Wed Apr 16 03:00:00 UTC 2025: ## India Lags in Birth and Death Registration, Prompting Government Action

**New Delhi, April 16, 2025** – India’s birth and death registration system is facing significant challenges, with an estimated 10% of vital events going unregistered, according to the Registrar General of India (RGI). This shortfall has prompted the RGI to issue a strong warning to hospitals, both public and private, to report all births and deaths within 21 days, as mandated by the Registration of Birth and Death Act, 1969 (amended in 2023).

The RGI’s circular highlights a persistent gap in registration, despite progress in recent years. While registration levels have improved from 82.4% for births and 66.4% for deaths in 2011, the goal of 100% remains elusive. The amended Act, effective October 1, 2023, mandates digital registration through a central portal and introduces a steeper fine for negligence (up to ₹1,000). Digital birth certificates are now the sole proof of birth for various services.

The RGI cites various reasons for the underreporting, including hospitals waiting for relatives to initiate registration and private hospitals failing to report events to the registrar. Furthermore, the timely issuance of certificates (within seven days) is often hampered by bureaucratic inefficiencies.

The lack of timely and comprehensive data collection also impacts critical public health initiatives. The RGI’s vital statistics report, crucial for socio-economic planning and evaluating public health programs, has not been published since 2020, hindering progress in addressing challenges like infant mortality. While some states have published more recent data, a significant lag persists. The 2020 report itself revealed a 2.4% decrease in registered births compared to 2019, except in a few states.

The RGI’s efforts to improve registration are crucial for updating the National Population Register (NPR), which is linked to the National Register of Citizens. The current delay in NPR updation, due to the postponement of the Census, further underscores the need for a robust and timely birth and death registration system.

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