The process of getting a birth certificate and how the Government improved it using the internet

A birth certificate is one of the most relevant documents that any person should get for their children. However, at the time that the children are being born, there are instances where it does not happen. When that is the case, they can apply within a fixed time of about three months, to avoid any additional paperwork.

What are some of the benefits of having a birth certificate?

According to Indian law, the birth certificate is the right of a child and is the first step towards establishing its identity. It is mandatory that every child born should be registered for a birth certificate since there are so many advantages to having one. Here are some of those advantages spelt out.

• Admission to schools
• Proof of age for employment.
• Proof of age at marriage.
• Establish parentage.
• Establish age for enrollment in Electoral Rolls.
• Establish age for insurance purposes.
• Registering for the National Population Register (NPR).

What are the additional documents needed when applying for a birth certificate?

While several documents have to be submitted by the parents while going through the birth certificate process, they have to get it done since the birth certificate is one of the most important documents when it comes to the life of the child. Here is a list of the certificates when getting through the process.

• Proof of birth letter from the hospital (provided by a concerned hospital)
• Parents’ birth and marriage certificate
• Address proof (Voter-ID, Electricity, Gawater/telephone bill, passport, ration card, Aadhaar card, etc.).

The hospital where the child was born does not issue the birth certificates, but the Registrar of Births has its own offices that people can visit to get them. In urban areas, the authority to issue birth certificates lies with Municipal Corporations or Councils, while Gram Panchayats issue these certificates at the village level.

If people have not applied for their birth certificates, all hope is not lost.

Adults who don’t have a birth certificate should visit the Municipal Corporation or Gram Panchayat of their place of birth. There are a couple of documents that they need to provide when they are getting this done. There is a form that they have to fill out and along with it, provide details like the place, date, and time of their birth to the registrar, submit the required documents like Aadhaar card, an educational certificate, address proof, and pay the nominal registration fees. After verification, they issue their birth certificate.

Some statistics about the number of births registered in India

• The share of males registered is 53% which is more than females, which is 47% across India.
• 17 States and Union Territories have achieved the target of cent per cent level of registration.
• 13 among 20 of the major States have crossed 90 per cent level of registration of births. These are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal.