Simplify procedure to obtain “Date of Birth” certificate: NGOs

Ferozepur, September 17, 2016:  Birth Certificate is now a day an important document required at various stages right from school admission to joining service, getting passport and for online registration of many more facilities.

It is very unfortunate that even after 70 years India’s independence and census of population after every ten years, still certain people in the country are without having birth certificate.

In fact, prior to independence and even after independence, hardly the necessity of birth certificate was felt.  Simply a self declaration was obtained from the illiterate person and on the basis of that date of birth was written in the school.

In the past, date of birth of certain persons deployed at the high posts became a debatable issue at the time of their retirement.  In the old times, it was the duty of the Chowkidar of the area to get the name of newly born registered in the Municipal Council office in the city.  The parents hardly have any interest in registration and obtaining the date of birth certificate.  But now, for joining the government job and getting passport, the date of birth certificate from the Municipal Council has become mandatory.  Now there is a race to get the date of birth registered with the Registrar, Births and Deaths and keep its copy for any reference with any authority.

However, this work has now been handed over to the Multi-purpose Health Workers (Female) in the rural areas, working with the Health Department, without paying them any extra honorarium for this additional job.

But to get the lateral entry certificate of date of birth is not an easy task.  The procedure is so cumbersome that even an educated person, what to talk of an illiterate or common man, would find if difficult to complete the required formalities.  One has to fill-up or attach minimum 16 forms including the ‘No Entry Certificate’ to be obtained and furnished both from the parents of father’s and mother’s side for three years – one for the year of birth and one each year prior and after the birth.  One can well imagine, when the joint family system is vanishing from the society, how difficult it would be the father of the son, whose lateral birth entry is to be recorded, don’t get the certificates from his father, when his own son is not looking after him in the old age.

Another issue which came up during obtaining such certificate was that what is the use of ‘non entry’ certificate prior to birth if the couple was not married for at least 9 months during that year, which period is minimum required for conceiving and giving birth.

In the past it has been highlighted in the media that it is not possible to get the government job without the middlemen, like wise for getting birth certificate – especially in the case of lateral entry, it is not possible get the file prepared without the help of agents, which involved huge expenses.

It has been seen that in most the cases, the date of birth certificates are obtained with personal influences by attaching the only date of birth certificate from school and on the basis of that date of birth certificate is issued.

No doubt, the government is extending the various services at the door steps of the people even in the rural areas by opening of Service Centers under ‘Raj Nahi Seva” slogan but these centers are known as ‘Duwidha Centers’ because of procedural wrangles.

Speaking to this correspondent, Parvinder Singh – educationists and social worker – said, in case the government really wants to extend various services to the people of Punjab, then unnecessary documents required for getting the birth certificates should be abolished.  Only the school date of birth certificate, self-declaration form and on the basis of affidavit from the Sarpanch in the case of rural areas and Councilor for urban areas, the date of birth certificate should be issued.

Similarly, the students who don’t have date of birth certificate of Registrar, Births and Deaths, they may be issued date of birth certificate on the basis of date of birth entry in the school, by fixing the nominal fee of even Rs.500 to avoid inconvenience and saving of money.

He further said, merely floating slogans would not suffice; the government has to initiate concrete steps for such issues also, to provide better services to honour its own slogan.

Civil Surgeon Ferozepur could not be contacted in this regard but one of the Civil Hospital official said, the procedure to get new date of birth certificate or lateral entry certificate has been framed by the government  and we have to follow the existing instructions only.