The Parliament passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

The Parliament passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, amid a wider logjam that has repeatedly disrupted the Monsoon Session. The Rajya Sabha cleared the legislation on Tuesday by voice vote days after the Lok Sabha passed it on July 31 amid opposition protests without a debate.Both Houses witnessed repeated adjournments during the session, with several Bills being passed amid disruptions. The Monsoon Session began on July 20 and is scheduled to conclude on August 13.The new legislation focuses on a seemingly routine but important part of government records like registering births and deaths. A birth certificate records a person’s entry into the official system, while a death certificate formally records their departure.Together, these documents help establish identity, maintain public records and provide proof for a range of legal and administrative purposes. The amendment seeks to tighten the process when such events are reported long after they occur.

What does the Bill change?

Under the existing system, delayed registration already requires additional verification. If information about a birth or death is submitted after one year but within two years, the amended law will require an order from a district magistrate, sub-divisional magistrate or an executive magistrate authorised by the district magistrate.For cases reported more than two years after the event, the threshold becomes higher. The registration will require an order from a judicial magistrate of the First Class having jurisdiction over the place where the birth or death occurred.The magistrate will have to verify the correctness of the information before permitting registration. A prescribed fee will also have to be paid, according to a document released by the government.The amendment also updates the reference to an “Executive Magistrate” in the 1969 law to align it with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which replaced the earlier Code of Criminal Procedure.The government says the primary objective is to ensure that births and deaths are registered promptly and that delayed registrations are subjected to stronger scrutiny.The Registration of Births and Deaths Act makes registration mandatory. According to the government’s statement of objects and reasons, birth and death certificates provide legal identity and can be used as evidence of a person’s birth or death.The government argues that the integrity of these records is particularly important because birth certificates can be used for several official purposes, including processes involving identity and citizenship-related documentation.Tighter scrutiny of delayed registrations, it says, can help prevent fraudulent or questionable entries and improve the reliability of official records.BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said, “The objective is straightforward: encourage timely registration, prevent fraudulent or dubious entries, and preserve the credibility of birth and death certificates, the foundational documents that establish a person’s legal identity.”The government has also pointed to a significant rise in registration rates over the past decade.Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai said birth registration increased from 86.6% in 2014 to 99.1% in 2024, while death registration rose from 72.5% to 99.4% during the same period. He also said around 3.5 lakh registration centres have been established across the country.The government’s argument is that as registration coverage approaches universal levels, the focus must increasingly be on ensuring that the remaining delayed or questionable cases are properly verified.

What is the significance of a birth certificate?

A birth certificate is often the first formal document linking an individual to the state. It records details such as a person’s date and place of birth and can be required for a range of official purposes, including education, employment, passports and other government documentation.The government has also highlighted the role of birth records in establishing identity and in processes where proof of birth or citizenship-related documentation is required.That makes the accuracy of the registration system important beyond population statistics.A fraudulent birth certificate, for instance, could potentially affect records across several government systems. Similarly, failure to register deaths can leave outdated information in official databases.The government has also linked accurate death registration with keeping records, including electoral rolls, updated.

What happened in the Parliament?

The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on July 31 by voice vote amid opposition protests. Several opposition MPs entered the Well of the House demanding the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah, and the legislation was cleared without a debate.Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the opposition for not participating in the proceedings and said the government wanted a discussion on the “important Bill”.“It is unfortunate. Please do not repeat this in the future. People who sent you to Parliament will seek answers from you,” Rijiju said, urging MPs to participate in debates rather than disrupt proceedings.The legislation was passed amid continued sloganeering, with the opposition MPs demanding the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah and his response on the “police action” against student protesters on July 20 at Jantar Mantar.The Rajya Sabha later took up the Bill amid similar disruptions.Moving the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Rai said the government wanted every birth and death to be properly recorded. He said, “The country wants that anyone born in the country, it is important that he or she is registered. Anyone who has died, cannot continue to remain in the voter lists to benefit some parties.”Rai also linked the legislation to concerns over people who have died continuing to appear on electoral rolls.