Why is it in the news?

• Parents registering a child’s birth must now separately state the religion of both the father and mother, as outlined in the Model Rules drafted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

More about the news

• The proposed “Form No.1-Birth Report” includes fields for recording the religion of the child’s father and mother, expanding beyond the previous practice of recording only the family’s religion.
• These changes are in accordance with the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023, passed by Parliament, which mandates the maintenance of a national birth and death database.
• The database generated through birth and death registrations will be utilized to update various official records, including the National Population Register (NPR), electoral rolls, Aadhaar number, ration cards, passports, driving licenses, and property registrations.
• All reported births and deaths in the country are digitally registered through the Centre’s portal for the Civil Registration System (CRS), effective since October 1, 2023.
• Digital birth certificates issued through this system serve as a single document for proving the date of birth, facilitating processes like admission to educational institutions.
• The Office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) has proposed substituting existing registration forms to accommodate the new requirements, including recording Aadhaar numbers and contact details of parents.
• Information on parents’ religion will be maintained for statistical purposes in the birth register, alongside other demographic data.
• The RGI is tasked with maintaining the database of registered births and deaths at the national level, with Chief Registrars and Registrars obligated to share data accordingly.
• CRS data, including vital statistics like sex ratio at birth and infant mortality, is crucial for socio-economic planning and evaluating the effectiveness of social sector programs, forming the basis of public health system assessments.