Aadhaar authentication allowed for registration for births and deaths

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has allowed the Office of Registrar General of India (RGI) to use the Aadhaar database for authenticating identity details provided during registration of births and deaths.

• However, till now Aadhaar is not mandatory for such registration and it has been proposed on ‘voluntary basis. ‘

What is Aadhaar?

• An Aadhaar card is a unique number issued to every citizen in India and is a centralised and universal identification number.
• The Aadhaar card is a biometric document that stores an individual’s personal details in a government database, and is fast becoming the government’s base for public welfare and citizen services.
• It can be used for a number of purposes, making it a universally acceptable government-issued card, without needing to register or apply for a separate card for each of these services.

• Aadhaar information can be used for the purpose of establishing the identity of child, parent and the informant in case of births, and of the parent, spouse and the informant in case of deaths during registration of births or deaths.

Registrar General of India (RGI):

• The Government of India, in 1949 established an organisation in the Ministry of Home Affairs under Registrar General and ex-Officio Census Commissioner, India to develop systematic collection of statistics on the size of population, its growth, etc.
• Later, this office was also entrusted with the responsibility of implementation of Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 in the country.
• It arranges, conducts and analyses the results of the demographic surveys of India including Census of India and Linguistic Survey of India.

Registration of Birth and Death (RBD) Act, 1969:

• The Act makes birth certificates a mandatory document for almost every sphere of life — admission in educational institutions, inclusion in the voter list, appointment in Central and State government jobs, issue of driving licence and passport.
• It shall be mandatory for hospitals and medical institutions to provide a copy of all death certificates, stating the cause of death, to the local registrar apart from the relative of the deceased.
• Under the RBD Act, it is the responsibility of the States to register births and deaths.
• Working Structure:
• State governments have set up facilities for registering births and deaths and keeping records.
• A Chief Registrar appointed in every State is the executive authority for implementation of the Act.
• A hierarchy of officials at the district and lower levels do the work.
• The RGI, appointed under this Act, is responsible for coordinating and unifying the implementation of the RBD Act.

What documents are required to obtain a birth certificate in India?

• Documents required to apply for birth certificate of a child are proof of birth letter in hospital (provided by concerned hospital), parents’ birth certificates and marriage certificate, identity proof of parents and address proof (Voter-ID, electricity/gas/water/telephone bill, passport, ration card, etc.).

What documents are needed to register a death?

The following documents are required to register a death:

• The medical certificate of the cause of death
• NHS Card (also known as the medical card)
• Birth certificate of the deceased
• Driving license of the deceased (if any)
• Marriage or civil partnership certificate (if applicable)
• Passport of the deceased
• Proof of address (e.g. utility bills)