Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 has been passed by the Lok Sabha

¨     The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 has been passed by the Lok Sabha.

¨     The primary objective of the Bill is to strengthen the process of delayed registration of births and deaths by making it more transparent, reliable, and robust.

¨     It introduces stricter judicial scrutiny for registrations made after a long delay.

¨     The amendment aims to prevent the issuance of fake birth and death certificates, identity fraud, and misuse of official documents.

¨     The Bill proposes amendments to the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969.

¨     Birth and death registration forms the foundation of a country's Civil Registration System (CRS).

¨     A birth certificate serves as an individual's first legal identity document.

¨     A death certificate is essential for inheritance, property transfer, insurance claims, pension benefits, and updating official records.

¨     In recent years, many cases of births and deaths being registered several years after the actual event have been reported.

¨     Such delayed registrations increased the risk of forged identities, fake certificates, and fraudulent access to government benefits.

¨     They also resulted in administrative and legal disputes related to identity and documentation.

¨     To address these challenges, the government decided to make the delayed registration process more stringent and credible.

¨     The amendment seeks to improve the authenticity and reliability of civil records across the country.

¨     It is expected to strengthen digital governance, enhance transparency, and build a more secure and trustworthy civil registration system.