The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (August 4, 2026) passed The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 amid protests by Opposition members demanding an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the police action against student protesters. The Lok Sabha too had cleared the Bill on Friday (July 31, 2026) without any major debate. The Bill proposes to amend sub-section (3) of Section 13 of the present Act to make provisions of delayed registration more stringent.
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Mr. Shah said in the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill that the amendment would encourage timely reporting of event of birth and death. The Bill also provides that any birth or death of which delayed information is given to the Registrar after one year but within two years of its occurrence, shall be registered only on an order made by a District Magistrate or Sub-Divisional Magistrate or by an Executive Magistrate authorised by the District Magistrate. If such an information is given to the Registrar after two years of its occurrence, registration can be done only on an order made by a Judicial Magistrate of the first class, after verifying the correctness of the birth or death.
Replying to the brief debate, participated mostly by members who are supporting the legislation, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the Bill was a result of the Narendra Modi government’s commitment that every child born in the country would be registered and every death would be recorded. “The country wants that anyone born in the country, it is important that he or she is registered. Anyone who has died, cannot continue to remain in the voter lists to benefit some parties,” he said, and added that in 2014, the total number of births registered in the country was 86.6%. “In 2024, it rose to 99.1%. For deaths, in 2014, 72.5% deaths were registered, while now it is 99.4%. The Congress cheated this country through birth and death registration,” he maintained.
Earlier, the Opposition demanded Mr. Shah’s presence during the discussion of a Bill moved by his Ministry. Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the House was not functioning as both Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah were absent. “The Prime Minister and the Home Minister should come. We want discussion,” he said. Certain amendments moved by the Opposition members were defeated.
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In the morning, the proceedings of the House were adjourned twice till 12 p.m. and then till 2 p.m. due to protests by the Opposition members over police action on students and the controversy over the alleged scam in managing the donations to the Ram temple in Ayodhya. “You are not interested in running the House,” Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan told the Opposition members. DMK’s Tiruchi Siva tried to raise the arrest of party leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, but permission was denied.
Published - August 04, 2026 05:11 pm IST
parliament / Parliament proceedings / law / Rajya Sabha
Source: The Hindu - India News
