Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1886

[Act No. 6 of 1886 dated 8th. March, 1886]¹

Contents
Sections	Particulars
Chapter I	Preliminary
1	Short title and commencement
2	Extent
3	Definitions
4	Saving of local laws
5	Power exercisable from time to time
Chapter II	General Registry Offices Of Births. Deaths And Marriages
6	Establishment of general registry offices and appointment of registrars General
7	Indexes to be kept at general registry office
8	Indexes to be open to inspection
9	Copies of entries to be admissible in evidence
10	Superintendence of Registrars by Registrar General
Chapter III	Registration Of Births And Deaths
11	Persons whose births and deaths are registrable
12	Power for State Government to appoint Registrars for its territories Section 13 repealed by the A. O. 1950
14	Registrar to be deemed a public servant
15	[repealed by the A. O. 1937]
16	Office and attendance of Registrar
17	Absence of registrar or vacancy in his office
18	Register books to be supplied and preservation of records to be provided for
19	Duty of Registrar to register births and deaths of which notice is given
20	Persons authorized to give notice of birth
21	Persons authorized to give notice of death
22	Entry of birth or death to be signed by person giving notice
23	Grant of certificate of registration of birth or death
24	Duty of Registrars as to sending certified copies of entries in register books to Registrar General
25	Search and copies of entries in register books
26	Exceptional provision for registration of certain births and deaths
27	Penalty for willfully giving false information
28	Correction of entry in register of births or deaths
Chapter IV	Amendment of Marriage Acts Repealed By The Repealing Act, 1938 (1 Of 1938)
Chapter V	Special Provisions As To Certain Existing Registers
32	Permission to persons having custody of certain records to send them within one year to Registrar General
33	Appointment of Commissioners to examine registers
34	Duties of Commissioners Appointment of Commissioners to examine registers
35	Searches of lists prepared by Commissioners and grant of certified copies of entries
35A	Constitution of additional commissions for purposes of this Chapter
Chapter VI	Rules
36	Rules
37	[repealed by the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment Act, 1911]

An Act to provide for the voluntary registration of certain births and deaths, for the establishment of General Registry Offices for keeping registers of certain births, deaths and marriages, and for certain other purposes.

Whereas it is expedient to provide for the voluntary registration of births and deaths among certain classes of persons, for the more effectual registration of those births and deaths and of the marriages registered under Act 3 of 1872 or the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872 (15 of 1872), and of certain marriages registered under the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1865³ (15 of 1865), and for the establishment of general registry offices for keeping registers of those births, deaths and marriages;

And Whereas it is also expedient to provide for the authentication and custody of certain existing registers made otherwise than in the performance of a duty specially enjoined by the law of the country in which the registers were kept, and to declare that copies of the entries in those registers shall be admissible in evidence;

It is hereby enacted as follows:-

Comment: This Act was enacted for establishing a system of voluntary registration of births and deaths for such classes of the community as would be likely to avail themselves of such registration, to establish registration offices and to provide evidentiary rules.