching and mentoring to prepare for the extremely challenging medical entrance exam. Rajasthan's Mahesh Kumar topped the medical entrance exam NEET-UG, while Utkarsh Awadhiya from Madhya Pradhesh bagged the second rank. More than 12.36 lakh candidates out of 22.09 lakh test takers qualified the exam. The number is down from last year's 13.15 lakh qualifying candidates. However, the number of test takers was also higher last year. NEET scores are counted to decide merit for admissions to medical colleges for MBBS course across India. Scores are also the criteria for admissions to other related courses. other state enjoys this special consideration. “There is no longer any apprehension regarding the 2022 notification. Even those (Goans) whose Indian passports have been revoked are now obtaining OCI cards without any difficulty,” DOZENS SHIFTED WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE  FROM THEIR OLD PLACE; SPARKS CRITICISM THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In what appears to be a routine reshuffle dressed up as reform, the transfer order of 565 police personnel from constables to police inspectors on Friday has once again sparked sharp criticism and internal murmurs. A deeper look reveals that several of the transfers are mere token gestures, with officers/ personnel being moved within the same buildings, subdivisions or units. Of around 40 and possibly more, Police Sub-Inspector Viraj Dhauskar has been transferred from the Traffic Cell at Bicholim to the Bicholim Police Station -- barely a km apart. PSI Vijay Nair’s transfer from GRP A Coy to the Security Unit in Panaji is another such instance while PSI Tukaram Patil too has simply moved from PHQ Panaji to the MT Section within the same premises. At the head constable and 25 DUG UP & FORGOTTEN: RAINS EXPOSE GOA’S ROAD RESTORATION FAILURES On Father’s Day, Tiger Shroff gets candid about his father, Jackie and navigates the waters of celebrity lineage on constable level, the pattern continues. Sachin Sawant and Sricant Pirankar have been moved from GRP Coy to the Panaji Police Station and Security Unit, respectively. Others like Sainath Revandekar and Sham Shirgaonkar have been transferred within PHQ premises from MT Section Panaji to Petition Cell Panaji and PHQ Panaji to CPC Panaji, respectively. In some cases, such as with Abhijit Mangaonkar and Pankaj Volvoikar, the move is from Escort Cell Mapusa to 20 >> SEE PG 2 Stay healthy this monsoon with simple yoga asanas and breathing techniques , June 1 Mapusa PS and main police station at Ponda to its traffic cell counterpart in the same town, effectively leaving them in the same locality. Perhaps more concerning are the cases of personnel who were previously transferred to different police stations and shown as relieved, but never actually joined the new postings. For instance, a constable allegedly continued working >Continued on P6 Israel, Iran war escalates; Tehran EYE ON MECH FAILURE, HUMAN ERROR, REGULATORY LAPSES threatens to target US, UK bases Centre scrambles elite team to probe AI tragedy PTI TEL AVIV Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Brig Gen Effie Defrin claimed that the Israeli Air Force has achieved aerial freedom of action over Tehran, which is no longer immune. Defrin said that over 70 Israeli Air Force fighter jets participated in the overnight operation in Tehran to achieve aerial freedom of action over the Iranian capital. Iran fired some 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in several barrages since last night, the IDF said. Most of the missiles were US will help defend Israel… US forces have already helped shoot down Iranian drones and missiles as they approached Israel — Donald Trump intercepted by air defences, it claimed. Iran has warned the US, UK and France that their military bases and ships will be targeted if they help block the Iranian missile and drone retaliation for Israel’s attack, threatening to widen an al- ready bloody war over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Donald Trump said the US will help defend Israel, and American officials have been quoted saying that US forces have already helped shoot down Iranian drones and missiles as they approached Israel. France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, also said on Friday that his country would help defend Israel against Iranian reprisals. The UK government has said its forces had not provided any military assistance to Israel as prime minister, Keir Starmer, has emphasised the need for de-escalation. PTI AHMEDABAD he Centre on Saturday set up a high-level multi-disciplinary panel to ascertain the “root cause” of the crash of the London-bound Air India plane in Ahmedabad and assess any contributing factors including mechanical failure, human error and regulatory compliances even as the death toll in the disaster rose to 270. As the panel headed by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan was mandated to give its report in three months, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said aviation regulator Identities of 11 victims ascertained T DGCA has ordered “extended surveillance” for the Tata-owned airline's Boeing 787 Dreamliner series planes. The Civil Aviation ministry said the committee will not be a substitute to other probes being conducted by relevant organisations. In a post on X, Air India said it has done one-time safety checks on nine of its AHMEDABAD: Authorities at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital have so far identified eleven victims of the June 12 Air India plane crash through DNA testing and started the process to hand over the bodies to their relatives, officials said on Saturday. Dr Rajnish Patel, professor of surgery at the government-run B J Medical College, said the mortal remains of one victim were handed over to the family on Saturday while those of another two victims will be handed over by the day’s end. “DNAs of 11 victims of Ahmedabad plane crash have matched with kin so far,” he said. Boeing 787 Dreamliners and is on track to complete the checks on the remaining 24 such planes as directed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA).The carrier now has 26 Boeing 787-8s and seven Boeing 787-9s in its fleet. All but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 787-8(AI171) and another 29 persons including five MBBS students on the ground were killed when the aircraft came down on Thursday moments after taking off. As investigators pore over wreckage at the BJ Medical College hostel and canteen complex for clues, Air India officials said the ill-fated airplane underwent comprehensive maintenance checks in June 2023 and was due for the next scheduled checks in December this year.