The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill amid continued disruptions by the Opposition over the NEET-UG paper leak and alleged theft of donations meant for the Ram Temple. The legislation was cleared by voice vote without any discussion as repeated protests prevented normal proceedings.

The Bill seeks to tighten rules governing delayed registration of births and deaths by making judicial approval mandatory for registrations sought more than two years after the event. During the brief proceedings, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the legislation would strengthen the integrity of birth and death records and prevent misuse of the registration system.

Bill Passed Without Debate

The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Upper House through a voice vote amid persistent sloganeering by Opposition members.

The Opposition continued to demand a discussion on the NEET-UG paper leak, the alleged theft of donations meant for the Ram Temple and the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the House.

As the protests continued, the Bill was taken up and passed without debate.

Judicial Approval Required for Delayed Registration

The legislation, which has already been passed by the Lok Sabha, seeks to introduce stricter provisions for delayed registration of births and deaths.

Under the proposed amendments, cases reported more than two years after the occurrence of a birth or death will require approval from a Judicial Magistrate First Class before registration can be completed.

The changes are intended to strengthen the integrity and accuracy of civil registration records.

Nityanand Rai Defends Bill

Replying during the proceedings, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the objective of the legislation was to ensure that every birth and death in the country is properly recorded.

“The legislation intends to ensure every child born is duly registered and also all deaths are registered so that ghosts don’t keep casting votes for parties that believe in appeasement,” Rai said.

In an apparent reference to illegal immigrants, he added that some state governments were registering the births of people who were not entitled to such registration.

“The country now wants to get rid of ghosts. There are governments in some states that look for an opportunity and welcome those (who were not born in India) and register their births who are not eligible to be registered here. Now, we will not allow this to happen,” he said.

Parliament Continues to Witness Repeated Disruptions

Similar disruptions were witnessed in the Lok Sabha, where the Appropriation Bill was passed by voice vote without discussion.

The legislation authorises expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India to meet excess spending on certain services during the financial year ending March 31, 2023.

It became the fifth Bill to be passed without discussion during the ongoing Monsoon Session.

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Taxation and Other Laws Amendment Bill for consideration, but it could not be taken up before the House was adjourned for the day.

Ram Temple Donation Issue Triggers Heated Exchanges

The Monsoon Session has largely remained paralysed by repeated adjournments since it began, with the exception of a discussion on legislation strengthening punishment for examination paper leaks.

During Tuesday’s proceedings in the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge questioned why agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Income Tax Department were not investigating the alleged theft of donations by members of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju responded by accusing the Congress and the Samajwadi Party of having consistently opposed the construction of the Ram Temple and “abused Lord Ram”.

The continued standoff between the Treasury and Opposition benches has pushed the Monsoon Session closer to a virtual washout, with repeated disruptions preventing discussion on several key pieces of legislation.

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