West Bengal's large-scale birth certificate verification drive has uncovered more than 1.61 lakh suspected fake certificates, bringing fresh attention to an issue that has remained politically and administratively sensitive for several years. Authorities verified both older physical birth certificates and digitised records across districts. The findings, available up to June 6, 2026, revealed a large number of documents that did not pass verification.

The verification exercise covered birth certificates that were issued more than one year ago. Officials selected 46,995 such certificates for verification. They completed the verification of 44,520 certificates, which accounts for 94.73 per cent of the total. Among these, 33,548 certificates were found to be genuine, while 10,972 certificates were identified as not genuine. This means nearly one out of every four verified birth certificates issued more than one year ago was found to be non-genuine or suspected to be fake.

The authorities also carried out a similar exercise for digitised birth records. They took up 11,26,835 digitised birth certificates for verification. Officials completed the verification of 10,15,880 certificates, which represents 90.15 per cent of the total records. Out of the verified certificates, 8,65,706 were found to be genuine. Another 1,50,174 certificates were identified as not genuine. When the figures from both categories are combined, the verification drive has identified more than 1.61 lakh suspected fake birth certificates across West Bengal.

The district-wise data also shows a clear pattern. Among birth certificates that were issued more than one year ago, Kolkata reported the highest number of suspected fake certificates with 4,287 cases. Murshidabad followed with 3,463 suspected fake certificates. Purulia reported 889 such cases, while Darjeeling recorded 611.

The trend was different in the digitised records. Uttar Dinajpur reported the highest number of suspected fake certificates with 58,509 cases. North 24 Parganas recorded 19,709 suspected fake certificates, while Malda reported 16,712 cases. Birbhum also recorded a high number with 8,935 suspected fake certificates.

The report also highlighted differences in the pace of verification across districts. Purba Medinipur recorded the lowest verification rate at 37.39 per cent. Purba Bardhaman completed verification of 66.85 per cent of its records, while Paschim Bardhaman reached 71.91 per cent. Darjeeling recorded a verification rate of 75.62 per cent.

The issue gained wider attention during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of electoral rolls. A case involving a resident of Baranagar sparked controversy after officials found that the person had submitted a birth certificate that had allegedly been issued before the individual's actual date of birth. The incident raised serious questions about the authenticity of the document. It also triggered political debate and renewed focus on the verification of birth certificates across the state.

The issue of alleged fake birth certificates has remained a major political topic in West Bengal for years. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has repeatedly alleged large-scale irregularities in the issuance of birth certificates. The party has raised the issue on several occasions and has linked it to concerns over illegal immigration and voter identity. Former ruling party, TMC, has consistently rejected allegations of any systematic wrongdoing.

Reacting to the latest findings, BJP leader Shamik Bhattacharya said, “We have been raising this issue repeatedly since before the elections. Demographic changes are being carried out in several border areas, and the character of those regions has changed. The Trinamool Congress has been issuing documents such as Aadhaar cards and birth certificates with ease.”

The verification data has also drawn attention to the geographical distribution of the suspected fake certificates. Several districts that reported large numbers of such certificates are located along or close to the international border with Bangladesh. Murshidabad featured prominently in the verification of older birth certificates. Uttar Dinajpur, North 24 Parganas and Malda reported some of the highest numbers in the digitised records. These districts form part of the state's border belt.

The concentration of suspected fake birth certificates in these districts is expected to attract administrative and political attention. These areas have frequently appeared in debates related to migration and demographic trends. However, the verification report does not establish any connection between the suspected fake certificates and demographic changes or cross-border migration. The report only presents the findings of the verification exercise. Any conclusion linking these certificates to demographic shifts or illegal migration would require separate and independent evidence beyond the available verification data.