Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 passed in Lok Sabha amid protests over police crackdown

The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, without a debate amid continued protests by the Opposition over the police crackdown on students during the July 20 parliament march.

The bill was taken up for consideration and passage after the House reassembled at noon with BJP MP Dilip Saikia in the Chair.

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It was passed by voice vote amid sloganeering by the Opposition members, several of whom trooped into the Well demanding the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah in the House.

What is the Bill?

The bill, introduced by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai after receiving Cabinet approval on July 20, seeks to further amend Section 13(3) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, which was last amended in 2023. It tightens the rules around delayed registration of births and deaths.

Under the current single-tier system, any birth or death reported more than a year after it occurred can be registered only on the order of a District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, or a specially authorised Executive Magistrate, regardless of how long the delay has been.

The new bill replaces this with a two-tier structure: registrations delayed by one to two years will continue to require approval from the DM, SDM or an authorised Executive Magistrate, while registrations delayed by more than two years will instead need an order from a Judicial Magistrate (First Class), shifting that authority from the executive to the judiciary.

The bill also updates legal references, replacing citations of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed displeasure over the lack of participation by the Opposition in the debate, saying the government wanted a discussion on the "important bill."

"It is unfortunate. Please do not repeat this in the future. People who sent you to Parliament will seek answers from you," he said.

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Saikia said it was "unfortunate" that the bill had to be passed without cooperation.

During the proceedings, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, who chairs the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, was granted an extension for the panel's report till the first day of the last week of the Winter Session.

With inputs from PTI