West Bengal limits birth and death certificates to government staff
India
West Bengal just changed the rules: now only official government staff can issue birth and death certificates, not elected panchayat or municipal leaders.
This move comes after a spike in fake documents and complaints about irregularities.
The goal is to keep things clean and trustworthy.
West Bengal plans reverification and database
The state plans to reverify all certificates issued since 1997 and set up a common database linked to the central portal for better tracking.
Police have already started raiding municipal offices in several districts to check records.
There's also talk of a new law that would shift more power from local representatives to government officers, all aimed at making the system more accountable.