Shillong, March 20: The state government has ordered keeping in abeyance the mandatory requirement of immunization for the issuance of birth certificates for a period of 2 months to facilitate immediate Aadhaar enrollment and ensure uninterrupted access to Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) benefits for all newborns.
A notification issued by the Commissioner & Secretary in-charge Health & Family Welfare Dr Joram Beda on March 18 said all district Registrars of Births and Deaths are directed to issue birth certificates to all applicants irrespective of the immunization status of the child.
The immunization status may be recorded separately and pursued as part of routine immunization drives but shall not be linked to birth certificate issuance.
Health and ICDS officials shall continue their immunization awareness campaigns to ensure that all children receive timely vaccinations.
A review of this policy shall be conducted at the end of the two-month period to assess its impact and determine the necessity of further continuation or modification, the notification said.
The decision was taken after it has been brought to the notice of the government that the requirement of immunization as a precondition for the issuance of birth certificates has led to considerable delays in the registration of births.
Such delays have, in turn, resulted in the inability of parents to obtain Aadhaar for their newborns in a timely manner, thereby affecting their eligibility for various government welfare schemes, particularly the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
The Aadhaar card is an essential document for availing benefits under ICDS, including supplementary nutrition, healthcare, and early childhood education, and delays in its issuance may deprive eligible children of their rightful entitlements.
The government is committed to ensuring universal Aadhaar coverage for all children to facilitate seamless access to welfare schemes and social security benefits, the notification said adding that the mandatory linkage of immunization with the issuance of birth certificates has created an administrative bottleneck, adversely affecting the prompt registration of newborns and impeding the government’s objective of universal Aadhaar enrollment for all children.
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