Birth Certificate in India

Around 26 million children are reckoned to be born each year in India and as high as 10 million are not included or registered with the government. According to this, the registration of children in India stands at 58%, where different states have different levels of birth registration every year. While some states like Kerala and Tamil Naude have registration levels of 90%, others like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan have a much lower level of around 11%. Continue to read more about birth certificates and child registration in India.

What is a Birth Certificate?

A birth certificate is a draft for all people in India that is issued by the authorities and acts as a proof of age, which can be presented to verify their age. The family is given a child’s birth certificate only when the child is being registered with the government authorities. Birth certificates play an eminent role in applying for PAN, Citizenship and Aadhar, etc.

After India’s independence, it is vital to get the newly born child registered under the provisions of the Registration of Birth and Deaths Act, 1969.

Key points relevant to birth certificates and child registration that should be taken care of are as follows:

• A newly born child must be registered within 21 days of his or her birth.
• Births registered after 21 days but within 30 days of birth shall be processed after paying the prescribed late fees.
• In case the parents fail to register the child within 21 days period the registration can be done under the Delayed Registration provisions of the Act.
• If the registration of the child is done after 30 days but before he or she turns one, then it is only possible to get the child registered with the written permission of the prescribed authorities and after the late fee payment along with an affidavit made before a notary or State Government authorities.
• In case the birth or death registration is left pending and not done within one year, then the process of registration will take place on the decree of Presidency Magistrate or magistrate of the first class after reviewing the accuracy of the birth or death details and after the verification of the late fee payment.

Note: In case of a home birth or if the birth was not registered due to any reason, the individual can apply for Non-Availability of Birth Certificate (NABC) from the office concerned with their area. Until a birth certificate is received, NABC will be considered ‘as good as a birth certificate.’

Need for Birth Certificate

An absence of birth certificate in an individual’s life will make a person denied of any proof of his age, birth, nationality, and make him a victim of discrimination in his/her own country of birth. A birth certificate is imperative in the following cases:

• When a person needs to prove their age.
• To apply for government jobs.
• For admission in educational institutions.
• To apply for immigration to other countries.
• To claim security benefits under various Government schemes.
• Obtaining important documents such as PAN Card, Aadhar, driving license, marriage certificate and passport.

Note: In case your birth certificate is lost or damaged, you may apply for a duplicate birth certificate. All you need to do is approach the concerned authority of your local area.

Duplicate Birth Certificate

If a birth certificate is damaged or lost, you might have to apply for a duplicate certificate. Documents that are essential for applying a duplicate birth certificate are as follows:

• Educational certificates – high school marksheet/certificate.
• Identity proof of applicant (Passport, Adhaar and Voter ID card)
• Identity proof of the parents of the applicant – Aadhar card, Passport, Voter ID card, etc.
• Passport size photograph.
• Maternity ward slip or receipt of hospital where the individual took birth. 

Birth certificates can be obtained swiftly. However, a careful analysis of the submitted documents might result in delaying the process.  The authorities are able to provide the birth certificate within 3-5 weeks.

How can Birth Registration Rate Improve?

There are numerous ways through which we can boost the birth registration rate. Birth certificate enables an individual to have his or her legal identity. To make sure every individual takes advantage of their legal rights, here are some of the ways that can foster the registration process:

• Eliminating registration fees and late fees.
• Providing cash grants to parents who gets their child register with the authorities.
• Increasing the number of registrars.
• Using advanced technology for registration process to foster birth registration process.
• Visiting remote areas and assisting the vulnerable population in registration of their child.
• Enforcing laws by taking into consideration the views of communities that do not attain birth certificates for their children. 

Conclusion

It is the right of each individual to have his or her legal identity in his/her country of birth. Government should focus on enforcing the laws and work with the communities by guiding them through various mediums regarding the importance of birth certificates and role it plays for their child’s identity.

Although there is a noteworthy improvement in birth registration in recent years, the concerned authorities of the state should focus on smoothening the process by making further developments.