It’s bizarre but true that despite a robust infrastructure in place reporting of birth registration has been an area which needs attention for a multiplicity of reasons. With an average of 58 per cent in contrast to the national average of 82 per cent, the State features among the laggards.
Significantly, correct birth registration data is considered vital for developing effective plan of infants and sex-based schemes intended to provide benefit especially to under privileged sections of the society. “National average is going up but because of the poor performance of States like Jharkhand we cannot achieve 100 per cent birth registration,” said Deputy Director Office of Registrar General of India, Ajay Khanna.
As per the established norms, every registration of birth made at the designated place must be reported to the concerned District Statistical Officer (DSO) by fifth of every month. The DSO sends a compiled report to department of Economics & Statistics by the 10th of every month. However, there is no deterrent in place for under reporting of birth registration by institutions where a child is born. “I don’t know what is the problem in reporting when registration is going on,” said Deputy Director of Census Operations, Jharkhand, P Amist.
Notably, there are about 5,000 birth registrars in the State, including panchayat sevaks in 4,400 Gram panchayats, medical officers in 900 CHCs, PHCs, hospitals and about 100 officials in urban local bodies. According to estimates quoted by UNICEF, around 60 per cent birth’s in Jharkhand take place in home besides 19 per cent in Government hospitals and around 21 per cent in private hospitals. Nonetheless, only two lakh children born in a year are actually registered with the department born at home, government hospitals and government hospitals.
Incidentally, as per annual health survey 2011-12, in Jharkhand the highest rate of birth registration is in East Singhbhum (80 per cent), Ranchi (77per cent), West Singhbhum (77per cent), and lohardaga (74per cent). lowest rates are in Pakur (28 per cent), Sahibganj (31per cent), and Chatra (33per cent).