Shillong, Mar 21: The mandatory requirement of immunisation for availing birth certificates will be kept in abeyance for two months to facilitate immediate Aadhaar enrolment, which is necessary to avail of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) for all newborns.
A government directive in this connection has been issued to all district Registrars of Births and Deaths and asked to issue birth certificates to all applicants irrespective of the immunisation status of the child.
The immunization status may be recorded separately and pursued as part of routine immunisation drives but shall not be linked to birth certificate issuance, stated the order issue by commissioner & secretary in-charge Health & Family Welfare, Dr Joram Beda on March 18.
Health and ICDS officials shall continue their immunisation awareness campaigns to ensure that all children receive timely vaccinations, the order stated.
At the end of the two-month period, a review of the policy shall be conducted to assess its impact and determine the necessity of further continuation or modification.
The government decision to provide the relaxation came after reports of considerable delays in the registration of births due to the requirement of immunization as a precondition.
This led to inability of parents to obtain Aadhaar for their newborns in a timely manner, and subsequently deprived them of various government welfare schemes, particularly the ICDS.
Aadhaar is an essential document for availing benefits under ICDS, including supplementary nutrition, healthcare, and early childhood education.
Delay in Aadhaar would deprive many 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.
“Mandatory linkage of immunisation 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,” it added.
