Birth Certificate in India

It is estimated that around 26 million children are born every year in India, out of which approximately 10 million are not registered with the government agencies. According to this, the registration of children in India stands at 58%, where different states have different levels of birth registration every year. While some states like Kerala and Tamil Naude have registration levels of 90%, others like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan have a much lower level of around 11%. Read on to know more about child registration and birth certificates in India.

What is a Birth Certificate?

A birth certificate is a crucial draft for all people in India that is issued by the authorities and acts as a proof of age, which can be presented to verify their age. These certificates are issued if the birth of the individual has been registered with the required authorities. Birth certificates play a vital role when applying for Citizenship, PAN, Aadhar, etc.

It became mandatory to get newborns registered with the authorities after independence under the different provisions of the Registration of Birth and Deaths Act, 1969. Some important pointers related to birth certificates and child registration that must be kept in mind are mentioned below:

• Registration of newborn children must be done within 21 days.
• If registration has not been completed within the above-mentioned period and the 21-day mark has expired, birth registrations may be done under the Delayed Registration provisions of the Act.
• Births registered after 21 days but within 30 days of birth shall be processed after paying the prescribed late fees.
• If the birth is registered after 30 days but within one year, it shall only be done with the written permission of the prescribed authority, after payment of late fees and producing an affidavit made before a notary or authorized by the State Government in this regard.
• If any birth or death registration has not been completed within one year, it will only be processed on the order of a magistrate of the first class or Presidency Magistrate after verifying the accuracy of the birth or death details and confirming that the late fees has been paid.

Note: In case of a home birth or if the birth was not registered due to any reason, the individual can apply for Non-Availability of Birth Certificate (NABC) from the office concerned with their area. Until a birth certificate is received, NABC will be considered ‘as good as a birth certificate.’

Need for Birth Certificate

A lack of any documentation related to birth registration will leave the person without anything to prove their birth, age, nationality, and end up becoming one of the millions that face discrimination in the country. Some situations where a birth certificate may be required are:

• When a person needs to prove their age.
• To apply for government jobs.
• For admission in educational institutions.
• To apply for immigration to other countries.
• To claim security benefits under various Government schemes.
• Obtaining documents like Aadhar, PAN, driving license, passport, and marriage certificate.

Note: In case your birth certificate is lost or damaged, you may apply for a duplicate birth certificate. All you need to do is approach the concerned authority of your local area.

What to do in case of non-availability of birth certificate?

Duplicate Birth Certificate

In case your birth certificate is lost or damaged, you may choose to apply for a duplicate. Some documents required to apply for a duplicate birth certificate are:

• Educational certificates – high school marksheet/certificate.
• Identity proof of applicant – Aadhar card, Passport, Voter ID card, etc.
• Identity proof of the parents of the applicant – Aadhar card, Passport, Voter ID card, etc.
• Passport size photograph.
• Hospital receipt or maternity ward slip of the place where birth had taken place.

Birth certificates can be obtained fairly quickly. However, due to the extensive scrutinization of the submitted documents, the process may be delayed. A birth certificate is usually issued in approximately 3-5 weeks by the authorities.

How can Birth Registration Rate Improve?

There are a number of ways through which birth registration rate can be enhanced. It is a human right of every individual to have a legal identity, which can be established through a birth certificate. To ensure everyone leverages this legal right of theirs, some ways an improvement can be brought about in the registration process are:

• Eliminating registration fees and late fees.
• Awarding cash grants to families that register their children.
• Increasing the number of registrars.
• Reaching out to vulnerable populations through visits in remote areas.
• Leveraging technology for registration, e.g., using a registration app for birth registration.
• Reforming laws after discussing with communities that do not register births regularly.

 

Conclusion

Every individual has the right to have a legal identity that would prove their origin and birth details. Considering the importance of birth registrations, Governments need to work hand-in-hand with communities to shift their attitude and change their mentality to understand the various benefits of registering their newborn children.

Although significant improvement in birth registration has been observed in recent years, Governments need to invest even more in the defined process to enable further development in the registration process.


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