According to a new bill to modify the Registration of Birth and Death Act of 1969, the Union government proposes to make a birth certificate a compulsory document for almost every aspect of life, including admission to educational institutions, participation on voter lists, appointment to Central and State government jobs, issue of driving licenses, and passports. The Bill is most likely to be introduced in The Winter Session of Parliament, which starts on December 7.
A copy of every death certificate, describing the reason for death, must be given by the hospitals to the local registry, so that there is no need for a human interface, the centrally held data on births and deaths will be updated in real-time and it helps in adding and removing people from the electoral roll.
The RBD Act of 1969 already makes birth and death registration necessary, and violating this rule is a crime. However, the government wants to increase effectiveness by making registration of a birth certificate a requirement to use essential services.
