India Civil Registration

Civil Registration
Registration of births and deaths began in about 1751. However, not until 1969 was there a uniform registration for all of India excepting the 1886 Act for voluntary registration.

These records generally contain the following:

Birth
 * Father's name, occupation, caste and religion
 * Child's name sex, date and place of birth of the child
 * Informant's name

Death
 * Name, sex, age, caste, religion and occupation of deceased
 * Date, place and cause of death
 * Name of father or husband (if married woman)
 * Informant's name

Some states also collect information about age of mother and order of birth. Birth records do not always have the child’s name recorded as in some areas it is customary to give children names two or three weeks after birth.

Records are not centrally located. Some are in the capitals of the state, but others are scattered in district and municipal offices.