Registration of late births and deaths requires court orders: New bill proposes two-tier system | Today’s news
A bill amending the rules for registration of births and deaths was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The bill was introduced amid protests by the opposition, which demanded the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in the House during the debate on the anti-paper leak bill, The Hindu reported.
Speaker Om Birla urged some opposition members to oppose the introduction of the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Act, 2026 as per the procedure. However, no member spoke against and Home Minister Nityanand Rai introduced the bill.
A two-stage approval system is proposed
The bill was earlier cleared for submission by the Union Cabinet on July 20. It seeks to further amend the previously amended Section 13(3) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1969 (as amended in 2023). The aim is to “tighten the provisions on late registrations”. Under current provisions, registrations delayed by more than a year require an order from a District Magistrate (DM), Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) or an Executive Magistrate before they can be recoded.
The proposed change introduces a two-tier approval system based on the length of the delay. Under the bill, the system will remain unchanged for unreported births and deaths for 1–2 years after the event, and applicants will continue to require approval from the DM, SDM or Executive Magistrate with jurisdiction based on where the event occurred.
However, registrations after 2 years will face much tighter scrutiny, with approval granted only on the order of a first-class judicial magistrate, shifting power from the executive to the judiciary.
Timely reporting mandatory
According to the Deccan Herald, the law is said to “encourage timely reporting of births and deaths”.
The Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1969 was enacted to regulate the registration of births and deaths and all matters connected therewith, and was previously amended in 2023, with the Act coming into force in October of that year. The law makes the registration of births and deaths compulsory and the certificate provided under the law provides a legal identity to a natural person who is required to prove a person’s birth or death.
