A birth certificate is an essential document that may be required at any point in one’s life. According to Section 7 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1969, the job of issuing a birth certificate is handled by the Registrar of the local Municipal Corporation. However, in rural areas, this task is handled by the Panchayat or a local authority like the Tehsildar of the Taluka. A sub-registrar who is appointed under the provisions of Section 7 (5) can also attest the certificate in place of the Registrar.
The process of applying for a birth certificate offline requires the applicant to visit the Registrar’s office to collect a registration form. This form should be filled and duly submitted within 21 days from the child’s birth.This form is also available with the Medical Officer-in-charge of the hospital if the delivery happened there.
On filling the form, the particulars of the birth such as date, place and time of birth are noted. In addition to these, the parents’ ID proof, nursing home details are all verified by the Registrar before issuing the birth certificate to the applicant. By providing address details to the Municipal Corporation, the birth certificate will reach the residence within a fortnight. In case the registration is not completed within 21 days from birth, police verification will be conducted before issuing the certificate. This will delay the process thus it’s important to apply for the document as soon as the child is born.
Online Applications for a Birth Certificate
With the world moving into the internet era, applicants can also choose to apply for the certificate online by visiting the crsorgi.gov.in.website if the facility is available in their area. Applicants will have to first register themselves to the site by signing up under ‘General Public.’ Details such as User name, ID, town/locality, place of birth will have to be filled in while signing up. If the applicant receives a sign saying ‘Active’ it would indicate that the area is open for online registration
If the area accepts online registrations, the applicant will receive a confirmation message on their email ID. Once the applicant goes through this process and signs in, a form will be provided where details like the name of the child, parents’ names, address details will need to be filled. On filling the form, the applicant can download a softcopy and submit it to the Registrar’s office for attestation
Is there a need for a birth certificate?
Apart from being a proof of identity, a birth certificate is a document that will assist the child in applying for admissions, hospital benefits or even to establish their right to property claims.
Furthermore, a person lacking a birth certificate will not be considered a citizen of India and may not be able to enjoy the benefits that come with being a citizen. Birth certificates also serve to provide proof of age for marriage, employment and insurance purposes. It helps when applying for a passport, registering oneself in the National Population Register or enrolling in the electoral role – all of which are essential facets of most people’s lives.
The process of getting married in India under the Special Marriage Act
Marriages are quite complex affairs since there are so many parts to the event, especially within the Indian culture. There is the legal side of an Indian wedding, the religious side, and the celebration. According to the law, people have to mandatorily register their marriages so the law can protect them if they are being abused or mistreated within the marriage. However, the law cannot do that if the relationship is not registered.
The religious part of the marriage varies within its cultural and traditional setting since different religions have their rites. However, getting married legally is a requirement for all Government and legal documentation for both parties.
Some of the uses of a marriage certificate
It is a legal requirement in India and is needed as proof of marriage when both individuals are considering making larger purchases, like land, vehicles, or even opening up a bank account.
It is especially beneficial when applying for a passport, visa, work permit, etc. if one of the partners is abroad. Otherwise, proving that the two individuals are together can be quite tedious and could make receiving those certificates difficult.
Additionally, it also assists with providing marriage when people have different surnames or assisting when one individual is changing their name.
It is also a great help when availing life insurance benefits, family pension, bank deposits, etc. or if one spouse passes away without nomination. Its makes dealing with all the institutions, a lot easier.
Furthermore, courts require marriage certificates in cases of divorce, legal separation, alimony, or child custody.
The process of getting married using the Special Marriage Act
This Act applies to the registration process of all marriages under any religion, other than Hindu. Hindu’s should register their weddings under the Hindu Marriage Act. The Special Marriage Act is also applicable to those having an inter-religious marriage, and for Indian nationals living abroad.
Documents needed for the registration process
Filled application form signed by both husband and wife
Age proof (both parties) Two passport-sized photographs (both parties), and one marriage photograph Separate Marriage Affidavits from both parties mentioning all the details of the marriage, including the place and date of marriage, date of birth, and nationality. All this information should be filled into the marriage registration application and submitted online or handed in at the office.
Aadhaar Card (both parties)
Address proof of husband or wife whose area Sub District Magistrate should be approached for the certificate.
Marriage Invitation Card
Certificate from the priest who solemnized the marriage, if the marriage was conducted in a religious place Payment of the fees for this process and the receipt should be submitted as well. Before submitting all the above documents, they should be all be self-attested by the applicant. All the information should be thorough, with supporting documentation provided. Furthermore, there have to be two witnesses at the time that the forms are handed in at the office.
4 Reasons why people should get a death certificate
Death certificates are a necessity when someone passes away from a family. It is something that has to be handled by the family of the person. There are multiple reasons why death certificates are important, but the challenge is getting one while having to coordinate the last rites, which can sometimes be a little challenging. To create a simpler process, the Government allows people to handle the entire process online, which saves them the time that they would spend going to the office and handling all the paperwork.
Multiple websites are authorized to process and upload information relating to death certificates. When working on getting one for a family member, make sure the site is genuine. After uploading all the required details, the website will process the information by coordinating with the municipality for births deaths and provide one in about a week.
Here are some reasons why getting a death certificate is an important task.
Official Government document.
Random strangers cannot issue death certificates which have to be done by someone from the Government. Since it is an official document, all the details mentioned on it are assumed to be correct and verified by the respective authorities. Furthermore, it has facts on it, like the time that a person passed away, the date, the cause of death and other personal information as well. There have been instances where this information might be needed to verify the cause of death or to make sure there was no foul play involved.
Helps with the statistics bureau
For the correct numbers of births and deaths in a State or Country, the bureau needs to know the exact number of people, living and the number of people who passed away. The only way they can receive this information is through the birth certificates and death certificates. Simply put, this information is only gathered through the registered database that the Government has. This information is also needed when gathering the most common causes of death or coming up with health plans for a state.
Processing paper work
Death certificates are also used by the rest of the family when they are processing information about the person who passed away. These tasks might be to get in touch with the bank and make a withdrawal from their bank account or processing other documents like loans or insurance. However, the family would also have to provide documentation to prove their connection to the deceased individual. A marriage certificate to prove that you are married assists with this process.
Needed for some last rites
If there were speculations around the cause of death, the family cannot move forward with the last rites. The family can only move forward after the officials permit them to do so. Furthermore, there are some instances where the last rites were delayed since the authorities have not released the body. Most funeral homes or cremation centers ask for the death certificate if they are going to go ahead the last rites.
