KOHIMA, JANUARY 22 (MExN): The Department of Economics and Statistics has issued a statement regarding the ongoing issue of some agencies and institutions not accepting manually issued birth and death certificates for provision of services to the public.
In a press statement, the department highlighted that, under Section 17 (3) of the Registration of Births & Deaths Act, 1969 (amended in 2023), both electronically issued and manually issued birth certificates remain valid legal documents. These certificates serve as proof of a person’s date and place of birth for multiple purposes, such as marriage registration, government employment, passport issuance, Aadhaar enrollment, and other purposes as specified by the Central Government.
To improve access to birth and death certificates, the Department of Economics & Statistics launched online registration for these documents in 2022. Currently, this service is available at the district headquarters of Kohima, Dimapur, Chümoukedima, Wokha, Zunheboto, Tuensang, Mon, Mokokchung, Kiphire, Longleng, Peren, and Phek, catering to urban jurisdictions. The department is working towards extending the online registration services to both urban and rural areas in a phased approach, it also highlighted.
Despite the expansion of online registration, manually issued certificates will continue to be legally recognized, ensuring that both manual and computer-generated certificates are accepted as valid proof of birth, the department has notified for all concerned.
