National conference of chief registrars of births and deaths inaugurated

The two-day national conference of chief registrars of births and deaths began here today.

New Delhi, Oct.16 : The two-day national conference of chief registrars of births and deaths began here today.

While inaugurating the conference, the Registrar General of India, D.K. Sikri complemented the chief registrars of different States and Union Territories on the good work done by their offices and hoped that it would be possible to achieve the target of 100 per cent registration of births and deaths by 2010 as mandated by the National Population Policy, 2000.

Currently (2005) 64 per cent of the births and 58 percent of the deaths are registered.

"In 2005, the level of birth registration increased significantly in Bihar (8.9 percent), Rajasthan (8.4), Chattisgarh (8.1 percent) and Orissa (5 percent). Meanwhile Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have achieved 100 per cent registration of births", he informed.

Sikri also outlined some of the reasons for a low level of registration of births and deaths such as lack of awareness among people about the need and importance of registration, low priority accorded to this work and general apathy in many states, low utility of registration certificates, etc.

The participants at the two-day Conference include, Chief Registrars of States and Union Territories and the representatives from UNICEF, Plan India, health department of different States, Office of Registrar General of India and Directorates of Census Operations in the States and Union Territories.

ANI