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Regular-article-logo Wednesday, 25 June 2025

Lens on birth record

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ACHINTYA GANGULY Published 22.08.13, 12:00 AM

Ranchi, Aug. 21: Jharkhand features among the last three states in India when it comes to birth registration.

The state is placed third from the bottom, scoring little over Bihar and Chhattisgarh. While only 46 per cent children are registered at the time of birth, the picture is grimmer as far as issuing certificates is concerned, clocking a meagre 11 per cent.

The facts today came to the fore at a workshop on civil registration system organised by the state planning and development department in collaboration with the directorate of economics and statistics and supported by Unicef.

In order to improve the scenario, the government, along with Unicef, announced initiate steps to achieve cent per cent registration and certification within next three years.

“According to United Nation’s Convention on child rights, every child has the right to name, nationality and parentage,” said state chief of Unicef Job Zachariah, adding that birth registration served many purposes.

Anganwadi workers should report birth and ensure issue of certificates in cases of home deliveries that account for over 60 per cent of the total births in Jharkhand.

“In case of 20 per cent deliveries that take place in government hospitals, medical officers can do the work, while in private hospitals, authorities concerned should report it,” Zachariah added.

Registration of birth helps the country plan accordingly, said state planning secretary Avinash Kumar. He, however, pinned his hopes on the e-district project, which was piloted in Ranchi in January.

“Once the service is extended to the rest of the state, it will help achieve the goal,” Kumar added.

Stressing on the need to strengthen the reporting system, programme and policy officer of Unicef Kumar Premchand said of 24 districts, East Singhbhum (77 per cent), Ranchi (72 per cent), West Singhbhum (71 per cent) and Lohardga (65 per cent) feature at the top of the registration chart. A lot needs to be done in Sahebganj and Chatra (both 29 per cent) Dumka (28 per cent) and Pakur (24 per cent).

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