West Bengal Tightens Birth and Death Certificate Rules to Strengthen Verification

MP, July 17, 2026, Kolkata : The BJP government in West Bengal has introduced new rules for the issuance of birth and death certificates, tightening the registration process to curb fraudulent documentation and strengthen the verification mechanism.

Under the new rules, applicants filling out birth certificate forms must enter names only in the prescribed First Name, Middle Name and Last Name format.

The use of initials or abbreviations will no longer be permitted.

The government has also introduced the digital issuance of birth and death certificates.

Citizens will now be able to obtain the certificates online, although the existing offline system will continue to remain in place.

For birth certificate applications, applicants must mention the village name, ward number, house code and PIN code.

In cases where an application for a birth or death certificate is submitted more than 30 days after the birth of an infant or the death of a person, the applicant will have to state the reason for the delay and obtain permission from the designated authorities.

If any doubts arise regarding an application, the concerned officials will be required to conduct a physical verification by visiting the location.

If any false information is found to have been furnished, the application will be cancelled immediately.

In cases of non-institutional deaths, submission of a medical certificate of the deceased has been made mandatory.

The Suvendu Adhikari-led West Bengal government had earlier announced sweeping changes to the birth and death registration system following revelations about the widespread circulation of fraudulent birth certificates across the state.

At a recent Cabinet meeting, the government approved the draft of the West Bengal Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Rules, 2026, introducing stricter regulations aimed at curbing corruption and enhancing transparency in the issuance of official documents.

The move came amid growing concerns over the alleged misuse of fake birth certificates to facilitate illegal activities.