Birth certificate made mandatory for school admissions, jobs in Nagaland

Kohima, Jan 23: The Nagaland government has made birth certificates the sole mandatory document for school admissions, government employment and access to a wide range of official services, following the enforcement of the Nagaland Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Rules, 2024.

Advisor for Economics and Statistics, Evaluation and IT&C, S Sethronkyu Sangtam, said that the amended rules aim to strengthen civil registration and ensure a uniform, legally sound system for establishing individual identity across the state. He described registration of births and deaths as a critical responsibility of the state, essential not only for legal identity but also for effective planning and implementation of welfare programmes.

Sangtam explained that civil registration is a continuous, permanent and compulsory process covering vital life events such as births, deaths, marriages, fatal deaths and divorces. He said the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 was amended by Parliament in 2023 and came into force nationwide from October 1, 2023. In alignment with the central amendment, the Nagaland Legislative Assembly passed the state amendment rules in 2024, which were formally notified on February 8, 2025.

Under the revised rules, a birth certificate will now be the only valid document for school admissions, appointments to government jobs, issuance of driving licences, registration for Unique Identification (UID), marriage certificates and other official purposes. Sangtam said the birth certificate will also serve as the sole proof of date and place of birth for persons born on or before October 1, 2023, effectively ending reliance on alternative documents such as school certificates.

Urging citizens to ensure timely registration of births, Sangtam cautioned that other documents would no longer be accepted as substitutes. To facilitate easy access, the state has set up 1,474 registration centres across Nagaland. In rural areas, every recognised village now has a registration unit, with government teachers designated as registrars. Community health centres and primary health centres have also been authorised as registration units, with the nurse-in-charge acting as the registrar.

In urban areas, registration facilities are available at the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, offices of District Economics and Statistics Officers and all district hospitals.

Highlighting procedural reforms, Sangtam said the requirement of a notarised affidavit for delayed registration beyond 30 days but within one year has been removed. Instead, a self-attested document along with approval from the competent authority will suffice. For registrations delayed beyond one year, approval will now be granted by the district magistrate or an authorised sub-divisional magistrate to expedite the process.

He also noted that the amended rules prohibit the use of abbreviations in a child’s name on birth certificates, reinforcing standardisation and legal clarity in official records.