Under the Nagaland Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Rules, 2024, birth certificates are now mandatory for admissions, jobs and identity services.
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KOHIMA — Under the Nagaland Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Rules, 2024, a birth certificate will now be the sole document for school admissions, government job appointments, obtaining a driving licence or Aadhaar card, and for registration of voter IDs and marriage certificates.
This was announced by H Sethrongkyu Sangtam, Advisor for Information Technology & Communication, Economics & Statistics and Evaluation, during a press conference at the directorate of Economics and Statistics here on Wednesday.
He was accompanied by Akunu S Meyase, Secretary for Economics & Statistics and Chief Registrar of Births & Deaths; Neidilhou Keditsu, Director of Economics & Statistics; and Neisatuo Puro, Additional Director of Economics & Statistics.
The Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 was amended by Parliament in 2023 and came into force across the country with effect from October 1, 2023. In Nagaland, the corresponding state rules—Nagaland Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Rules, 2024—were passed by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and published in the Nagaland Gazette on February 28, 2025.
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The department has established 1,474 registration units across the state to make registration accessible to all.
In rural areas, a registration unit has been set up in each recognised village, with a government teacher designated as the Registrar of Births and Deaths.
Registration units have also been established in PHCs and CHCs, where the nursing in-charge functions as the registrar for events occurring in those institutions.
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In urban areas, registration units have been set up at the directorate of Economics and Statistics and all district Economics and Statistics offices. In addition, all government district hospitals have registration units, where the nursing superintendent acts as the registrar for vital events occurring in medical institutions.
The advisor informed that the department launched online registration of births and deaths on April 19, 2022.
Of the 1,474 registration units, 889 have so far been onboarded to the office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) portal, and steps are being taken to activate the remaining units to achieve complete online registration in Nagaland.
To facilitate 100% online registration, training has been conducted for all registrars in the state. Birth and death certificates will now be delivered electronically to the registered email ID and mobile number of the informant or applicant.
Key changes
Highlighting the major changes, Sangtam said that a birth certificate is now the only document to establish the date and place of birth for persons born on or after October 1, 2023, for various official purposes.
He said that the earlier requirement of an affidavit before a notary public for delayed registration beyond 30 days but within one year has been done away with.
Under the new rules, a self-attested document along with approval of the competent authority will suffice.
For delayed registration beyond one year, the ordering authority has been changed from a first-class magistrate or presidency magistrate to the district magistrate, sub-divisional magistrate or an executive magistrate authorised by the district magistrate, to expedite the process.
As per the new provisions, abbreviations will not be allowed in the name of the child, and the complete name must be entered in the certificate.
All medical institutions, both government and private, are now mandated to issue Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCD) to the registrar to ensure accurate health records.
Secretary and Chief Registrar Meyase explained that for the time being, both manual and digital registration systems are in operation.
However, she said that the entire process will be digitised in the coming months, after which manual registration will be discontinued. She added that registration includes both newborns and stillbirths.
Director Keditsu said that digitisation will enable citizens to apply from anywhere. He cautioned that overwriting on certificates would be treated as fraud and that a fresh certificate must be obtained in such cases.
Additional Director Puro added that citizens can lodge grievances through the digital platform.