India passes tightening delayed birth, death registration

Parliament has passed legislation tightening the verification process for delayed birth and death registrations, a move the government says will curb fraud in official records. The Registration of Births and Deaths Amendment Bill, 2026, cleared its final legislative hurdle on Tuesday, August 4, when the Rajya Sabha approved it by voice vote, following its passage in the Lok Sabha on July 31. The bill was passed amid persistent protests and sloganeering by opposition members, which severely limited substantive debate on its provisions in both houses.

The amendment modifies the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. Under the new law, applications for registering a birth or death that are filed between one and two years after the event will continue to require approval from a District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, or an authorized Executive Magistrate. The key change applies to registrations sought after a delay of more than two years, which will now require an order from a Judicial Magistrate of the first class, replacing the previous executive approval process. The legislation also introduces mandatory factual verification for all delayed registrations and...