The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, amid protests by Opposition members. The House cleared the legislation without any discussion as continuous disruptions prevented debate. The bill was passed through a voice vote within a few minutes while Opposition MPs continued raising slogans inside the House.

The proposed legislation introduces stricter rules for the delayed registration of births and deaths. Under the amendment, anyone seeking to register a birth or death more than two years after the event will now require an order from a Judicial Magistrate (First Class). The government aims to strengthen the registration process through the proposed change and improve the accuracy of official records.

The Lok Sabha took up the bill for consideration and passage after the House reassembled at noon. BJP MP Dilip Saikia chaired the proceedings. As soon as the bill came up, Opposition members continued their protest and raised slogans inside the House. Several MPs entered the Well of the House and demanded the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Despite the protests, the House proceeded with the legislative business and passed the bill by voice vote in less than three minutes.

Soon after the passage of the legislation, the Lok Sabha adjourned for the day.

Following the bill's passage, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the Opposition for not participating in the discussion. He said Opposition parties should not accuse the government of pushing bills through Parliament without debate when they themselves decided not to take part in the proceedings.

Addressing the House, Rijiju said, “You say that the government passes bills by steamrolling them through... You cannot make this allegation, because you have missed your opportunity. ... Mr. Chairman, I only wish to say that regarding any bills we bring forward in the future... ...if you create such a ruckus over them as well, it will not be good at all. ... Therefore, please cooperate and do not create a ruckus.”

He also said the government had planned the discussion in advance and had invited all Members of Parliament to participate. Rijiju stated that the schedule for discussing the bill had already been decided during the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee. He urged Opposition members not to question the absence of a debate after choosing not to attend the discussion.

Continuing his remarks, Rijiju said, “We wanted all Members of Parliament to participate in this. The timing for this was also decided in the Business Advisory Committee. You should not go outside later and ask why the bill was passed without discussion. You should not say that. We repeatedly asked all of you to come to this House for the discussion. The public has sent us to this House precisely to voice their concerns.”

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said the government had made repeated efforts to encourage Opposition members, especially the Congress, to participate in the discussion on what he described as an important piece of legislation. He expressed disappointment over their absence during the debate and appealed to them to avoid similar disruptions in future sessions.

Rijiju said, “Yet, our colleagues from the Opposition did not participate in the discussion. It is unfortunate. Please do not do this in the future. The public will demand an answer from you..,” while urging Opposition members to take part in debates on future bills instead of disrupting House proceedings.

The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2026, had received approval from the Union Cabinet on July 20 before being introduced in Parliament. The amendment mainly focuses on tightening the process for delayed registration of births and deaths. The government has proposed judicial approval for registrations made after two years from the date of birth or death. The change seeks to strengthen the legal process related to civil registration and improve the credibility of official records.

The passage of the bill took place amid disruptions in Parliament. Opposition members continued their protests inside the House and demanded the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah. The repeated interruptions left no room for a detailed discussion on the legislation. Even so, the government completed the legislative process through a voice vote.

The bill now moves forward after securing approval in the Lok Sabha. The proceedings once again highlighted the sharp differences between the government and the Opposition over the functioning of Parliament. While the government maintained that it had provided enough opportunity for discussion, the Opposition continued its protest during the session. The legislation introducing stricter rules for delayed registration of births and deaths has now crossed an important stage in Parliament.