A press conference on the Nagaland Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Rules, 2024 was held on January 21 at the Department of Economics and Statistics (DES) Conference Hall, Kohima.
Addressing the media, H. Sethrongkyu Sangtam, Advisor for Information Technology & Communication, Economics & Statistics and Evaluation, informed that the registration of births and deaths will be fully digitalised, with manual certification being completely phased out. He urged the public to adopt digital registration and stated that, apart from departmental staff, government teachers in remote areas have been entrusted with registration responsibilities.
He said that while a dual system of manual and digital registration is currently in place, the process will become entirely digital within a few months once all registration units are onboarded. Highlighting the importance of civil registration, he noted that every birth and death marks a significant milestone not only for families but also for the State. Proper registration, he said, ensures legal identity and enables the government to plan effectively for schools, hospitals and social welfare programmes.
Explaining the concept of civil registration, Sangtam stated that it is a continuous, permanent and compulsory recording of vital events such as births, deaths, marriages, foetal deaths and divorces, which together constitute vital statistics. At the national level, the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, is the nodal agency for implementing the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, while in Nagaland, the Department of Economics and Statistics has served as the nodal department since 1974.
He further stated that the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 was amended by Parliament in 2023 and came into force nationwide on October 1, 2023. In Nagaland, the 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.
At present, 1,474 registration centres have been established across the State to ensure accessibility. In rural areas, registration units have been set up in every recognised village and are managed by government teachers acting as Registrars. Registration units have also been established in PHCs and CHCs, where the nursing in-charge serves as the Registrar. In urban areas, registration units operate from the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, District Economics and Statistics Offices, and all government district hospitals, where registrations are handled by Nursing Superintendents.
Under the new amendment, the birth certificate has become the sole document required for school admissions, government job appointments, issuance of driving licences, Aadhaar enrolment, voter ID registration and marriage registration. The Act will also facilitate the creation of comprehensive national and state-level databases to ensure transparent and efficient delivery of public services and social benefits.
Highlighting key changes under the Amendment Rules, 2023, Sangtam informed that for individuals born on or after October 1, 2023, the birth certificate will be the only valid proof of date and place of birth. He added that the earlier requirement of submitting an affidavit before a Notary Public for delayed registrations beyond 30 days and up to one year has been abolished. Instead, a self-attested document along with approval from the competent authority will now suffice.
He also elaborated on the online registration system, stating that to simplify registration and maintain a real-time database, the ORGI developed a uniform online software in 2014, accessible at dc.crsorgi.gov.in. Certificates issued through the portal carry a unique registration number and QR code for authentication.
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In Nagaland, online registration of births and deaths was launched on April 19, 2022. Of the 1,474 registration units in the State, 889 have been onboarded onto the ORGI portal so far, and efforts are ongoing to activate the remaining units. Training on online registration has already been completed for all Registrars in the State.
Sangtam further informed that the ORGI portal was upgraded and revamped on May 13, 2024, making it more user-friendly. The public can now apply for birth and death certificates directly from home, with certificates being delivered electronically to the registered email ID and mobile number of the applicant.
Another significant provision introduced is the digitisation of old manual birth and death certificates. The Government of Nagaland has already issued a notification to expedite this process. He urged the media to help raise awareness so that more people come forward to digitise their existing certificates.
For delayed registrations beyond one year, the authority has been changed from a Magistrate of the First Class to the District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate or an Executive Magistrate authorised by the District Magistrate to expedite the process. As per the new rules, abbreviations will not be permitted in the child’s name, and the full name must be entered in the certificate. Mandatory reporting has also been introduced, requiring all government and private medical institutions to issue Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCD).
Concluding his address, Sangtam urged citizens to ensure the timely registration of every birth and death, describing it as both a right and a responsibility essential for a better future.
Thereafter, Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths and Secretary, Government of Nagaland, Akunu S. Meyase, IAS, explained the procedures for registration. She stated that births, deaths and stillbirths must be registered by the Registrar of the area where the event occurs, as stipulated under Sections 8 and 9 of the Act.
She informed that registrations made within 21 days of occurrence are free of cost. Registrations between 21 and 30 days attract a late fee of ₹20. Delayed registrations beyond 30 days and up to one year require written permission from the District Registrar, payment of a late fee of ₹50 and submission of a self-attested document in Form 14. Registrations beyond one year require an order from the District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate or an authorised Executive Magistrate, along with a late fee of ₹100.
She added that a birth can be registered without the child’s name, which may be entered later within 12 months free of cost, or up to 15 years on payment of a prescribed fee of ₹5. She cautioned that non-reporting, furnishing false information or refusal to sign registration forms are punishable offences under the Act. Registration may be carried out based on information provided by the informant or suo motu by the Registrar.
Director of Economics and Statistics, Neidilhou Keditsu, also addressed the press, stating that birth and death registration establishes legal identity and serves as a vital source of population data for planning, public health and evaluation of social sector programmes. He reiterated that Nagaland currently has 1,474 registration centres, with 1,447 located in rural areas and 27 in urban areas.
He further explained that the amended Act, notified on August 11, 2023, allows birth certificates to serve as the sole document for education, employment, voter registration, Aadhaar enrolment, marriage registration and driving licences. The ORGI-developed CRS software ensures uniform registration nationwide, with QR-enabled certificates that can be verified online.
Keditsu added that online registration has been implemented across all district headquarters, with digitisation being carried out in phases. As of October 31, 2025, 889 registration units have been activated, and training for Registrars has been completed. Speaking on the revamped CRS portal launched on May 13, 2024, he said it enables real-time registration and allows the public to apply online within 21 days of an event, and thereafter with the required documents and prescribed late fees. While some challenges remain, dedicated personnel have been appointed to address them.
