In a notable departure from the existing practice of declaring the ‘religion of the family’, parents of newborns will now be required to individually specify their religion in the proposed Birth report, as reported by The Hindu. This significant change aligns with the Model Rules the Union Ministry of Home Affairs set forth.

The implementation of the new form is contingent upon its notification to state governments, who must adopt it before it takes effect. Moreover, for adoption procedures, the religion of the parents will also need to be recorded individually.

A pivotal aspect of this shift is establishing a national-level Database to maintain records of births and deaths. This database holds the potential for refreshing various other databases, including those related to Aadhaar numbers, property registrations, ration cards, electoral rolls, passports, driving licenses, and the National Population Register (NPR), among others.

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The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023, garnered approval from both Houses of Parliament during the Monsoon Session. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 1, followed by approval from the Rajya Sabha via a voice vote on August 7.

Commencing October 2023, the Birth Certificate will be recognized as the sole document required for accessing a multitude of essential services. These services include enrolling in educational institutions, obtaining a driving license, compiling voter lists, acquiring an Aadhaar number, registering marriages, and securing government employment, among others.

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The Home Ministry, while announcing the new Act, emphasized its potential to establish a comprehensive database of registered births and deaths. This database is expected to facilitate the efficient and transparent delivery of public services and social benefits through digital registration.

The notification regarding the commencement of the provisions of the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023, states, “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 (20 of 2023), the Central Government hereby appoints the 1st day of October 2023, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force.”