Lok Sabha Passes Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill 2026 Amid Opposition Protest
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · Polity
Why in news
The Lok Sabha passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, without debate, while the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day due to opposition protests. The bill aims to make delayed registration of births and deaths more stringent, requiring a judicial magistrate's order for registrations after two years.
Background
The bill seeks to amend the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, to encourage timely registration of births and deaths. The opposition protested over issues like paper leaks, police crackdown on protesters, and alleged temple donation theft.
Key facts
The Lok Sabha passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, by voice vote without debate.
The bill was listed against Home Minister Amit Shah's name, but he was not present; BJP MP Dilip Saikia was in the chair.
The bill proposes to make delayed registration of births and deaths stringent by requiring an order from a judicial magistrate (first class) for registrations after two years of the event.
Opposition members, including Congress and SP, protested in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, leading to the Rajya Sabha being adjourned for the day.
Congress's KC Venugopal opposed the bill's passage without debate.
SP MPs carried placards of 'chanda chor' to highlight alleged temple donation theft.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the opposition did not participate in the discussion despite agreeing in the business advisory committee meeting.
Rajya Sabha Chairperson C P Radhakrishnan ticked off opposition MPs for demanding LoP Mallikarjun Kharge be allowed to speak.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan accused opposition of 'sadak-chhap' politics and said democracy is being destroyed.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned around 11:20 pm.
Prelims pointers
- Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
- Judicial Magistrate (First Class) - role in delayed registration
- Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha procedures
- Voice vote
- Business Advisory Committee
- Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Rajya Sabha
- Chairperson of Rajya Sabha
- Parliamentary Affairs Minister
- 2026 Bill - key amendment
Mains angles
- Discuss the significance of timely registration of births and deaths for governance and policy-making.
- Critically examine the legislative process in passing bills without debate and its implications for parliamentary democracy.
- Analyze the role of opposition in Parliament and the impact of protests on legislative business.
- Evaluate the need for stringent provisions for delayed registration and their potential challenges.