Bengal health dept notifies stricter birth, death registration rules to curb certificates

Kolkata, Jul 16 (PTI) The West Bengal government has announced new rules for birth and death registration, introducing stricter documentation and verification procedures to prevent issuance of fake certificates and bring greater transparency to the process, an official said on Thursday. The health department issued a gazette notification after the state cabinet approved amendments to the Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2026. Under the amended rules, all applicants must mention their names in the format of First Name, Middle Name and Last Name in every prescribed form. The use of initials or abbreviations has been barred. It also mandates that all dates be entered in the day-month-year (dd-mm-yyyy) format. Addresses must contain complete details, including the name of the state or Union Territory, district, city or village, ward number wherever applicable, locality, house number and PIN code, it says. For death registration, details of the medical history, wherever available, must be recorded along with the certificate specifying the cause of death, the notification states. The state has also tightened norms for delayed registration of births and deaths. Applications submitted more than 30 days after the occurrence of a birth or death will require approval from the competent authority, a self-declaration and supporting documents. If the delay is between 30 days and a year, applicants must obtain written permission from the District Registrar or the designated authority, submit Form 14 along with self-attested documents and pay a late fee of Rs 50. Registrations sought after one year but within two years will require an order from the District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate or an Executive Magistrate authorised by the District Magistrate, along with a late fee of Rs 100. For registrations delayed by more than two years, permission from a Judicial Magistrate First Class will be mandatory, besides payment of a Rs 100 late fee. The notification states that before approving delayed registration, the issuing authority will verify all submitted documents and may conduct a field inquiry wherever necessary. Authorities have also been empowered to seek additional documentary evidence or refer doubtful cases to higher authorities for further verification. Applications found to contain false or misleading information may be rejected by the competent authority after recording reasons in writing. An applicant may file an appeal before the Chief Registrar within 30 days from the date of rejection. The amended rules also make it mandatory to submit a medical certificate for all non-institutional deaths. Such certificates must be issued by an MBBS doctor registered with the erstwhile Medical Council of India or the West Bengal Medical Council, or by a recognised AYUSH practitioner. A senior Health Department official said the amendments were aimed at strengthening the integrity of the civil registration system. "The revised rules introduce uniform standards for documentation and enhance scrutiny, particularly in cases of delayed registration. The objective is to prevent fraudulent birth and death certificates while ensuring that genuine applicants can complete the process in a transparent and accountable manner," the official told PTI. PTI SCH MNB