Nagpur: In an attempt to curb fake registration of births and deaths by foreign nationals, the Maharashtra Government amended the ‘Birth and Death Registration Act of 1969’ and ‘Maharashtra Birth and Death Registration Rules of 2000’ and issued a new notification.
Under the new rules, anyone applying for birth or death certificates without valid proof will face criminal charges, ensuring that only eligible Indian citizens receive these crucial documents. To further strengthen the verification process, the government has made police verification mandatory for issuing birth and death certificates.
Gold Rate
11 April 2025
According to Maharashtra Revenue Minister and BJP MLA Chandrashekhar Bawankule, foreign nationals are taking undue advantage of loopholes in the government system to obtain birth and death registration certificates. He said that earlier there were no guidelines for the delay in registration of birth and death certificates in the state.
“Foreign nationals by bribing the local officials and misusing the loopholes of the system, used to obtain the birth and death certificates to establish themselves as citizens of Maharashtra and India. However, as per new guidelines, one has to register for birth and death certificates within a year,” the Minister said.
“It will be verified by a three-level system. The Authorised Magistrate will ensure the accuracy of the information and charge a late fee, thereby fulfilling several legal requirements. All applications will undergo police verification, and final approval will be based on the police department’s report, and then the final certificate will be issued,” Bawankule added.
“If the documents (evidence) attached by the applicant are found to be fake, immediate criminal action will be initiated. Besides, for the death registration, the post mortem report, copy of the FIR or any evidence given by competent authority should be submitted while for the birth certificate, the certificate issued by nursing home, if delivery took place at home, the woman who helped for delivery, her affidavit should be submitted to obtain the birth certificate,” the minister stated.
He said the amendment in the Birth and Death Registration Act, 1969 will not only ensure transparency and curb the distribution of fake certificates in birth and death registration, will ensure issuing of certificates at a faster pace as well.
“To obtain the birth and death certificates, the applicant has to submit the required documents such as school admission receipt, passport, 7/12 land extract records and other educational documents. The birth and death registrations will now be treated as quasi-judicial matters as it will need rigorous scrutiny,” the minister said.
Applications for certificates for events more than a year old must be backed by substantial evidence. Failure to provide valid proof will result in criminal charges. Certificates will be issued only after verifying records from the place of birth or death. Officials, from village officers to district collectors, have been directed to enforce strict checks,” he added.
Bawankule said the government’s crackdown comes after it had received complaints regarding the distribution of fake birth certificates to foreign nationals.
In accordance with those complaints, a “Special Investigation Committee (SIC)” was constituted by the Home Department under the chairmanship of the Special Inspector General of Police, Nashik Zone.
