Birth, death certificates go online in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: People no longer have to stand in queues outside government offices in Tamil Nadu to get copies of birth and death certificates. The state’s civil registration system, which went completely online on Monday, will allow people to download certificate free of cost within 21 days of the event.
Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami launched the civil registration website, crstn.org, on Monday.“We are the first state to make the entire facility available online. Birth and death certificates can now be downloaded from this website without any hassles,” he said.
While mothers giving births in government hospitals will be given birth certificates on the day of discharge along with their discharge summary, those in private hospitals will be able to download them from the website within 21 days, said director of public health Dr K Kolandaisamy, who is also the chief registrar of births and deaths in the state.
As per state records, nearly 99.5% of births and 23% of deaths in the state happen in hospitals. In such cases, hospital administrators are responsible in reporting them to the civic authorities registering with 21 days. When a birth or death happens at home, the head of the house, will have to report the event. If the events aren’t reported within 21 days, the authorities levy a fine. Three forms – for birth, death and still births – are available on the website and at crematoria and burial grounds.
The portal will be on the lines of the Chennai Corporation website which has been offering online certificates. The state has already put 9.2 lakh births and 5.3 lakh deaths, that happened from January to December 2018, in public domain.
Since registration of pregnancy is mandatory, all pregnant women in the state are given special identification numbers with which birth certificates are issued. “The state already has most details including name of mother, father and their residential addresses. The hospitals will have to update the place and date of birth,” he said.
As of now, the certificates will have scanned signatures and QR codes, but by the monthend digital signatures will be uploaded, according to officials. The website also allows people to add names to birth certificate at no cost within 12 months.