[Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-18

[Taha Mehmood]

*http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=65756*

*Indian Express*

*Chandigarh Edition*

*Wednesday, October 15, 2003
*

*National drive to issue birth certificates
Pawan Kumar Jain

Wednesday, October 15, 2003
*

*Kharar, October 14:* THE Registrar General of India-cum-Census Commissioner
J.K. Banthia has announced that the Union Ministry for Home Affairs (MHA)
would observe November 14-20 as Child Rights Week besides launching a
national campaign to issue birth registration certificates across the
country.

In Kharar during his maiden visit to Birth and Death Registration office
recently, Banthia said the drive, which was aimed at facilitating the
national programme on preparing a multipurpose national identity cards, for
which a pilot project was already underway, would continue in phases till
March next year.

"Directions have been issued to the state governments to decentralize the
present system of issuing birth certificates, which was causing great
difficulty to the applicants," said he, while disclosing that the main
agenda of the Union government was to sensitise the state governments across
the country to simplify the procedure of birth registration, which was the
right of the citizens.

Further announcing that the MHA has decided to make the birth registration
system "user-friendly" and under the plan, the state governments have been
asked to issue the birth registration certificates, prices of which may vary
from one state to another, free of cost, Banthia, however, clarified that
free birth registration certificates would be provided to the children below
the age of 10 years and that also at their doorsteps.

While stating that necessary directions to this effect have already been
issued to all the concerned officials, including the Deputy Commissioners,
across the country, he said the schoolchildren would be given the
certificates at their respective schools while the anganwari workers would
deliver the certificates to those children at their residence, who don't go
to schools.

Informing that presently, of the estimated 26 million births per annum,
nearly 14.3 million births were registered and registration certificates
were issued to only 10 million children born across the country every year,
the Registrar General of India further stated that the system was being made
"user-friendly" to achieve the target of cent per cent birth registration.

"From now onwards, the state governments have been directed to issue birth
registration certificates to the mothers when they are discharged from any
government hospital post delivery," Banthia claimed .