Rajya Sabha passes Registration of Births and Deaths Amendment Bill

The Rajya Sabha passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, by a voice vote on Tuesday. The Bill follows a previous clearance by the Lok Sabha and seeks to tighten norms for delayed registrations of births and deaths. Under the new provisions, any registration made more than two years after the event will now require an order from a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class. This differs from the previous law, where registrations delayed by more than one year required an order from an executive magistrate, such as a district or sub-divisional magistrate. For delays between one and two years, the process will continue to be handled by executive magistrates. The Bill was introduced by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, though one source notes that Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced it in the Lok Sabha on July 24. The amendment will come into force on a date notified by the central government following presidential assent. The passage of the Bill occurred amid protests from Opposition members. Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and other members raised concerns regarding the absence of the Home Minister in the House. Some members, including those from the BJD, Shiv Sena, and United People's Party Liberal, argued that the requirement for a judicial magistrate's order would overburden the courts and cause further delays. Conversely, BJP members supported the measure. Minister Nityanand Rai stated that the stricter rules are necessary to prevent the misuse of late registrations, specifically to prevent the registration of babies born elsewhere or the maintenance of deceased persons on voter rolls. A center-leaning source reports that a BJP member claimed the Congress party opposed the Bill to allow foreign citizens to register in India. The legislation builds upon a 2023 overhaul that established a national database and made electronic certificates the norm for identity documents such as passports and Aadhaar cards.