Jahanvi Agarwal
The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was proposed on July 26 in the Lok Sabha, has finally been passed on August 1, 2023. The Registration of Births and Deaths Act, of 1969, is being amended for the first time by the proposed legislation.
The “Statement of Objects and Reasons” of the Bill states that its aim is to establish national and state-level databases of births and deaths that are registered. These databases would assist in the updating of other databases, resulting in the efficient and open provision of public services and social benefits.
The appointment of a Registrar-General of India who has the authority to give broad directives on birth and death registration is one of the significant changes that the bill encourages to be brought about.
According to the Bill, the Chief Registrar and the Registrars must share the data on registered births and deaths with the Registrar General of India, who will oversee the “database of registered births and deaths” “at the National level”.
According to the definition of the Bill, a “database” is “the organised collection of data, generally stored and accessed in electronic form from a computer network.”
The information from the national database of recorded births and deaths may be made available, with the prior approval of the Central Government, to the other authorities responsible for the creation or maintenance of databases relating to the population register, electoral rolls, ration cards, driving licences, passports, property registration, and “such other databases at the National level as may be notified.”
The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act of 2023 will take effect on January 1, 2023, and it is proposed that “notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force,” the death and birth certificates will be used to prove the date and place of birth of anyone born on or after that date for the following purposes:
“(a) admission to an educational institution;
(b) issuance of a driving licence;
(c) preparation of a voter list;
(d) registration of a marriage;
(e) appointment to a post in the Central Government or State Government or a local body or public sector undertaking or in any statutory or autonomous body under the Central Government or State Government;
(f) issuance of a passport;
(g) issuance of an Aadhaar number; and
(h) any other purpose as may be determined by the Central Government.”
Click here to Access the Bill.