A State-level Inter-Departmental Coordination Committee (IDCC) meeting was held on October 3 at the Directorate of Economics & Statistics in Kohima, with a focus on improving Nagaland’s Civil Registration System (CRS), specifically addressing issues related to the registration of births and deaths across the state.
Nagaland currently operates 1,471 registration centers, including 1,439 in rural areas and 32 in urban regions. Rural registration units are typically managed by the Head Teachers of Government Primary Schools, with additional centers located in Primary and Community Health Centers (PHCs and CHCs). Urban areas, particularly district headquarters, house registration units in District Registrar’s offices, district hospitals, municipal offices, and town councils, with support from Statistical Staff such as Inspectors of Statistics and Field Investigators.
The meeting, which marked the 12th IDCC session, tackled several key issues. Delayed registration of births and deaths was a primary concern, with the state’s high percentage of delayed birth registrations taking center stage. A government notification from September 2024 now mandates that indigenous inhabitants register births within six months, a prerequisite for applying for an Indigenous Inhabitant Certificate (IIC). The meeting highlighted the need for streamlining delayed registrations and ensuring proper documentation.
While the number of registered births and deaths has increased, the IDCC stressed the importance of further sensitizing educational institutions, medical centers, village development boards (VDBs), and Anganwadi centers to promote timely registrations.
The meeting also underscored the necessity for seminar-cum-training sessions for CRS functionaries such as Registrars, Notifiers, and Informants to enhance their understanding of their duties.
The IDCC discussed the growing role of technology in the registration process, particularly through an online portal introduced by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI). The committee emphasized the need for CRS functionaries to have access to smartphones, computers, and the internet to effectively implement the system.Improving the reporting system was another focal point, as delays in report submissions to ORGI have been identified. Registrars must submit their reports to the District Economics & Statistics Office, and efforts to address anomalies in the current process were explored.
The committee also highlighted the need for providing honorariums and incentives to Registrars of Births and Deaths to improve coordination and efficiency. A proposal to include Government Middle School and High School teachers as Registrars was discussed to further strengthen the registration process.
The meeting concluded with a call for continued collaboration between departments and the adoption of new technologies to improve civil registration in Nagaland.