The Story So Far
On March 17, the Registrar General of India (RGI) warned hospitals to report all births and deaths within 21 days.
This action came after many hospitals, both public and private, were found not complying with registration laws.
The reminder was issued by the Vital Statistics division under the Union Home Ministry.
What Did the March 17 Circular Say?
The circular said about 10% of births and deaths in India still go unregistered.
While 90% of events are now recorded, the goal is to reach 100% universal registration.
The Registration of Birth and Death (RBD) Act, 1969 (amended in 2023), makes registration mandatory.
Under Section 23(2) of the Act, registrars who neglect their duty can now be fined up to ₹1,000.
Who Can Register Such Events?
Government hospitals act as official registrars under the Civil Registration System (CRS).
Private hospitals must report births and deaths to the local registrar.
Different States assign registration duties to various departments — Health, Panchayats, or Economics & Statistics.
The 2023 amendment requires all registrations to be entered into a central digital database managed by the RGI.
Why Through a Centralised Portal?
Since October 1, 2023, digital birth certificates are the only valid proof of date of birth for key services like education, jobs, and marriages.
The data is also used to update records like National Population Register (NPR), ration cards, voter lists, and property documents.
NPR, which links to the National Register of Citizens, is currently on hold until the next Census.
What Were Other Concerns of RGI?
Some hospitals wait for families to request registration instead of registering events themselves.
In some cases, private hospitals ask families to report events instead of doing it themselves.
Some registrars are not citizen-friendly and delay issuing certificates, which must be done within 7 days.
What About the Vital Statistics of India Report?
The national report on births, deaths, stillbirths, and infant mortality hasn’t been published since 2020.
This report is vital for health planning and evaluating social programs.
Some States like Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Delhi have published data up to 2022. Mizoram is the only State to publish its 2023 report.
The 2020 RGI report showed registered births declined slightly from 2.48 crore in 2019 to 2.42 crore in 2020.
Registered deaths rose from 76.4 lakh in 2019 to 81.2 lakh in 2020.
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