Registration of Births and Deaths Bill passed by Rajya Sabha amid Opposition protests
Union Minister of State Nityanand Rai said that the Centre was committed to ensuring that every child born in the country was registered and that every death was recorded so that deceased persons did not continue as “ghost voters” benefiting parties pursuing “appeasement politics”
On August 4, 2026, the Rajya Sabha passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 despite protests from Opposition members who demanded an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the police crackdown on student protesters. The Lok Sabha had already approved the Bill on July 31, 2026, without significant debate.
The proposed amendment aims to make provisions for stricter regulations regarding delayed registration of births and deaths. The amendment to sub-section (3) of Section 13 of the current Act seeks to enhance the timeliness of reporting these events. Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized in the Bill's statement of objects and reasons that the amendment would promote prompt reporting of births and deaths.
The legislation also stipulates that if information about a birth or death is provided to the Registrar more than a year but within two years after its occurrence, registration will only be permitted upon an order from a District Magistrate or Sub-Divisional Magistrate, or an Executive Magistrate authorized by the District Magistrate.
After two years, registration can only proceed with an order from a Judicial Magistrate of the first class after verifying the accuracy of the birth or death information.
In response to the brief debate, mostly consisting of members supporting the legislation, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai highlighted the government's commitment to ensuring every child born in the country and anyone who dies is registered. According to Rai, the registration rate of births in India increased from 86.6% in 2014 to 99.1% in 2024, while the registration rate for deaths rose from 72.5% in 2014 to 99.4% in 2024.
The Minister criticized the Congress party for failing to address the issue of birth and death registration, stating that the country demands that all individuals born in India be registered and deceased individuals are removed from voter lists to prevent misuse.
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