In a step toward a person’s right to be counted at both extremes of life as crucial for social inclusion, the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 will now be applicable to the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education, UT Ladakh, Dr. Pawan Kotwal reviewed the progress of the Birth and Deaths Registration in the Union Territory ON June 24. The Act mandates the use of uniform birth and death reporting forms and certificates throughout the country.

Under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, the respective Executive Officers have already been appointed as the Registrar in the Municipal limits of Leh and Kargil towns to register the births and deaths in their jurisdiction while in the rural areas, the respective Block Medical Officers (BMO) have been appointed as the Registrar. At the district level, the Chief Medical Officers have been appointed the District Registrars; the Director of Health Services has been appointed as the Additional Chief Registrar for the Rural Registration Division, and the Director of Urban Local bodies will continue to be the Additional Chief Registrar, for the Urban Registration Division under the new system whereas the Secretary Health has been appointed as the Chief Registrar of the Union Territory.

Dr. Kotwal said that the new system will be much more convenient for the public and directed the Health Department to organize workshops for the BMOs to train them in the new system. All registration of Birth and Death shall be done online using the Civil Registration System (CRS) of Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India under Section 7 of Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 by appointed Registrars in their local areas.

In case of Birth and Death in hospitals, health centers, maternity or nursing homes, or other institutions, the responsibility of informing the registrar shall be of the head of the institutions. The general public/ Citizen should inform about the event within 21 days to the registrar of their jurisdiction.

The meeting was also attended by Dr. Zahida Bano, Additional Chief Registrar, for the Urban Registration Division, Dr. Motup Dorje, Additional Chief Registrar, for the Rural Registration Division; Sh. Bhatti, Director Planning PD & MD, and all Block Development Officers of UT Ladakh