Childbirth Registration- Union Ministry of Home Affairs Model Rules : 8 April 2024

Legislative Approval:

• The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Purpose of the New Act:

• From October 2023, the Birth Certificate is the sole document required for accessing important services.
• The new Act aims to establish a database of registered births and deaths.
• This database will enhance the efficiency and transparency of delivering public services and social benefits through digital registration.

• Services include enrolling in educational institutions, obtaining a driving license, compiling voter lists, acquiring an Aadhaar number, registering marriages, and securing government employment.

National Database Establishment:

• A national-level database will be created to maintain records of births and deaths.
• This database could potentially update various other databases like Aadhaar numbers, property registrations, ration cards, electoral rolls, passports, driving licenses, and the National Population Register (NPR).

Why in news?

• Instead of documenting the family’s religion together when registering a child’s birth, the Home Ministry has created Model Rules that mandate parents record their religion individually.

• Parents’ religion must be individually recorded for adoption purposes also.