Secretary, Planning Development & Monitoring Department (PD&MD), Dr. Raghav Langer today chaired a at Civil Secretariat Jammu regarding the implementation of Civil Registration System (Registration Births and Deaths Rules 2022) in the UT of J&K.Secretary Health & Medical Education, Bhupinder Kumar was also present in the meeting.
The GoI has made the civil registration as a legal binding on every individual of the country through legislation called as Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 and is applicable to the whole of the country including UT of J&K.
Accordingly, revised Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2022 have been notified by the Planning Department vide S.O 494 dated 10th October, 2022 with the approval of Central Government on the basis of Model Rules of Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 1999 issued by Ministry of Home Affairs, Office of Registrar General of India.
The major changes introduced in the Registration process is that, the Block Development Officers have been designated as the Registrars in Rural areas instead of Station House Officers (SHO’s) of the concerned Police Stations.
Similarly, Director General Economics & Statistics J&K has now been designated as the Chief Registrar of Births & Deaths for the Union Territory instead of DG Health and Family Welfare. Chief Medical Officers of the district continue to be the District Registrars. DSEO’s / Additional District Registrars have been authorised to give permissions for delayed registrations after 30 days but within 01 year.
Health Officers in JMC/SMC, CEO’s in Cantonment Boards & Executive Officers in Municipal Committees/ Councils shall continue to be the Registration Authorities.Noteworthy that, Registration of Births and Deaths Rules were notified in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir in the year 1975 vide SRO 549 dated 26th November, 1975.
After issuance of revised statutory orders for implementation of Civil Registration System in the UT of J&K, the Registration Hierarchy existing as per RBD Rules 1975 have been replaced with revised RBD Rules 2022, bringing J&K UT at par with rest of the country.
During the course of the meeting the duties and responsibilities of each of the Registration functionaries was highlighted with the direction for implementing the provisions of the Act and to coordinate and supervise the work of registration in the UT for securing and efficient system of registration.
Emphasis was laid for organizing public awareness campaigns in the District /Block/Panchayat/Municipal areas in coordination with District Administration and steps for shifting to online Registration through CRS portal to be fully implemented before 1st of January, 2023 for issuance of Births and Deaths certificates etc.
Dr. Langer emphasized in the meeting that, pivotal role under the renewed system is to be played by seven types of functionaries who are the Notifiers/ Informers for Registration of Births and Deaths which includes; Auxiliary Nursing Midwives (ANM), Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHAs), Dais, Anganwari Workers, Head Masters of Government Schools, Village Chowkidars, Caretaker/ In-Charge of Cremation Grounds/ Burial Grounds.
Secretary Health & Medical Education assured that all requisite manpower, IT equipments shall be provided to oversee the successful roll out of the CRS in J&K. Sensitisation workshops and trainings shall be organised in all public health institutions and private hospitals/nursing homes to fully capture the institutional births & deaths data.
It was deliberated that as on date a total of 308 Registration Units are functioning in the UT with 04 working in online mode i.e. JMC/SMC/two Cantonment Boards; 106 on offline digitization mode and 198 on Manual entry mode. With the notified changes, all registrations shall be done online compulsorily on the common portal i.e. CRS.
Secretary Planning J&K exhorted all stakeholder departments and entities to ensure successful roll out of the Revised Births & Deaths Registration System in the UT. Office of the Director Census Operations shall be conducting series of trainings in this regard in coordination with DG E&S.
The meeting was attended by Director General, Economics & Statistics recently designated as Chief Registrar (Births and Deaths), Director Health Services Jammu/Kashmir, Director Urban Local Bodies, Jammu/Kashmir, Regional Director(E&S) Jammu / Kashmir (Additional Chief Registrar), Joint Commissioner Municipal Corporation Jammu/Kashmir, Joint Director, RDD, Jammu/Kashmir, Joint Director(Central), DES(Dy. Chief Registrar), Dy. Director (HQ), Directorate of Health Service Jammu/Kashmir (Assistant Chief Registrar), Chief Medical Officers(District Registrars) of all 20 districts, DSEO’s (Addl. District Registrars), Health Officers JMC/SMC (Registrars) and representatives of Director General Police, Home Department, Housing & Urban Dev. Deptt., and Director Census Operations J&K. Officers based in Srinagar & in the districts attended the meeting through online mode from their respective NIC studios.