Patna: The Bihar administration has tightened regulations around the issuance of birth and death certificates in a bid to curb irregularities and misuse, especially amid a surge in applications linked to voter list updates.
Under new rules implemented with immediate effect, obtaining a birth certificate more than a year after a child’s birth will now require approval from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), replacing the earlier system where such documents could be issued on the order of the Block Development Officer (BDO).
In urban areas, assistant or block statistical officers have been appointed as registrars for birth and death certificates, while in rural areas, the responsibility has been entrusted to Panchayat Secretaries.
Patna District Magistrate Dr Thiagarajan SM has issued a directive notifying all registrars and SDMs of the updated procedures. According to the guidelines, applications for a birth or death certificate within 21 days of the event must be submitted to the designated officers in urban or rural areas.
For a death certificate requested after 30 days, applicants will need to provide supporting documents such as a post-mortem report, a copy of an FIR, or a court order. Similarly, delayed birth certificates will require substantial documentation, including a hospital or doctor’s report, records from midwives, school certificates, and personal identification documents such as PAN cards, Aadhaar, driving licences, passports, or service books.
In villages, birth certificates for events older than one month will be issued under the authority of the Block Statistical Officer, while in urban areas, the SDM’s approval is mandatory for births older than one year.
The changes have been introduced amid concerns over rising demand for birth certificates, partly driven by the Election Commission’s voter verification campaign. Officials have reported instances of individuals seeking certificates to facilitate inclusion in electoral rolls, raising fears of fraud and the involvement of middlemen.
“The administration believes the stricter rules will deter unscrupulous elements and ensure that vital documents are issued only on the basis of genuine claims,” said an official familiar with the matter.
The new measures, officials say, aim to strengthen transparency and protect the integrity of civic documentation processes in the state.
