WHY IN NEWS: The office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) cautioned private and government hospitals to report incidents of births and deaths Registrar General of India (RGI) Directive : Hospitals must report births and deaths within 21 days to ensure compliance with the Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969 (amended in 2023). ` Registration Deficit: About 10% of births and deaths remain unregistered despite progress towards universal registration. RBD Act 2023 Amendment: Mandatory registration of all births and deaths; failure leads to enhanced fine of up to ₹1,000(previously ₹50). Civil Registration System (CRS): Government hospitals act as registrars; private hospitals must report events. State-Level Variations: Different departments oversee registration across states—health, panchayat, economics & statistics. Centralized Digital Registration (Effective Oct 1, 2023): Digital birth certificates serve as the sole proof for admission, jobs, marriage registration, electoral rolls, property registration. Data Integration: Birth and death records to update National Population Register (NPR), ration cards, etc. Concerns by RGI: Some hospitals delay registration; registrars urged to issue birth/death certificates within seven days.
