New Rules Issued for Birth and Death Registration After Belagavi Mix-Up

Belagavi City Corporation has come under scrutiny after a major blunder in which a death certificate was mistakenly issued, creating uproar within the municipal body over the past two months.

Following this and similar lapses, the Government of Karnataka has now introduced stricter rules to bring transparency and accuracy in the registration of births and deaths across the state.

Key Highlights of the New Rules

• Birth Certificate at Discharge: Mothers will now receive their child’s birth certificate at the time of hospital discharge.

• Timely Reporting: All government and private hospitals must ensure prompt registration of births and deaths and submit reports without delay to the registration authorities.

• SMS Alerts: Applicants’ correct mobile numbers must be recorded in the e-Birth system. Once registration is approved, applicants will automatically receive an SMS confirmation.

• Updated Application Forms: The Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Bengaluru has instructed registration offices to use new, updated forms to ensure greater accuracy.

• Aadhaar Verification: Only the Aadhaar card of the deceased must be used for death registration. Misuse of relatives’ Aadhaar cards had earlier caused serious issues, including denial of government benefits to living persons mistakenly marked as deceased.

The Office of the Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths has stated that these steps are aimed at ensuring accountability, preventing confusion, and protecting citizens from avoidable hardships.