Why in the news?

  • The Registrar General of India (RGI) asked States to take steps towards achieving universal registration of births and deaths.

Registrar General of India (RGI)

  • Formation: 1961
  • Ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
  • Functions:
    • Conducts the decennial Census of India.
    • Collects and compiles vital statistics through CRS and SRS.
    • Publishes population projections, fertility/mortality data, migration, literacy, and socio-economic data.
    • Supervises state-level Chief Registrars of Births and Deaths.
    • Advises government on demography, planning, and policy formulation.

Universal Registration of Birth and Death (URBD)

  • Concept: Universal Registration of Birth and Death (URBD) aims at compulsory, digital, and real-time registration of all births and deaths in India.
  • Legal Backing: Strengthened under the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023, which came into effect from October 1, 2023.
  • Features:
    • Compulsory Registration: Every birth and death must be registered within 21 days.
    • Digital Database: A national-level database of births and deaths to be maintained by RGI.
    • Linkages: Registered data will be linked with: Aadhaar, Voter ID (EPIC), Ration cards, Passport, Driving licence, Property registration, National Population Register (NPR).
    • Automatic Updating: Births → automatically update population register, Aadhaar, electoral rolls. Deaths → deletion from electoral roll, ration card, welfare rolls.
    • Single Source of Truth: Enables real-time updating of demographic databases.
  • Significance:
    • Governance Efficiency: Facilitates direct benefit transfers, welfare targeting, and voter list purification.
    • Demographic Planning: Provides accurate fertility, mortality, and migration data for health and education planning.
    • Fraud Prevention: Helps curb identity fraud, fake beneficiaries, and duplication in welfare schemes.
    • Ease of Service Delivery: Citizens won’t need to submit multiple documents for government services- birth/death certificate will suffice.
  • Challenges
    • Privacy & Data Security: Concerns about centralised Aadhaar-linked demographic databases.
    • Implementation Gaps: Urban areas fare better; rural areas often face delays or underreporting.
    • Capacity Issues: States need robust IT infrastructure and trained registrars.
    • Awareness: Many families still do not register births/deaths promptly.