In the proposed Birth report, parents of newborns will be required to specify their religion individually, departing from the current practice of collectively declaring the ‘religion of the family’.
The new form is by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ Model Rules. It will have to be notified to state governments and adopted by them before it comes into effect. The religion of the parents will have to be recorded individually for adoption.
A national-level database will be established to keep records of both births and deaths. This database could potentially be utilized to refresh various other databases, including Aadhaar numbers, property registrations, ration cards, electoral rolls, passports, driving licenses, the National Population Register (NPR), and more.
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Birth Certificate Designated as Primary Document for Accessing Essential Services
During the Monsoon Session of Parliament, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha approved the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 1, and it received approval from the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote on August 7.
Starting from October 2023, the Birth Certificate is recognised as the sole document necessary for accessing various important services, such as enrolling in educational institutions, obtaining a driving license, compiling voter lists, acquiring an Aadhaar number, registering marriages, and securing government employment, among others.
“It will help create a data base of registered births and deaths which eventually would ensure efficient and transparent delivery of public services and social benefits and digital registration,” the Home Ministry said while announcing the new Act.
“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,” said the notification.
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