Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Wednesday clarified that birth certificates may be issued to orphans and children born on the streets with no trace of their parents if a doctor certifies the circumstances of the child’s condition when the guardian or responsible organisation brings the child to the medical practitioner.
The clarification came after councillor Biswarup De asked during the monthly meeting about the procedure followed for issuing birth certificates to orphans who lack documentary proof of birth. Responding to the query, Deputy Mayor and Member, Mayor-in-Council (Health), Atin Ghosh said that the civic body can consider such applications if the organisation acting as guardian obtains a doctor’s certificate declaring that the child is an orphan and that the parents are unknown. His statement, however, prompted several follow-up questions. A health officer noted that such certification raises practical concerns, including how a doctor would determine whether the child is genuinely an orphan and not missing or stolen. Another query was whose name would appear in the birth certificate if an NGO or orphanage has custody of the child and how guardian details would be recorded.
As per existing rules, when a birth remains unregistered, applicants must obtain a “non-availability certificate” from the KMC’s Central Municipal Office, Health department. This requires supporting documents, including proof that the parents were residents of Kolkata at the time of the child’s birth. Additional corroboratory documents—such as educational certificates, Aadhaar, voter card, Khadya Sathi card, PAN or passport—must also be provided to establish the relationship. The final decision depends on the “satisfaction of the Registrar or Sub-Registrar”.
For regular registrations, birth certificates are issued by the Borough Executive Health Officer, generally within four weeks of birth, provided the event is reported within 21 days by private hospitals or nursing homes that do not have access to the Janma Mrityu Tathya Portal of the West Bengal government.
Domiciliary births must be reported by the head of the family to the Ward Health Unit within a month, but no later than one year, along with a medical certificate issued by a practitioner, midwife or traditional birth attendant. Certificates for domiciliary births are issued after physical verification by the local authority.
For domiciliary births not reported within a year, certificates may be issued upon delayed registration based on orders of an Executive or 1st Class Magistrate—by the borough executive health officer for delays up to five years, and by the KMC Central Municipal Office for cases beyond five years.