Use Of Birth Certificates As Single Document For Various Purposes To Come Into Force From October 1

Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 will come into force from October 1, said the Ministry of Home Affairs

Use of birth certificates for various purposes like admission, registration of marriage and others will come into effect from October 1/Representational Image

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Birth Death Registration: Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 which was passed by the Parliament during the Monsoon Session this year will come into force from October 1. The Act allows the use of a birth certificate as a single document for admission to an educational institution, issuance of a driving licence, preparation of voter list, Aadhaar number, registration of marriage or appointment to a government job. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was tabled by Minister of State Nityanand Rai during the Parliament's Monsoon Session. 

In a notification issued Wednesday, Ministry of Home Affairs stated, “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 (20 of 2023), the Central Government hereby appoints the 1st day of October, 2023, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force.” 

The Bill received President Droupadi Murmu’s assent in August. 

The legislation will facilitate creation of a national and state-level database of registered births and deaths which eventually would ensure efficient and transparent delivery of public services and social benefits, and digital registration.

While introducing the Bill in Lok Sabha, Rai had said that the original Act was not amended since its inception in the last 54 years and to keep pace with the societal change and technological advancements during the period of its operation and to make it more citizen-friendly, there is a need to amend the Act.

The law will provide for the inclusion of provisions for digital registration and electronic delivery of certificates of births and deaths for the benefit of the public at large to create a national and state-level database of registered births and deaths. 

This would help in updating other databases resulting in efficient and transparent delivery of public services and social benefits.