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Bill likely to make Aadhaar authentication mandatory to register births and deaths

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Bill likely to make Aadhaar authentication mandatory to register births and deaths

  • A Bill to amend the Registration of Birth and Death Act, 1969 is likely to make Aadhaar compulsory for registration of births and deaths for whoever has one.
  • Currently, Aadhaar is not mandatory for such registration.

Registration of Birth and Death (RBD) Act, 1969

  • Registration of Births and Deaths in India is mandatory with the enactment of RBD, Act 1969 and is done as per the place of occurrence of the event.
  • Under the RBD Act, it is the responsibility of the States to register births and deaths.
  • A Chief Registrar appointed in every State is the executive authority for implementation of the Act.
  • The RGI, appointed under this Act, is responsible for coordinating and unifying the implementation of the RBD Act.

The Proposed Bill

  • The Bill also requires the States to compulsorily share data on registered births and deaths with the RGI.
    • The States are currently required to only send annual statistical reports to the RGI.
  • The RGI will maintain its own register of births and deaths.
  • While all States are required to use the Civil Registration System (CRS) operated by the RGI to issue birth and death certificates, there are some States which have their own applications.

The database

  • As per the Bill, the database will be used to update the National Population Register (NPR)
    • NPR is the first step towards the creation of a National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC) or NRC.
  • It will also be used to update the electoral register, Aadhaar, ration card, passport and driving licence databases.

Aadhaar

  • The Aadhaar card is a 12-digit unique number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
  • It contains biometric information, such as fingerprints and iris scans, along with demographic information, including individuals’ addresses and date of birth.
  • It serves as proof of identity and is valid anywhere in India for any identification purposes.
  • Having an Aadhaar card is compulsory while applying for a new PAN card or filing Income tax returns.

Prelims Takeaway

  • Registration of Birth and Death (RBD) Act, 1969
  • Aadhaar
  • UIDAI

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