In News:

• Recently, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the Civil Registration System (CRS) mobile app.
• The app aims to integrate technology with governance by making the registration of births and deaths more accessible, seamless, and hassle-free.

Key Features of the App:

• Anytime, Anywhere Registration: Citizens can register births and deaths from anywhere and at any time, in their State’s official language.
• The app is designed to significantly reduce the time required for registration, making it more efficient and convenient for users.

Legal and Policy Background:

• The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 mandates that all births and deaths in India, occurring from October 1, 2023, must be digitally registered through the Centre’s portal: dc.crsorgi.gov.in.
• This move is part of the broader effort to digitize civil records and create a centralized database.

Benefits of Digital Registration:

• Digital Birth Certificates: The new system will issue digital birth certificates which will serve as a single document to prove the date of birth for various services, such as:
  • Admission to educational institutions
  • Applying for government jobs
  • Marriage registration
• Centralized Database: The integration of birth and death data into a centralized database will help update critical records such as:
  • National Population Register (NPR)
  • Ration cards
  • Property registration
  • Electoral rolls

National Population Register (NPR) Integration:

• The data collected through the CRS app will assist in updating the National Population Register (NPR), which was first collected in 2010 and updated in 2015 through door-to-door enumeration.
• The NPR serves as the first step toward the creation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) under the Citizenship Act, aimed at identifying Indian citizens.