The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) did not specify the “categories of valid documents” required for people to prove citizenship in India, while responding to a question in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (August 12, 2025). Citizenship is governed by the Citizenship Act, 1955 and its rules, the Ministry said.
Data on the number of births registered in Bihar for the years 1998, and 1999 was “not available”, the MHA said.
Government can provide national identity cards under Citizenship Act, 1955: Home Ministry
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is presently underway in Bihar, with birth certificates among the 11 documents listed by the Election Commission of India that can be furnished for inclusion in the voter rolls.
The Ministry was responding to a question by Communist Party of India-Liberation (CPI-L) member Sudama Prasad, who asked for the “details of categories of valid documents that are required for people to prove citizenship in India”, and the “total number of birth certificates issued nationwide during the last 25 years and whether the Government received reports about low coverage of issuance of birth and death certificates vis-à-vis number of births and deaths by the State Government and the list of top 10 States”.
