Hyderabad: NRIs seek non-availability certificate

Hyderabad: Fearing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR), people are thronging to the city to register their births.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in a span of six weeks has issued 120 non-availability certificates, which is a primary process
prior to the registration of birth of those born outside India and children born at home.  

Municipal officials say there has been a huge increase in the numbers since two days, and 200 says 150 above applications have been issued.
On average 200 non availability certificates are issued annually but in two months alone 120 have been issued.

According to section 20 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, there is a special provision for registration of births and deaths of citizens who
are born or have died outside the country.

In the case of any child of Indian parentage born outside India, in respect of whom information has not been received as provided under the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955), the parents of the child when they return to India with a view to settling down here, may at any time within 60 days from the date of the arrival of the child in India, get the birth of the child registered under provisions of this Act.

Similarly, if the child was born in India and the provisions of section 13 can apply to the birth of such child after the expiry of the period of the aforesaid 60 days.
Section 13 says, any birth of which information is given to the registrar after the expiry of the period specified, they could be registered on payment of such late fee.

The municipal corporation would issue the non-availability certificate to the applicants and they would be asked to visit the District Collectorate, where a person of the rank of Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) will conduct a survey.

After conducting the survey, if the revenue official is satisfied, the application will be redirected to the civic body for the issuance of a birth certificate for children who are born outside India.

Authorities also claim that a birth certificate issued by the Indian Embassy in any country is valid across the globe.

Such birth certificate issued by the embassy should be produced within 60 days of the arrival for getting registration.

Since many people are ignorant of this provision, they been thronging the civic body and paying brokers in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Revenue department.

The middleman collects a whopping Rs 15,000 for each birth certificate. Officials stressed that the due process has to be followed for children who were delivered at home in the city.