BIRTH REGISTRATION A Background Note

By Arun Serrao and Sujatha B.R. Prepared on Date: 23-Oct-2004 Community Development Foundation, Bangalore

CONTENTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Introduction............................................................................................................. 1 Birth Registration A RIGHT OF EVERY CHILD. ............................................... 3 Birth Registration In India ....................................................................................... 8 Birth registration in Karnataka............................................................................... 11 Initiatives to Improve Birth Registration................................................................ 15 Barriers to Registration And Utilization of Certificates.......................................... 17 Observations ......................................................................................................... 19

BIRTH REGISTRATION A Background Note

India is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989. Yet, we hold the dubious distinction of having the largest number of unregistered children in the world. Birth Registration is considered as the first step in providing an identity to the child both as an individual and as a member of the society as the birth register is the first legal document in which the name of the child gets entered along with the parentage. It is the right of every child born in the country to have its birth registered and provided with a birth certificate free of charge. registration accessible and available to all. The Government of India in all its earnestness has framed an Act known as Registration of Birth and Deaths Act, 1969 and set up institutions in all the states to record the births and deaths in the country. It is compulsory to register all birth and death under the provisions of Act. Although more than 35 years have passed since the enactment of the legislation, the level of birth registration is not satisfactory, with large interstate variations. About 38,000 out of the estimated 70,000 births that occur in the country everyday are registered (eCensusIndia, Issue 18:2003, Page 1). Of these, only a small percentage, have birth certificates. There is an urgent need to develop effective strategies towards universal registration and improve service delivery of the birth certificates. Is it not odd that majority of children in rural government schools have birth dates in May, June or July? But it is true; because parents are not aware when the child was born nor are the children aware of their birthday, neither is the teacher keen enough to know what is the date of birth. To suit the enrollment in schools, some date is given and that becomes the official date of birth. It is the duty of every state to make birth

  
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The numbers of Provisional Data from India Census 2001, on the declining child sex ratio show another alarming trend, clearly suggestive of the prevalence of the inhuman practice of female foetocide. The last decade (1991-2001) has seen the sharpest decline slipping to 927 from the figure of 976 in 1961. This mass slaughter of the girl childboth feoticide and infanticide needs to be stopped. This can only be done through a periodic monitoring system based on reliable data on sex ratio at birth at every district and sub-district level. Registration of all births is an absolute necessity to enable monitoring the birth of girl children and to take necessary and timely corrective action. Complete, timely and accurate registration of birth and death events is crucial for understanding population dynamics and planning effective development programs. Poor record of birth registration hinders building a vision for the nation and curtails the planning process for overall development. Availability of data supports numerous stakeholders in building comprehensive planning at various stages of progress. It helps the Government/ NGOs/ Panchayat Raj Institutions and Public at large.

A complete birth and death registration system is the only way to generate reliable information on various demographic indicators like Birth and Death Rates, Infant Mortality Rate, Maternal Mortality rate, Child Sex Ratio, at district and sub-district level. Data are required for formulating, implementing and monitoring various programmes relating to health of the mother and child including immunization and nutrition and universal education for children.

The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents.

Article 7; 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)

Birth registration is the official recording of the birth of a child by some administrative body of the government. It is a permanent and official record of a childs birth. The World Health Organization defines a live birth as a baby that breathes or shows any other sign of life after delivery, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy. The UN view is that all babies born alive should be registered and their existence recognized whatever their gestational age and regardless of whether they are still alive at the time of registration. Lack of birth registration is a violation of the childs inalienable human right to be given an identity at birth and to be regarded as part of society. Article 7 of the CRC gives every child the right to be registered at birth by the State within whose jurisdiction the child is born. This means that states must make to birth all What should be registered? Ensuring the right to a name and nationality and to know ones parents implies that registration should, as a minimum, include the childs name, sex, date and place of birth, and the name, address and nationality of both parents. While a persons name may be their most distinctive mark of individuality a right recognized in the CRC additional data, such as family ties and nationality, promote the childs right to legal protection by parents and by the state.
Source: Innocenti Digest-No.9-March 2002UNICEF

registration accessible and children.

available

A fully registered birth and the accompanying birth certificate help a child secure the right to his or her origins, to a nationality and also help to safeguard other human rights. The question of nationality is one of the most sensitive and complex aspects associated with birth registration and can compromise the

registration of a child. The Committee on the Rights of the Child, which monitors

implementation of the CRC, has raised concerns about children who are denied a nationality and are, therefore, stateless.

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Right to education and health Current estimates suggest that internationally there are almost 120 million children of primary school age out of school especially working children, children with disabilities, children affected by HIV/AIDS or armed conflict, the children of the poor or ethnic minorities, rural children and, consistently, girls. These are often children who live in circumstances where birth registration may be rare. While it is only one of the factors that determine whether or not a child attends school, birth registration and a birth certificate is a need, and if it is not available, the childs right is violated. Right to a family environment A comprehensive birth registration system, linked to the issue of birth certificates, can help to protect children against illicit changes to their identity, such as changes of name or falsification of family ties. This is in keeping with Article 8 of the CRC, and the states obligation to preserve a childs identity.

Protection against exploitation and abuse In India, children under the age of 14 are prohibited by law from working in hazardous industries, yet violations are widespread and many children are reportedly labouring in quarries or factories. One growing trend in child exploitation is child trafficking for

prostitution and other contemporary forms of slavery, often in the guise of household domestic work. A child who has no official identity or proven nationality or an age proof and who can therefore remain hidden and unprotected must be a more attractive prospect to a trafficker. This also means that geographic areas where registration levels are low are more likely to be targeted by trafficking operations. A birth certificate can also offer protection against early marriage and military recruitment. Juvenile justice If children are arrested, a birth certificate can protect them from being prosecuted as adults and ensure that they receive special legal protection that should be made available to juveniles under Juvenile Justice Act. This is important even in relation to the most trivial crimes, but when it comes to serious crimes where the death penalty is imposed, proof of age can mean the difference between life and death.

The Birth Certificate A Door to other services The importance of birth registration and the need of Birth certificate does not end merely with childhood, it is a record that is very much a need during education, for employment, for marriage and for that matter for everything.

A birth certificate is needed to obtain a passport, a marriage or a drivers license. It may be required to open a bank account, to apply for and secure formal employment and to inherit property.

A birth certificate may also be needed obtain family allowances, ration card, insurance, and a pension. A birth certificate proving identity and age is the gateway to democratic participation in civil society, enabling a person not only to vote in electoral processes, but to contest for Public office.

A streamlined birth registration system, with a unique identifier for each child can pave the way for a sophisticated citizens multi-purpose identity card.

Registration of Births for National Indicators & Planning Every government needs to know how many people are there in the country, and how it can plan to meet their needs. It allows the analysis of fertility and mortality rates by age, and the development of projections of demographic change. It helps to identify geographic, social and gender disparities within the national boundaries the least developed parts of a country may have the lowest birth registration coverage and the greatest need for services and active support. Without accurate population data, these areas may be overlooked and denied the necessary budgetary resources. The lack of such data may, therefore, lead to the further exclusion of people already marginalized from the social and economic life of their country. The data provided by effective civil registration allow the accurate planning, development and implementation of development policies, particularly in health, education, housing, water and sanitation, employment, agricultural and industrial production and an effective electoral process. They enhance a countrys ability to monitor and evaluate the impact of policies8 and help governments allocate appropriate resources to those in greatest need, thereby narrowing disparities.

Data provided by registration are invaluable the life-cycle approach to human development. Can be used to plan and coordinate immunization efforts, monitor child growth, promote universal enrolment in primary education, monitor and address drop out particularly among girls and other key steps in a childs life.

International Level- Comprehensive Demographic Data Accurate and comprehensive demographic data serve the international community and ultimately children themselves by helping international organizations, financial institutions and NGOs to Programme their activities with greater accuracy and impact. Health perspective- continuous information on births and deaths is essential for the compilation of crucial development indicators such as statistics on Ante-natal, neonatal, infant, child and general mortality at all administrative levels. AIDS has orphaned at least 10.4 million children, worldwide, currently under 15 (i.e. they have lost a mother or both parents) and unknown numbers are denied their right to inherit parental property. Guaranteeing this right becomes more difficult if the child has no legal proof of their identity, including family ties. Birth registration for all children giving proof of identity to those without parents would-be an effective way to ease the impact of HIV/AIDS on the children left behind.
Table 1: Utilization of Birth Registration in Different Countries Sl.No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Country India/Mynamar/Thailand Kenya/Uganda Camroon/Lesotho/Maldavies /Sudan/Yamen Turkey Tanzania Malaysia Srilanka Algeria Nepal Pakistan Kyrgyzstan Brazil Isreal & Palestine Purpose School enrollment-but nor mandatory Not enforced Right to health care and education Access to primary school education and secondary school and Diploma University enrollment Education Scholarship Not mandatory School enrollment Not legal requirement Access to health care and social services Access to health care and social services Education & medical service Access to health and welfare services

Source: Innocenti Digest-No.9-March 2002-UNICEF pages 9, 10&11

CRC Articles of relevance to Birth Registration The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): While many CRC articles have links to birth registration, the following (paraphrased) are of particular relevance. In some cases, such as the right to family reunification, the proof of identity offered by birth registration and birth certificates is critical. Article 1: a child means every human being below the age of 18 years unless, under the law of the country, majority is attained earlier; Article 2: all rights shall be respected and ensured to every child within the States jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind; Article 3: the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration in all actions regarding children; Article 4: the State shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures for the implementation of childrens rights; Article 7: the child shall be registered immediately after birth and has the right to a name and nationality and to know and be cared for by his or her parents. The State shall ensure the implementation of these rights in accordance with national law and its obligations under the relevant international instruments in this field, in particular where the child would otherwise be stateless; Article 8: the State will respect the childs right to preserve his or her identity, including nationality, name and family relations, and will intervene in cases where a child is illegally deprived of any of these elements of identity with a view to re-establishing it; Article 9: the State shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will; Article 10: applications by a child or his or her parents to enter or leave a State for the purposes of family reunification shall be dealt with in a positive, humane and expeditious manner; Article 21: the State shall ensure that adoption of a child is authorized by competent authorities on the basis of proper information, including information about the childs parents, relatives and legal guardians and shall ensure that children involved in inter-country adoption enjoy the same safeguards and standards as children being adopted within their country; Article 32: States recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and shall provide for a minimum age or minimum ages for admission to employment; Article 35: States shall take all appropriate measures to prevent the abduction of, sale of or traffic of children; Article 38: States shall refrain from recruiting any person who has not attained the age of fifteen years into their armed forces. Other texts: The right of every child to be registered at birth, to acquire a name and nationality, and the responsibilities of the State in this area are also underlined in other human rights standards. 1948: Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 15: Everyone has the right to a nationality. 1961: Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, Article 1: A Contracting State shall grant its nationality to a person born in its territory who would otherwise be stateless. 1966: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 24: Every child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have a name. Every child has the right to acquire a nationality. 1969: American Convention on Human Rights, Article 20: Every person has the right to the nationality of the State in whose territory he was born if he does not have the right to any other nationality. 1979: Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Article 9, women shall be granted equal rights with men with respect to the nationality of their children. 1989: 35th Session of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights notes the importance of birth registration for child protection, particularly for illegitimate children and to reduce the sale or trafficking of children. 1990: African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Article 6: Every child shall have the right from his birth to a name shall be registered immediately after birth has the right to acquire a nationality. 1990: International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, Article 29: Each child of a migrant worker shall have the right to a name, to registration of birth and to a nationality. 1997: European Convention on Nationality, Article 6: Each State Party shall provide in its internal law for its nationality to be acquired ex lege by foundlings found on its territory who would otherwise be stateless [and] for its nationality to be acquired by children born on its territory who do not acquire at birth another nationality.

Source: Innocenti Digest No.9, UNICEF, Innocenti Research centre,

Florence,

Italy

REGISTRATION OF BIRTH IS A RIGHT OF EVERY CHILD. IT IS THE FIRST LEGAL DOCUMENT CONFIRMING IDENTITY OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL

Civil registration in India: a decentralized system Civil registration is defined as the continuous, permanent, compulsory and universal recording of the occurrence and characteristics of vital events pertaining to the population as provided through decree or regulation in accordance with the legal requirements of a country. Civil registration is carried out primarily for the purpose of establishing the legal documents provided by the law. These records are also a main source of vital statistics. Complete coverage, accuracy and timeliness of civil registration are essential for quality vital statistics. A Civil Registration System (CRS) refers to all institutional, legal, technical settings needed to perform the civil registration functions in a coordinated and standardized manner throughout the country, taking into account cultural and social circumstances particular to the country. A good CRS provides data for observing changes in the population growth on continuous basis through registration of births and deaths. CRS provides a uniform system of registration and data collection on vital statistics including compulsory registration of births and deaths in the country. The Indian Civil Registration System was first introduced in the last century as an aid to the Public Health Administration. Registration under this system was voluntary and the various provinces and states had different legislations and there was lack of standardization of concepts, definitions and classifications. After the enactment of RBD Act in 1969, a uniform piece of legislation, replaced all the diverse laws. The national authority for civil registration is the Office of the Registrar-General and Census Commissioner, under the Ministry of Home Affairs. This office provides overall coordination, direction, technical guidance and standards for civil registration throughout the country. Registration itself is decentralized to Indias states and union territories. The act has made it mandatory to provide the first copy of the birth certificate free of charge. In theory, Indias registration system provides a good basis for the consistency of concepts, definitions, classifications and tabulations across the various sources of vital

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statistics, but the reality is unfortunately different. The nation is no where close to achieving universal registration and state disparities in registration coverage varies from over 100% to as low as 30%. Another problem related to CRS is delay in publication of the report and therefore what ever is published is becomes outdated. The Sample Registration System (SRS) The Sample Registration System (SRS) is a large-scale demographic survey conducted in India for providing reliable annual estimates of birth rate, death rate and other fertility and mortality indicators at the national and sub-national levels. Current status of Birth and Death Registration Registration Machinery: The Registration of Birth and Death Act, 1969, provides for the State Governments to frame rules for the establishment of the registration machinery in the State and procedures for registration. The Act provides for a Chief Registrar at the State level, District Registrars at the District level and Registrars at the Registration Centre to discharge the functions under the Act. At the Central level the Registrar General, India is to coordinate and unify the activities of the Chief Registrars and issue general directions to the State governments regarding registration. Level of Registration: As per the Report of the Working Group on Birth and Death (2001), at national level approx 55% of the births and 46% of the deaths are being registered. The level of registration varies substantially across the States. Some of the States such as Goa, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Punjab and Tamil Nadu and all the Union Territories except Dadra and Nagar Haveli have achieved above 90% registration of births while some of the States such as Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Manipur, Meghalaya, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are able to register less than 50% of the births only. In the rest of the States, levels of birth registration is in the range of 50-90 percent.

Table 2: Percentage of Births and Deaths registered (Provisional)

S.NO STATES YEAR PERCENTAGE REGISTERED

BIRTHS 1. 2. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam# Bihar Chhatisgarh Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu & KAshimir Jharkhand Karnataka# Kerala# Madhya Pradesh 2001 Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Orissa # Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Tripura# Uttar Pradesh Uttaranchal West Bengal 1999 2000 2001 2000 2001 1994 2001 2000 2001 2000 2000 2000 1999 2001 2000 2001 1999 2000 1995 2001 2000 2000 2001 2001 2000 55.8 81.7 38.7 18.7 55.8 Almost 100 % 88.8 75.5 Almost 100 % 68.1 Included in Bihar 73.6 Almost 100 % 38.2 91.1 45.9 72.2 Almost 100 % 94.6 82.4 92.2 39.6 80.0 93.5 65.2 42.0

DEATHS 58.5 28.4 20.1 25.6 66.6 Almost 100 % 60.4 70.6 81.8 49.5

77.2 88.1 48.3 71.5 25.3 51.7 Almost 100 % 52.1 63.2 82.5 55.8 41.4 73.0 40.9 26.5

Included in Uttar Pradesh 98.3 54.0

Source: DRGSRS. Note: 1. The level of birth/death registration is the percentage of registered birth/deaths to be estimated births/deaths based on SRS rates. 2. The level of registration is very high in smaller states due to estimated events based on SRS relates to usual residents only while events are to be registered at the place of occurrence irrespective of the place of residence. While, estimates of vital rates are lower than the actual. 3. #: Level of registration of Assam for the year 2000; Karnataka for 2001; Kerala for 2000; Orissa for 2001; and Tripura for 2000 are based on monthly reports.

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The state of Karnataka (then Mysore) was formed in 1956. The Registration of Birth & Death Act, 1969 came into force in the State with the effect from 1st April 1970. The Karnataka Registration Birth & Death Rules, 1970 were framed and issued by the Government of Karnataka on 15th of Dec 1970, and were effective from 1st January 1971. Initially, in the rural areas Village Patels acted as the registrars till 1978. The state had achieved 70% registration efficiency by 1994. The KRBD rules subsequently were amended in December 1999, as per the instructions of Registrar General, India. Revamped system of Registration of Birth & Death is in force in Karnataka from 1st January 2000. The Organizational Set-up State District

Chief Registrar, Director D.E. & S

Joint Chief Registrar Joint Director- DES

Deputy Chief Registrar Deputy Director- DES Assistant Chief Registrar Assistant Director- DES

Rural Tahsildar

Technical Staff

Registrar/ Village Accountant

Villages

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District Registrar/ Deputy Commissioner Addl District Registrar/ District Statistical Officer Urban Commissioner / Chief Officer Registrar Health Officer/ Health Inspector Town / Cities

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In the Urban area, the City Corporation/City Municipal Councils/Town Municipal Councils/Notified Area Committees/Project Area/Sanitary Boards etc., Health

officer/Health Inspectors/Sanitary Inspectors are the Registrars. In some large cities/towns, Sub-Registrar of Birth and Death have been appointed for different area to decentralize the work. In Rural Areas, the Village accountants are the registrars

Place of Event House /Household Hospitals, Nursing Homes Jail Choultry, Hostel, Boarding & Lodging Deserted public place a) Village b) elsewhere Plantation Moving vehicle

Informant Head of household /eldest male Medical Officer Jailer Person in-charge

Headman of village Officer in-charge of Police station. Superintendent Person in-charge of the vehicle

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Registration Procedure According to the RBD Act. 1969, it is the duty of the head of the household and if s/he is not present in the house the nearest relatives of the head present in the house and in the absence of any such person, the oldest adult person present in the house should report the occurrence of any live birth or still birth. As per Karnataka RBD Rules, 1999 all births, stillbirths and deaths are to be reported within 21 days of its occurrence to the Registrar/ Sub-registrar of the concern local area.

How do we get a Birth Registered?

As soon as the registration of birth or death is completed, the registrar has to issue the certificate in Form No.5&6 respectively containing the essential particulars of the event free of cost to the applicant under Sec.12 of the RBD Act, 1969. Additional copies of the births certificates may be obtained by the applicant @ Rs.5/- per copy under Sec.17 of the RBD Act. In case, where the birth of any child had been registered without a name, the parents or guardian of such child, give information regarding the name of the child to the Registrar and obtain the certificate with free of cost within 12 months from the date of registration of the birth of child. After one year but within a period of 15 years, the name can be entered on payment of Rs.5 as late fee. Birth certificates can be obtained under section 12 issued by the Registrar both in rural and urban area. Under section 17, they were normally issued by the concerned Tahsildars of the Taluk in case of the rural areas. In the case of urban area, certificates are issued by the Registrar /Chief Officer/Commissioner etc. of the Municipalities /Corporations. The fee payable for a search to be made, an extract or a non- availability certificate to be issued under the section 17 is listed in the table: A Search for a single entry in the first year for which the search is made B C D For every additional year for which the search is continued For granting extract relating to each birth or death For granting non-availability certificate of birth or death Rs. 2.00 Rs. 5.00 Rs. 2.00 Rs. 2.00

If any particular event of birth or death is not found registered, the Registrar shall issue a non-availability certificate in Form. No.10

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When the event is declared after the expiry of 21 days, the registration of such an event is governed by the provisions regarding delayed registration under section 13 of the Act. A Registered after the expiry of 21 days but within 30 days B Registered after 30 days but within 1 year Rs. 5.00-with the written permission of the Tahsilar/ Commissioner/Chief Officer C Registered after one year Rs. 10.00- Order of the Judicial Magistrate of First Class Rs. 2.00

Table-3 Showing Reporting and Recording Efficiencies (in Percentage)

Year

Report Births Rural Urban 93.9 95.7 92.3 96.0 96.4 95.4 98.0 96.8 96.4 93.4 Total 85.8 88.4 89.0 94.0 95.5 89.4 94.4 96.6 95.3 93.7 Rural 60.9 62.8 62.2 63.1 59.7 51.8 54.7 44.7 46.5 41.9 Urban 140.1 156.4 154.9 159.6 141.4 135.1 151.8 136.4 149.6 137.5

Recording Deaths Total 84.4 89.3 88.8 90.6 84.1 76.0 83.0 71.5 76.1 69.1 Rural 73.7 72.8 73.5 75.9 69.2 58.9 60.2 61.0 72.7 65.8 Urban 132.8 142.6 146.4 143.0 131.8 115.4 137.1 121.8 128.3 124.5 Total 87.4 88.5 90.1 90.7 82.3 71.5 77.6 74.6 86.5 81.2

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004*

85.7 88.3 88.9 94.0 95.5 89.4 94.4 96.6 95.3 93.8

*Provisional upto June 2004 Source: Office of the Chief Registrar of Births & Deaths and Director, Directorate of Economics & Statistics-Bangalore.

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While there is much to be done to achieve universal birth registration and the legal recognition of the two fifths of the worlds children who are unregistered, many positive steps have been taken since the formulation of RBD Act -1969 and by the United Nations since in 1989. And there is little doubt that the ultimate objective of permanent, continuous and universal registration, with all its benefits, should be a goal of for each state. Recognizing this, in the last few years, several national and state level initiatives have been put in action. The National Population Policy has also targeted 100% birth registration. A National Campaign on Birth Registration

A National Campaign on Birth Registration was launched in 2003, during the period Nov 14-20, 2003 which is the Child Rights Week, throughout the country to issue birth certificate to all children born during the last 10 years. The Campaign was taken up in three phases. The first phases covered the children whose births have been registered and are living in the villages and towns where they were born. In the second phase, those children whose births have been registered but are living at places of birth was taken up. The third phase, it was to cover those children whose births have not been registered. The first phase of the campaign was expected to cover about 100 million (or 1crore) children and is being launched across the country during the Child Rights week from 14th to 20th November 2003 and completed by 8th March 2004, the International Womens Day.

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In the first module, birth certificates were distributed to children in the age group 0 to 9 years who have already been registered but not issued birth certificates. An alternate model has also been suggested in which the administration would be requesting the local schools in the area to send list of students up to the age of 9 years who have not obtained the birth certificates. After verifying if they had been registered previously birth certificates are sent for distribution through the same route.

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Sensitization drive on birth registration PLAN India and Population Foundation of India have launched an advocacy programme to sensitize lawmakers and corporate on the need for universal birth registration. "This is very important to help check discrimination against girl child," Ms Nalini Abraham, Country Health Advisor (Plan India), said. Universal birth registration was directly linked to problems like trafficking and child labour, she said. The month-long advocacy programme was aimed at educating various groups that, in turn, would bring awareness on the need for birth registrations. The two NGOs were demanding that pre-birth sex selection should be stopped. They also demanded that elimination of female child should be stopped. As part of the campaign, a State-level advocacy workshop was organized on Thursday 9th September 04 in association with the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI). Representatives of various corporate and trade houses were present at the workshop. The advocacy campaign would also cover MLAs. The idea was to make them raise their voice on the importance of birth registrations which would ultimately protect the interests of the girl child. Initiatives in Karnataka The following steps have been taken to improve the level of registration as well as cover the backlog of issuance of certificates: Educating Registrars Involvement of Anganwadi workers in CRS Reporting forms 1,2, and 3 for Notifiers Registration Centers in some Hospitals Coordination committees set up to review and monitor work Public awareness measures: o o Tin boards, handbills distributed, Hoardings put up Publicity given on TV, Newspaper and Magazines at State and Local Level.

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Not perceived as a fundamental right and, as a result, is given low priority at every level. Not seen as important by society at large or by families struggling with day-to-day survival. Its value is often neglected in the face of problems that are more immediate and tangible and the long-term potential of birth registration to ease such problems is frequently overlooked.

Seen as nothing more than a legal formality, with little relevance for the development of the child, including access to healthcare and education services. The end result is a lack of support for birth registration from national and local authorities, and little demand from the general public, who remain unaware of its importance.

It may be too costly for parents. If delayed, parents are charged issuing of a certificate.

Political and Administrative barriers Lack of political will. This probably stems from the government, politicians and civil servants to grasp the importance of birth registration as a human right or the crucial role of civil registration records in a modern society. Inadequate financial allocations in this area, insufficient and poorly trained personnel, ill-equipped offices and shortages of the materials needed to get the job done. Lack of infrastructure facilities and apathy Inadequacy of staff at all levels coming in the way of enforcement of the Act. Due to lack of knowledge among registrar of basic level regarding the filling of new form introduced in the revamped system, most of the information in the reporting forms are received unfilled. Lack of awareness of the need of birth and death registration among the public and the district officials Insufficient monitoring by the chief registrar of births and Deaths in some states

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Non availability of forms a poor reflection on the failure of the state government Lack of initiatives on the part of the registration machinery. For systems to work efficiently, local registrars need support such as training and guidance on registration laws and procedures and access to detailed guidelines to help them resolve any registration problems. The lack of such support is a major obstacle to birth registration.

Without proper supervision and monitoring to ensure adherence to civil registration laws, there is the risk that vital information will go unrecorded, and of fraudulent birth entries and illegal changes to birth registries.

Illegal systems undermining the legal civil registration system, by allowing people to buy fake documents such as birth certificates.

Legislative barriers Legislation does not allow enough time for registration, given the geographical terra in and the availability of registration services. Failure to enforce existing legislation is a major issue, linked to the low priority given to birth registration. Civil registration documents are rarely demanded as proof of name, date and place of birth or family relationships, even though they may be required by law. Lack of publicity and awareness rising with respect to existing birth registration legislation is also frequently a barrier to ensuring its effective enforcement and achieving universal registration. Legislation that supports birth registration may be overridden by policies or programs in another area. Economic barriers Meagre budgets and competing demand may be reluctant to divert scarce resources to the creation of an effective civil registration system. Shortages of basic materials such as registers and certificate forms. Late registration may involve significant costs and lengthy judicial procedures yet another disincentive. Apart from the direct costs of registering a child and obtaining a birth certificate, there are also opportunity costs the costs in terms of time, travel and absence

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from work or from the family residence and responsibilities that parents incur when birth registration is not readily accessible. Neglect of cultural and community realities The lack of connection between central authorities and citizens, coupled with low awareness about the value of birth registration, contributes to poor demand for this service. It is believed that names can affect a persons luck and the illness, accident or death of a person with the same name as a child may result in that childs name being changed. Nicknames are also common, and in practice can acquire the status of a surname. These customs can make it difficult to safeguard a childs identity. A great deal of thought is given to a suitable name for a child and this is not shared with the authorities until the traditional process is complete. By then, the legal time limit for registration may have elapsed. Gender discrimination Birth registration suffers as a result of a gender bias that excludes women from the entire process. In such cases, registration is far more likely to be delayed if the father is absent. Girls kept out of school because of gender discrimination are more likely not to have birth certificates, especially where school certificate is considered in-lieu of a birth certificate.

Birth Registration should be addressed as a core development issue alongside poverty reduction and universal access to basic services. Realistic development planning to requires credible data covering all marginalized groups, making universal birth registration essential both for the child and for the nation. Improving registration coverage depends upon a countrys political will to implement change in the interest of its children. Birth registration is a fundamental human right. It gives a child a recognized legal existence and identity. It is a door to other rights such as access to health and education services. It offers protection against discrimination and neglect, determines a childs treatment in the justice system, and lasts a lifetime guaranteeing an individuals right to take their place in the social and political life of their country.

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When more families stayed in one place for generations, birth registration may have seemed less important. Every individual was well known to the surrounding community. But with accelerating movement of people both across and within national borders, having a recognized legal identity has become crucial.

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FURTHER READING

Census of India (2003) National Campaign on Birth Certificates eCENSUSIndia - Issue 18

Directorate of Economics and Statistics (2003), Annual Report of Registration of Births and Deaths 1999, under the RBD Act, 1969. Government of Karnataka Directorate of Economics and Statistics (2003), Annual Report of Registration of Births and Deaths 2000, under the RBD Act, 1969. Government of Karnataka Directorate of Economics and Statistics (2003), Annual Report of Registration of Births and Deaths 2001, under the RBD Act, 1969. Government of Karnataka
IRMS - ICMR (2003) Development of Demographic Database for Micro (District) Level Planning in India: Exploration of Alternative Data Sources Concluding Workshop - RETA 6007: Enhancing Social and Gender Statistics 24-27 June 2003 , Bangkok, Thailand

Itina, S.M. (1997), Characteristics of Traditional Birth Attendants and their Beliefs and Practices in the Offot Clan,Nigeria, WHO Bulletin 75 (6), 563-567 Morisky, D.E. (1986), Evaluating the Effectiveness of Utilizing Traditional Birth Attendants for Maternal and Child Health/Family Planning Programs in the Rural Philippines,International Quarterly of Community Health Education 6,(2) 131-143. PLAN International (1999) Asian Civil Registrars General Convention, Bangkok, 1999. Pomfret, John (2001), In Chinas Countryside, Its a Boy!Too Often, Washington Post Foreign Service, 29 May 2001. Rashid, M., K. Tayakkanonta et al. (1999), Traditional Birth Attendants Advice toward Breast-Feeding, Immunization and Oral Rehydration among Mothers in Rural Bangladesh, Women and Health 28 (3),33-44. Singh, A. and A. Kaur (1993), Perceptions of TraditionalBirth Attendants Regarding Contraceptive Methods, Journal of Family Welfare 39, 1, pp.36-39.
THE HINDU group of publications- Financial Daily ,Thursday, August 02, 2001 THE HINDU group of publications - The Hindu Hyderabad, Sept.10,2004 IndiaInfo_com.news (2004) Karnataka makes registration of births, deaths compulsory-Saturday, July 3 2004 PTI

United Nations Childrens Fund(2002); Innocenti Digest-No.9-March 2002-, Birth Registration Right from the Start, Innocenti Research Center, Florence. Italy
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division (2001), op. cit. Also United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division (1998), Handbook on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems. Management, Operation and Maintenance, United Nations, New York. UNHCHR (1994). Promotion and Protection of the Rights ofChildren: Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and ChildPornography, Report by the Special Rapporteur of theCommission on Human Rights.

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UNHCHR (1999). Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children: Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, Report by the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights. UN Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific(1993), Uses of Civil Registration Records and Vital Statistics in Population Policy-Making and Evaluation, ESCAP,Bangkok. UNAIDS (2001), Children and Young People in a World of AIDS, UNAIDS, Geneva. United Nations Department of Economic and SocialAffairs, Statistics Division, (1998), Handbook on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems: DevelopingInformation, Education and Communication, United Nations, New York.UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (1993), Initial Report of States Parties due in 1993: Madagascar. 13.09.93. CRC/C/8/Add.5, 83 & 85.

UNICEF & DWCD (2001) Multiple Indicator Survey 2000 - Summary Report
UNICEF Malaysia (1999), UNICEF Malaysia Annual Report 1999, Kuala Lumpur.

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