How Can You Get Your Birth Certificate Reissued in India?
How Can You Get Your Birth Certificate Reissued in India? =
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INTRODUCTION ===
With recent developments in digital softwares and updates in technological tools, several government facilities have become accessible online. Albeit the obvious increases in class divide that this would cause, it has gained momentum (especially post-pandemic). A common feature of government facilities, regardless of them online or offline, is their inaccessibility to the common public. A lucky few are able to employ these services efficiently, but the reality is long queues and wrong documents. A birth certificate is a document that not just accompanies a person from their birth, but forms a valid form of proof for various documents that a person will need during their life. A Birth Certificate refers to a legally approved and permanent record of an individual’s existence. Furnishing this certificate at the time of a person's birth, gives rise to the legal identity of that person. It is the final step of the process of Birth Registration. The concerned State authorities issue this document of proof to the applicant after completing the aforementioned process.
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BIRTH CERTIFICATE ===
Generally, a birth certificate contains the following information; Full name of the person, date of their birth,time of their birth, sex of the person, place of their birth, address at the time of their birth, name of their parents, and a Registration number. In India, the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 seeks to administer the registration of births and deaths. The Act makes it mandatory to get the births recorded with the concerned authority, that is, the Registrar of the concerned state. The Act specifically states that the births have to be registered only at the place of birth. The Act further prescribes a time limit for the same to ensure efficiency (21 days is the mentioned time). On failure to do so, a penalty would become applicable. Also, in case of late registration, the births will be registered either within thirty days, within one year (through written approval of authority so prescribed), or after one year only on the instructions of a first-class Magistrate. This Act also prescribes the formation of registration rules by each state. This allows for flexibility of rules along with the aim of efficiency in working. These however require endorsement by the Central Government before the state governments can begin with the implementation process of the application. thus, the rules will vary from state to state but will aim to record the births in a specific territory.
FACILITIES AVAILABLE ===
The process of getting your birth certificate needs a long trail of other documents that are to be carries along with a filled application form. This includes; 10th Grade Marks-sheet, School’s Transfer Certificate, any valid form of ID proof (PAN card / Ration Card / Driving Licence / Aadhar Card / Voter ID), any valid form of address proof (Electricity Bill / Water Bill / Bank Passbook), a passport size photo is to be attached with the application form, an affidavit of the applicant’s relative (mother / father / uncle / aunt / elder brother / elder sister) that is a sworn document stating the appropriate birth place, date, year and time. These documents will prove that the applicant’s claim is valid and should be under the consideration of the government. These documents are to be submitted at the appropriate Municipal Corporation (MC) in the applicant’s locality (where they were born). There these documents will be attested by the Gazette Officer of the MC. Then, the competent authority Registrar or Sub-Registrar will issue an application form. On filling the authentic details of the applicant, the process can move forward. The information to be filled will include; Applicant's complete name, the applicant’s parent's complete name (maiden name included in case of change), the applicant’s exact date of birth, the applicant’s parent’s complete address, and the applicant’s exact place of the birth. This process may be chargeable depending on the time of submission. Withdrawing this birth proof within 21 days of the birth is not chargeable. However, subsequently, it is a payable service. This fee structure is set up by the state government, thus may vary from state to state. It is also possible to reissue the submitted birth proof. This process is similar to withdrawing the original birth certificate. Similarly, each state government has its own website for the same. The online services are always the preferred method by those who can access and afford it because it solves almost all the problems of the offline services. Once the applicant fills the birth certificate application form online, the instructions to be followed are indicated after signing in, the applicant needs to make a payment online for the service. A receipt of this much be saved as proof of completion and must be brought to the MC office. Additionally, all the submitted supporting documents must be brought. The non-availability of Birth Certificate is a document that states that the applicant's birth was not previously registered previously. Thus this acts as valid and legal proof for the same. This document is only issued after searching the old books of record that account for all the birth records. After qualifying this search, the Registrar will re-issue the applicant’s birth certificate. This similar to invalidating the initially issued birth certificate, that needs change because of any error. To issue a birth certificate when your birth is unregistered has certain steps; Registering with the state's MC website, creating a login for the same, logging in, selecting the option of ‘Non-Availability of Birth Certificate’, filling the form, taking a print out of the same, visiting the MC office for verification of this form, supported by the mentioned documents with the affidavit. After this the Registrar will cross-examine the application. After the verification process, an issue for the non-availability of the birth certificate will be made. After this process, a visit needs to be made to the court, along with all the required documents that have now been verified. The court, on payment of the fees, will then re-issue the birth certificate. This may now be used as proof for verification for the required documents, such as; passport, visa, etc. Additionally, the applicant may also appoint a lawyer or employ a third party service provider for the fulfillment of their needs.
OTHER INFORMATION ===
In case of the necessity of a replacement certificate, different steps need to be followed. The applicant must visit the MC of the place where they were born. The MC will have the accounts of their birth. It is also possible for one place to have multiple MC's or different units. In such a situation, the applicant has to approach the department present in the specific area of their birth. After paying the nominal fee for re-issue of birth certificate, the process will begin according to the concerned state's laws. The department will then provide the applicant with the form that needs some basic details. After filling this form with all the necessary details, the office will provide the applicant with a receipt of the same. The office will also provide information on the expected date of receiving the certificate. Undeniably, starting the process online is the easiest way to get any of the above mentioned work done.
CONCLUSION ===
Undeniably, starting the process online is the easiest way to get any of the above mentioned work done. Inarguably, a birth certificate is an important document that is incredibly helpful to get all other documents verified and issued. Apart from the issues of low birth registration rate in India, several already furnished certificates have a lot of errors in them. A huge reason for this is the lack of action on part of the Civil Registration Machinery to avoid this or remedy this. Several government departments have also been unsuccessful in managing the records. If the concerned authorities monitor the work of registrars so that they do not deviate from their duties, then most of these problems can be solved. Linking the registration of the birth certificate with that of the official services would also be beneficial. The government also needs to realize the pressing need of accurate information for various purposes, such as; collection of data, research works, implementation of its own schemes, etc. Proper training for the personnel involved in the related departments will ensure a smooth process with the least amount of mistakes. Further, this would also encourage people to reissue their birth certificates in case of unavailability or non-usability of their certificates.