Gaps in Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment ) Act
Source: The Hindu
For Prelims: Birth and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Act, Registrar General of India, President of India
For Mains: Procedure to Amend Constitution, Article 368, Birth and Death Certificates, Certificate of cause of death
Highlights of the Article
Procedure to Amend Constitution
Birth and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Act
Assent from the President of India
Registrar general of India
Context:
The Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969 provides for compulsory registration of births and deaths under a uniform law across India. Experience of its working indicates that it is necessary to amend it for several reasons, and things could be changing as a Bill to amend this Act called the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 — for the first time since its inception, has been passed by Parliament and has got the assent of the President of India.
UPSC EXAM NOTES ANALYSIS:
1. The Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
The Registration of Births and Deaths Amendment Act, 1969 is an important legislative amendment in India that aimed to improve the registration of births and deaths in the country.
The primary objective of this amendment was to streamline and enhance the registration process for births and deaths, ensuring that accurate and comprehensive data is collected and maintained
The Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 made it mandatory for births and deaths to be registered with the appropriate government authorities. It required parents or guardians of newborns and individuals present during a death to provide information for registration
2. Creating Database with Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) bill, 2023
The amendment bill makes the following changes to the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969:
- It makes it compulsory for every child born in India to be registered within 30 days of birth.
- It requires the Registrar General of India to maintain a national database of registered births and deaths.
- It allows for the registration of births and deaths online.
- It makes it a crime to fail to register a birth or death.
- It provides for the appointment of special adoption agencies to register the births and deaths of abandoned, orphaned, or surrendered children
- The amendment bill is expected to improve the accuracy and completeness of birth and death registration data in India.
- This data is used for a variety of purposes, including planning and budgeting for social services, tracking population trends, and investigating crime.
3. Registrar General of India
The Registrar General of India (RGI) is the head of the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (ORGI). The RGI is responsible for the registration of births and deaths in India, as well as the conduct of the decennial census
The RGI is a statutory body established under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
The maintenance of the central database is being added to Registration General India's functions
The Chief registrars are the executive authorities for matters relating to registrations of births and deaths in the State
They need to maintain a database for the efficient delivery of services for providing birth and death certificates
The national database is going to be nothing but a collection of State-level databases except for some data items that Some states may have been in addition to the national standards prescribed by the Registrar general of India
4. Birth and Death Certificates
Registrar General of India (RGI) has launched a new initiative to allow people to obtain birth and death certificates using their Aadhaar card number. This initiative is part of the RGI's efforts to make it easier for people to access vital records
The Aadhaar card is a unique identification number issued by the Government of India, and it contains biometric and demographic information of individuals.
To obtain a birth or death certificate using Aadhaar, you will need to visit the nearest registrar's office and provide the following information:
- Your Aadhaar card number
- The name of the child or deceased person
- The date of birth or death
- The place of birth or death
- The name of the informant
Birth and death certificates are important documents that are used to record the vital events of a person's life. They are used for a variety of purposes, including:
- Identity verification: Birth and death certificates can be used to verify a person's identity. This is important for a variety of purposes, such as opening a bank account, getting a passport, or applying for a job.
- Education: Birth certificates are required for children to enroll in school. They are also used to determine eligibility for financial assistance programs, such as Head Start and Early Head Start.
- Healthcare: Birth and death certificates are used to track births and deaths in a population. This information is important for planning and budgeting for healthcare services.
- Social security: Birth certificates are required to apply for a social security number. This number is used to track a person's employment history and benefits eligibility.
- Entitlements: Birth certificates are required to apply for government benefits, such as food stamps and Medicaid.
- Immigration: Birth certificates are required for children born to immigrants. This is important for determining citizenship status and eligibility for immigration benefits.
- Property ownership: Birth certificates are sometimes required to prove ownership of property. This is important for transferring property title or applying for a mortgage.
5. Conclusion
In summary, birth and death certificates are not only legal documents but also critical tools for delivering services, ensuring access to rights and benefits, maintaining accurate records, and upholding the rule of law. They are foundational documents that have far-reaching implications for individuals, families, and society as a whole
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Practice Questions
1.Discuss the importance of data collection in enhancing the efficiency of government service delivery. How does accurate and timely data contribute to better resource allocation and program implementation?
2.Discuss the objectives and significance of the National Population Register (NPR) in India. Analyze the potential benefits and challenges associated with the collection and use of NPR data in the context of demographic analysis and government services
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