REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS AMENDMENT ACT, 2023 – POLITY
News:
All reported births,
deaths to be digitally registered from October 1
What's
in the news?
●
All reported births and deaths in the
country will be digitally registered on the Centre’s portal from October 1,
according to a government notification.
Key
takeaways:
●
The Registration of Births and Deaths
(Amendment) Act, 2023 that paves way for digital
birth certificates which will be a single document to be used for admission to
educational institutions, applications for driving licence, government jobs,
passports or Aadhaar, voter enrolment, and registration of marriage, among
others, will come into effect from October 1.
●
The Act provides for the appointment of a Registrar-General, India
who may issue directions for registration of births and deaths.
●
The Registrar General will maintain a
national database of registered births and deaths.
Key
Features:
●
Digital Birth Certificates.
●
Intended to serve as a comprehensive
document for multiple purposes, reducing the need for multiple documents to
prove birth details.
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Aadhaar linking.
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Aadhaar details of parents and informants
to birth certificates.
●
Centralized database.
●
Facilitating efficient service delivery
and maintaining accurate and up-to-date information.
●
The centralized database will also update
the National Population Register (NPR),
ration cards, and property registrations.
Issues:
●
Denying admission to schools based on the
absence of birth certificates could infringe upon the fundamental right to
education.
●
The bill has sparked a debate about
striking a balance between leveraging technology for administrative efficiency
and safeguarding citizen’s right to privacy.
●
May inadvertently exclude individuals who
lack access to digital platforms.
●
Compulsive inclusion of cause of death
certificates for individuals who transcend from the mortal realm within the
precincts of medical institutions.