What is the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023? How is it relevant to a common man?

The Registration of Birth and Death (RBD) Amendment Bill, 2023, was passed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, August 1. Tabled on July 26 in the Lok Sabha, the bill proposes the use of a birth certificate as a single document for several purposes including issuance of driving licence, Aadhar number, appointment to a government job, admission into an education institution, preparation of voter list, and registration of marriage, among others.

During the brief debate about the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023, in Lok Sabha, Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home, said that the bill will ensure efficiency and transparency in delivering social benefits to the citizens. The bill will also help create a state, and national, level database of registered births and deaths.

Let’s take a look at the bill in detail and how it could affect the common man, if passed.

What does the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 state?

The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 aims to create a centralised database for deaths and births to help in transparent delivery of public services and to update other databases. The bill also attempts to modernise the process of birth and death registration in the country. The bill proposes the appointment of special "sub-registrars" in case of disasters or epidemics for easier registration of deaths and issuance of certificates and to collect Aadhaar numbers of informants and parents in case of registering births.

The bill details the functions of Registrars at the local level and Chief Registrars at the state level and how they will have to share information with the Registrar-General of India. The Registrar General of India will be given the power to issue directions related to the registration of births and deaths.

How will the proposed amendments affect the common man?

If passed, the bill will make a person’s birth certificate the official document of their date and place of birth. Individuals born on or after the amendments come into effect would be issued certificates as per the new Act.

If the bill is passed, the national-level register of births and deaths can be used to update the National Population Register (NPR). The data will also be used to update other databases such as voter lists, ration cards, Aadhaar, passports, and driving license databases.

The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 will ensure that people get benefits like free rations, subsidies and other benefits more easily. It aims to curb duplication and errors in the nation’s present databases. This can help create a clearer picture about what the nation needs and help the government frame policies accurately.

Concerns about the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023

Activists are concerned that the use of multiple databases and use of Aadhaar may result in privacy breaches. Data from one database can be utilised without an individual’s knowledge or consent. As per reports, activists fear that the creation of the database may leave out sections of the population from the list.