Documentary verification is mandatory
The latest guidelines, issued on September 4 by the Directorate of Health Services and the Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths, Maharashtra, lay down the procedure that registrars across the state must follow while correcting or cancelling entries under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, and Rule 11 of the Maharashtra Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2000.
Somaiya told TOI that the streamlined guidelines were much awaited and formalised the process of changes to be made leaving no scope for malpractice. Finally this seems to be reaching the right stage,” he said. Mumbai: Maharashtra government has tightened the procedure for correcting or cancelling birth and death records, making documentary verification mandatory and putting a higher-level approval process in place for cancellation of fraudulent entries. The move comes months after the BMC faced scrutiny over alleged irregularities in delayed birth registrations, following complaints by former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya. “I have rigorously followed up on the issue as it was observed that in other parts of Maharashtra too such malpractice in birth records was observed.
For instance, if parents change their child’s name after birth registration and publish the change in the Gazette, the guidelines state that such a change does not fall within the scope of Section 15 and need not be incorporated into the original birth registration. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mumbai | Silver Rate in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Petrol Price in Mumbai | Diesel Price in Mumbai | CNG Price in Mumbai | LPG Price in Mumbai Stay updated with the latest Mumbai news.
Where a name change is sought, registrars have been advised to examine the applicant’s request and supporting evidence and, in appropriate cases, use the term “alias” in the remarks column, in accordance with the Central government’s 2015 circular. A key provision is that a registrar cannot cancel a birth or death record on his or her own. If an entry is found to have been made fraudulently or improperly, the case has to be examined at the district level and forwarded to the Director of Health Services (Primary), Pune, and Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths, Maharashtra, with supporting documents and a detailed report. The guidelines also seek to create a clear paper trail for corrections. A person seeking a correction must submit a written application, following which the registrar has to compare the claim with the original information and documents submitted at the time of registration. For clerical or formal errors, such as spelling mistakes, corrections can be made after verification. However, the original entry in the birth or death register is not to be altered. Instead, the correction has to be recorded in the remarks column, along with the registrar’s signature and date. All documents relied upon for the correction must be attached to the register and preserved permanently. The signature of the person who provided the information must also be obtained. The guidelines have also specifically cautioned registrars against indiscriminate changes to names in birth records. The state has clarified that certain subsequent changes in a person’s circumstances do not warrant alteration of the original birth record. Similarly, if parents divorce after registration of a child’s birth, the father’s name cannot simply be deleted from the birth record. The guidelines state that the birth registration reflects the status prevailing on the date of the child’s birth. Changes in residential or permanent address after the birth or death have also been excluded from the correction process, as the address recorded on the certificate relates to the circumstances existing at the time of the event. The guidelines prescribe a separate procedure where an entry is suspected to be fraudulent or improperly made. The registrar must first obtain the complainant’s written statement and examine the relevant records. If cancellation is warranted, a proposal with supporting documents and a self-explanatory report must be sent to the District Registrar. After scrutiny and any further inquiry, the District Registrar has to forward the proposal to the state Chief Registrar and Director of Health Services (Primary), Pune. Only after approval can the disputed entry be cancelled from the CRS portal. The state has directed district health officers, district surgeons, municipal executive health officers and medical officers of health to communicate the guidelines to all registrars under their jurisdiction. Download the TOI App.