On Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Indian government plans to introduce a Bill in Parliament that would connect data about births and deaths with electoral rolls and overall development processes. The Minister made this announcement during the inauguration of the ‘Jan Ganana Bhawan’, which is the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
Shah believes that census data is an essential part of the country’s development agenda. He stated that accurate census figures would have multiple benefits, including ensuring that development reaches the poorest people. Shah added that planning based on census data would help to ensure development works are carried out correctly, particularly if data related to birth and death certificates is preserved in a special way.
The new Bill will amend the Registration of Birth and Death Act (RBD), 1969, and will facilitate matters related to the issuance of driving licenses, passports, and the provision of government welfare schemes. The Bill will also ensure that when someone turns 18, their name will be automatically added to electoral rolls, and when someone dies, their name will be removed from voters’ lists.
Shah noted that currently, adequate data for development is not available, meaning that development works occurred in fragments. However, with a digital, complete, and accurate census, planning for development works can be done accurately. This will allow the government to provide basic necessities to everyone, such as electricity, homes, tap drinking water, healthcare, and toilets.
After 70 years of independence, Shah noted that planning for these necessities was slow because of a lack of accurate data and coordination with census and planning authorities. However, with this new Bill, accurate data will be accessible online, allowing for better coordination between census and planning authorities.
