Birth certificates to become single document for a host of services from Oct 1

Starting from October 1, birth certificates will now become a single-point document for citizens to avail a host of services including admission to educational institutions, marriage registration, issuance of drivers' license, appointment to a government job among others. The Union home ministry said the new initiative will ensure ‘efficient and transparent delivery of public services and social benefits and digital registration’. 

"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 (20 of 2023), the Central Government hereby appoints the 1st day of October 2023, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force," the notification said. 

The new Act, Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 (20 of 2023), will empower the Registrar General of India, responsible for studying the demographic survey of the country, to maintain a national database of registered births and deaths which will be shared by chief registrars (appointed by states) and registrars (appointed by states for local area jurisdiction). A similar database will also be maintained at state level. 

The list has been expanded to include adoptive parents for non-institutional adoption, biological parents for births through surrogacy, and the parent in case of birth of a child to a single parent or unwed mother as specified persons. 

The Act implies that the national database may be used in other purposes including population register, electoral rolls, ration cards after the approval of the central government. 

Earlier, a certain person was required to report births and deaths to the registrar. For example, the medical officer in charge of a hospital where a baby is born must report the birth. The new Act adds that, in cases of births, the specified persons shall also provide the Aadhaar number of the parents and the informant.