The Union government proposes to make birth certificate a mandatory document for almost every sphere of life — admission in educational institutions, inclusion in the voter list, appointment in Central and State government jobs, issue of driving licence and passport — according to a draft Bill to amend the Registration of Birth and Death (RBD) Act, 1969.

The Bill is likely to be tabled in the Winter Session of Parliament that commences on December 7.

The proposed amendment also covers death certificates and makes it mandatory for hospitals to provide a copy of all death certificates, stating the cause of death, to the local registrar apart from the relative of the deceased.

The centrally stored data on births and deaths will be updated in real time without any need for human interface, leading to addition and deletion from the electoral roll when an individual turns 18, and after death, respectively.

Though registration of births and deaths is already compulsory under the RBD Act, 1969 and violating it is a punishable offence, the government intends to improve compliance by making the registration mandatory to access basic services.