Kerala govt sets up new norms to tackle birth certificate duplication for adopted children

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: To avoid duplication in the birth registration of adopted children in more than one local self-government institution, the state government has asked the families to initiate steps to cancel the registration done before permanently registering the birth within the limits of the LSG in which they reside.

The government had earlier given permission to families that adopted children to register the birth in the LSG where they reside, after submitting an application in the registration unit in which they are included. However, it led to duplication of birth certificates as some births were registered in the same local self-government institution.

Given the situation, the women and child welfare department had asked the State Birth and Death Registrar to take necessary steps to avoid duplication. Considering the demand of the women and child welfare department, the government in a circular issued on March 10, asked the parents of adopted children to cancel the birth registration done in the LSG where the adopted family also intended to register the birth with new permanent address.

The institutions that keep the children till adoption usually register the birth of children with the local self -government and give their address as the place of residence. The adopted family should submit an application to the Birth and Death Registrar in the LSG in which they live to cancel the birth registration done earlier.