[Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-31

[Taha Mehmood]

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=6758

PIB
	
Thursday, January 27, 2005

 National Conference of Chief Registrars of Births and Deaths begins

STATES ASKED TO CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR SEX RATIO
	12:57 IST
The Centre has asked the states to continuously monitor the sex ratio
at birth so that the practice of prenatal sex determination and sex
related abortions could be checked effectively. Inaugurating the
Annual National Conference of the Chief Registrars of Births & Deaths
here today, the Home Minister, Shri Shivraj Patil drew attention to
the deteriorating sex ratio as revealed by the 2001 Census and said
that the trend is disturbing. From 945 girls per 1000 boys in the age
group 0-6 in 1991, the child sex ratio declined to 927 girls per 1000
boys in the 2001 census. 31 States and Union Territories covering 477
districts registered a decline in the child sex ratio in the 2001
census. The number of districts where the child sex ratio is below 900
increased from 69 in 1991 to 118 in 2001. Shri Patil said that this is
reflective of the practice of female foeticide and even infanticide.
The Home Minister expressed concern that even after 30 years of
implementation of the Registration of Births & Deaths Act, 1969 under
which registration of both births and deaths is compulsory, about half
of these vital events are not being registered. He said that the
States should preferably hand over the work of registration of births
and deaths to Panchayats. He observed that when the country is poised
to become one of the major economic powers in the world, it could
ill-afford to have a system of vital statistics that did not capture
cent percent births and deaths. Shri Patil stressed the need to make
use of IT for the purpose of improving birth and death registration
and assured all support to the states in this effort.

Earlier, in his presentation on the status of birth and death
registration, the Registrar General of India, Shri D.K. Sikri
indicated that about 57% of the births and 51% of the deaths only were
being registered in the country. He pointed out that issuing a birth
certificate free of charge on registration of the birth was mandatory
under the law but was not taking place in many parts of the country.
The National Campaign on Issue of Birth Certificates launched by the
President of India on 14th November 2003 has resulted in more than
3.04 crore birth certificates being issued during one year. The
Government of India and UNICEF would be supporting the State
governments for improving the registration system so that the target
of 100% registration by 2010 set by the National Population Policy
2000 could be achieved.

The Conference would review the working of the Civil Registration
System in the States to find out ways and means to improve the levels
of registration of births and deaths so that the target of 100%
registration could be achieved within the stipulated time.

The Conference would discuss monitoring of sex ratio at birth based on
registration records; ensuring the issue of birth/death certificates
free of charge on registration within 21 days; standardization of
birth/death certificate formats so that they have a similar design
across the country; computerization of Civil Registration System so as
to improve citizen services; implementation of Medical Certification
of Causes of Death so as to collect high quality data on the
underlying causes of death; and issues relating to updating of the
Population Register through birth and death registers in the areas
where pilot project on Multipurpose National Identity Card is being
implemented.

The Chief Registrars of Births & Deaths of various States, Principal
Secretaries/Secretaries in charge of the Civil Registration System in
some States, representatives of UNICEF and officials of the Office of
the Registrar General, India and Directorates of Census Operations are
attending the two day conference.

OK/ 270105 - RGI