India: Current information on whether there is a delay period before the authorities can or will issue a death certificate, and if so, on the reasons for this delay
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1997 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IND26022.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, India: Current information on whether there is a delay period before the authorities can or will issue a death certificate, and if so, on the reasons for this delay, 1 January 1997, IND26022.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aceb57.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided in a 16 January 1997 telephone interview with an official at the High Commission for the Republic of India in Ottawa.
Unofficial death certificates can be issued by the hospital in which a person dies, as well as by the municipal office attached to the "funeral area" [an area of land where funerals take place, similar to a funeral home] handling the funeral arrangements. It is not necessary for an individual to register a death and obtain an official death certificate, unless the death certificate is needed for legal matters. Some individuals do not apply for an official death certificate until years after the death. An official death certificate is issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths, who is governed by the Registration of Births and Deaths Act of 1969. Without information specific to a particular case, the official at the High Commission could not explain delays in the issuance of a death certificate by the authorities. However, the official did state that delays by the authorities can occur for bureaucratic reasons. Delays can also occur if the death is registered in a rural rather than an urban area, and if the death is officially registered sometime after the fact.
Information on the issuance of birth certificates in Punjab can be found in Response to Information Request IND18760.E of 10 April 1995, which is available at Regional Documentation Centres.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
High Commission for the Republic of India, Ottawa. 16 January 1997. Telephone interview with official.