Context : The Registration of Birth and Death (RBD) Act, 1969 mandates the timely registration of births and deaths, with penalties for negligence. The government is pushing for digital registration through the Civil Registration System (CRS) to ensure accuracy and update vital national databases.
Relevance : GS 2(Governance ,Social Issues)
Legal Framework: Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969 (Amended 2023)
- Mandate: Registration of all births and deaths within 21 days is compulsory.
- Penalty: Registrar’s negligence in registering births/deaths is punishable with a fine (increased to ₹1,000 from ₹50).
- Digital Mandate (since Oct 1, 2023): Digital birth/death certificates are now mandatory and are the sole legal proof for various public services.
March 17, 2024 Circular by Registrar General of India (RGI)
- Reason: Noted violations by hospitals in reporting birth/death data.
- Findings:
- ~90% registration level, but 10% still unregistered.
- 2011 levels: 82.4% (births), 66.4% (deaths).
- Reminder: Hospitals (govt. & private) must report events promptly.
Roles and Responsibilities under the Civil Registration System (CRS)
- Government hospitals: Act as registrars.
- Private hospitals: Must report events to the registrar — they cannot issue certificates directly.
- Variability: Departments responsible differ across States (Health Dept., Panchayats, or Economics & Statistics).
- Centralised Database: RGI now maintains a national database (post-2023 amendment), integrated with NPR.
Purpose of Centralised Digital Registration
- The digital birth certificate is now used for:
- Admission to schools, govt. jobs, marriage registration, etc.
- Updating NPR, ration cards, property, and electoral rolls.
- NPR (2010, updated 2015) — contains data of 119 crore residents; next update on hold due to census delay.
Ground-Level Challenges
- Hospitals often delay registration till relatives initiate it.
- Some private hospitals ask families to report events themselves.
- Registrars sometimes lack citizen-friendly registration mechanisms.
- Certificates should ideally be issued within 7 days.
Vital Statistics Report Status
- Purpose: Tracks infant mortality, stillbirths, death data — key for socio-economic planning & public health.
- Current status:
- Last national-level report: 2020.
- Some States like Mizoram (2023), Kerala (2021), Karnataka, Delhi, HP (2022) have updated data.
- 2020 Trends:
- Birth registrations fell from 2.48 cr (2019) to 2.42 cr (2020).
- Death registrations rose from 76.4 lakh (2019) to 81.2 lakh (2020).
