Bill introduced in Lok Sabha to allow use of birth certificate as single document

The Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1969 is likely to be amended for the first time in 54 years of its existence, with the Union Government on Wednesday introducing a Bill in Lok Sabha that allows the use of a birth certificate as a single document for admission in schools and colleges, issuance of driving licence and appointment to a government job.

The proposed amendments also allow the use of a birth certificate for preparation of voter list, issuance of Aadhaar number and registration of marriage even as critics earlier opposed the government plans citing privacy concerns, infringing states’ rights and claiming that it gives unbridled data about people to the government.

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Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai introduced the Bill saying, the amendments are needed to keep pace with the societal change and technological advancements and to make it more citizen friendly. He said consultations were held with state governments, public and other stakeholders.

However, senior Congress MP Manish Tewari opposed the introduction of the Bill saying the Bill transgresses on the right to privacy and separation of power and suffers from the malady of excessive delegation.

According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill, the amendments provides for the use of the birth certificate as a single document to prove the date and place of birth of a person born on or after the date of commencement of the amendments for a variety of things.

The database of births and deaths will be made available to authorities dealing with population register, electoral rolls, Aadhaar number, ration card, passport, driving licence, property registration and other databases notified by the union government.

The Bill also provides for facilitating registration process of adopted, orphan, abandoned, surrendered, surrogate child and child to a single parent or unwed mother, to make it mandatory for all medical institutions to provide a certificate as to the cause of death to the registrar and a copy of the same to the nearest relative.

Special "sub-registrars" can be appointed in the event of disaster or epidemic for speedy registration of deaths and issue of certificates, to collect Aadhaar numbers of parents and informants, if available, in case of birth registration, it said.

The bill will also ensure addressing the grievances of the general public aggrieved by any action or order of the registrar or district registrar and to enhance the penalties provided in the Act.