The Crossbill News Desk
The Lok Sabha witnessed opposition protests on Wednesday (July 29) as the government introduced a Bill proposing changes to the process for registering births and deaths, even as opposition MPs demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah address the House over alleged police excesses against protesters at Jantar Mantar last week.
The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was introduced by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai.
According to a report by The Wire, Shah was not present in Parliament at the time of the Bill's introduction.
The legislation, which was cleared by the Union Cabinet for introduction on July 20, seeks to amend Section 13(3) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, a provision that was itself amended in 2023.
The proposed changes would introduce additional procedural requirements for registering births and deaths after a significant delay. Under the existing framework, registrations made after one year but within two years require verification by a District Magistrate, who then issues an order permitting the registration.
The Bill proposes a different mechanism for cases where the delay exceeds two years. In such instances, a Judicial Magistrate of the first class would be required to verify the details before issuing an order for registration, effectively transferring the authority in delayed cases from the executive to the judiciary.
The government has justified the proposed changes as a measure to ensure that such events are reported without unnecessary delay.
“This will encourage timely reporting of event of birth and death,” the text of the Bill says.
The introduction of the legislation took place amid a tense atmosphere in the Lok Sabha, with opposition members raising the issue of the alleged police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar.
Their demand for the prime minister and home minister to make a statement added to the political confrontation in the House as the government moved ahead with the proposed amendments to the birth and death registration law.
The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was introduced by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai.
According to a report by The Wire, Shah was not present in Parliament at the time of the Bill's introduction.
The legislation, which was cleared by the Union Cabinet for introduction on July 20, seeks to amend Section 13(3) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, a provision that was itself amended in 2023.
The proposed changes would introduce additional procedural requirements for registering births and deaths after a significant delay. Under the existing framework, registrations made after one year but within two years require verification by a District Magistrate, who then issues an order permitting the registration.
The Bill proposes a different mechanism for cases where the delay exceeds two years. In such instances, a Judicial Magistrate of the first class would be required to verify the details before issuing an order for registration, effectively transferring the authority in delayed cases from the executive to the judiciary.
The government has justified the proposed changes as a measure to ensure that such events are reported without unnecessary delay.
“This will encourage timely reporting of event of birth and death,” the text of the Bill says.
The introduction of the legislation took place amid a tense atmosphere in the Lok Sabha, with opposition members raising the issue of the alleged police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar.
Their demand for the prime minister and home minister to make a statement added to the political confrontation in the House as the government moved ahead with the proposed amendments to the birth and death registration law.
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