16. Registrars to keep registers in the prescribed form.-—(1) Every Registrar shall keep in the
prescribed form a register of births and deaths for the registration area or any part thereof in relation to
which he exercises jurisdiction.
(2) The Chief Registrar shall cause to be printed and supplied a sufficient number of register books
for making entries of births and deaths according to such forms and instructions as may, from time to
time, be prescribed; and a copy of such forms in the local language shall be posted in some conspicuous
place on or near the outer door of the office of every Registrar.
17. Search of births and deaths register.—(1) Subject to any rules made in this behalf by the State
Government, including rules relating to the payment of fees and postal charges, any person may—
(a) cause a search to be made by the Registrar for any entry in a register of births and deaths; and
(b) obtain an extract from such register relating to any birth or death:
Provided that no extract relating to any death, issued to any person, shall disclose the particulars
regarding the cause of death as entered in the register.
(2) All extracts given under this section shall be certified by the Registrar or any other officer
authorised by the State Government to give such extracts as provided in section 76 of the Indian Evidence
Act, 1872 (1 of 1872), and shall be admissible in evidence for the purpose of proving the birth or death to
which the entry relates.
18. Inspection of registration offices.—The registration offices shall be inspected and the registers
kept therein shall be examined in such manner and by such authority as may be specified by the District
Registrar.
19. Registrars to send periodical returns to the Chief Registrar for compilation.—(1) Every
Registrar shall send to the Chief Registrar or to any officer specified by him, at such intervals and in such
form as may be prescribed, a return regarding the entries of births and deaths in the register kept by such
Registrar.
(2) The Chief Registrar shall cause the information in the returns furnished by the Registrars to be
compiled and shall publish for the information of the public a statistical report on the registered births and
deaths during the year at such intervals and in such form as may be prescribed.