New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday approved ‘The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026’ through a voice vote, successfully completing its parliamentary passage following its earlier clearance in the Lok Sabha. The legislative proceedings unfolded amidst persistent sloganeering and demonstrations by Opposition members, who repeatedly demanded the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Upper House and raised slogans regarding diverse political concerns. The newly passed legislation introduces stricter procedural checks on delayed registrations under the original Registration of Births and Deaths Act of 1969, establishing a more rigorous administrative framework to safeguard the integrity of civil registries and vital statistics across the country.
Under the updated legal framework, the process for registering vital life events that are reported significantly after their occurrence has been restructured into a two-tier oversight mechanism. Registrations that are delayed beyond one year but submitted within two years of the event will continue to require a formal verification order from a District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, or an authorised Executive Magistrate. However, for any birth or death registration delayed by more than two years, the amended law mandates an explicit order from a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class following thorough verification of the event’s authenticity. This shift from executive to judicial oversight for long-delayed entries aims to curb fraudulent document creation and enhance the reliability of foundational national databases that link to passports, voter rolls, and social welfare distribution.
Replying to the legislative discussion amidst disruptions, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai emphasised the critical need for tightening vital registration norms across all states and union territories. He highlighted that the central government is steadfastly committed to ensuring that every birth is accurately logged and that every deceased individual is properly recorded in civil registries. Rai argued that the revised provisions are essential to prevent irregularities, such as the manipulation of records or the persistence of unrecorded deaths on electoral rolls, which had previously created avenues for administrative misuse. The minister noted that national birth registration coverage has expanded significantly over the past decade, rising from roughly 86.6 per cent in 2014 to over 99 per cent in recent years.
The legislative session witnessed sharp political friction as Opposition leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, criticized the Treasury benches for pushing forward essential legislative business amidst continuous disruptions. Opposition parliamentarians insisted that key cabinet leaders, including the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister, should address the floor of the House to restore order and engage in structured deliberations before major policy bills are put to a vote. Despite the ongoing protests and repeated adjournments during the post-lunch sitting, the government proceeded with the bill’s consideration, securing its passage via voice vote before Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh adjourned the House until Wednesday.
