New Delhi, August 4: The Rajya Sabha passed the Birth and Death Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2026, on Tuesday. During the session, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated that the country aims to eliminate ‘ghost voters.’
He explained that the rationale behind this change is to ensure that every child born in India is registered. This is a commitment of the Modi government. Additionally, individuals who have passed away should not remain on the voter rolls, which can be exploited by certain political parties. Therefore, timely registration of deaths is equally essential. The country is determined to rid itself of these ‘ghost voters.’
On the same day, Nityanand Rai introduced the amendment bill in the house. He stated, “I propose that we consider the bill to further amend the Birth and Death Registration Act, 1969, as passed by the Lok Sabha.” Opposition MPs raised slogans during the discussion. Amid the uproar, Rai responded to the debate on the Birth and Death Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2026, urging members to understand the proposal. The amendment was suggested to address the potential misuse of delayed registrations. Under the new provision, if birth or death notifications are submitted after two years, registration will only occur with the order of a First-Class Judicial Magistrate.
He clarified that the previous process for registering births and deaths within 21 days remains unchanged. Registrations occurring between 22 to 30 days will also continue through the registrar. For delays of 30 days to one year, written permission from the district registrar will still be required. In cases where notifications are made after one year, previously, orders were issued by an Executive Magistrate authorized by the District Magistrate. The only change now is that for delays exceeding two years, an order from a First-Class Judicial Magistrate will be necessary.
Rai remarked that the Congress party does not understand this policy. He questioned whether they want children born elsewhere to be registered in India opportunistically. Some state governments were previously ready to issue birth certificates without proper checks. This will no longer be allowed. This law simplifies the process for honest citizens. The entire procedure has been digitized, with over 350,000 registration centers established nationwide.
He noted that in 1986, the birth registration rate was only 31.6%. This has now increased to over 99% in 2023. Similarly, death registration rose from 72% in 1974 to 99.4% today. Rai criticized the Congress for deceiving the public regarding birth and death registration. When the death registration rate was just 72%, millions of records were not created. Now, this figure has reached 99.4%.
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