New Delhi: India's Lower House of Parliament or the Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 amid Opposition protests over the police crackdown on students during the 20 July Parliament march. The legislation was passed without a debate.
The bill was taken up for consideration and passage after the House reassembled at noon, with BJP MP Dilip Saikia in the Chair. It was passed by voice vote amid sloganeering by Opposition members, several of whom entered the Well of the House, demanding the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed disappointment over the Opposition's refusal to participate in the debate, saying the government had 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," Rijiju said, urging Opposition members to participate in debates on future legislation instead of disrupting proceedings.
Saikia also described it as "unfortunate" that the bill had to be passed without the cooperation of Opposition members.
Soon after the bill was passed, the House was adjourned for the day.
The legislation seeks to amend provisions of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, to encourage the timely reporting of births and deaths.
It proposes stricter rules for delayed registration by requiring an order from a judicial magistrate (first class) for registrations made more than two years after the event.
Under the existing law, registrations delayed by more than one year require an order from a district magistrate, sub-divisional magistrate or an authorised executive magistrate. Under the proposed amendment, this provision will continue to apply to registrations delayed by up to two years.
The Union Cabinet approved the bill for introduction on 20 July. It also proposes further changes to the delayed registration process following amendments made to the parent Act in 2023.
The bill updates legal terminology by replacing references to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, aligning the term "executive magistrate" with the new law.
With the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha, the government has cleared another piece of legislation amid repeated disruptions during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
So far, two bills, the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, have been passed by both Houses during the current session.
The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026 will now be taken up for consideration in the Rajya Sabha.
During the proceedings, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, who chairs the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, was granted an extension to submit the panel's report until the first day of the last week of the Winter Session.
