Chapter XV VITAL STATISTICS.

For the purpose of registering births and deaths, the Commissioner shall, from time to time divide the city into as many wards as he shall think fit; and a municipal officer shall be registrar of births and deaths of each such ward of group of wards.

1. (1) Every registrar shall reside within the ward of which he is registrar and shall cause his name, together with the words "Registrar of Births and Deaths for the Ward of.." to be affixed in some conspicuous place at or near the outer door of his place of abode.
2. (2) A list showing the name and place of abode of every registrar in the city shall be kept at the Chief Municipal Office and shall be open at all reasonable times to public inspection free of charge.

The Commissioner shall provide and supply to the registrars a sufficient number of register books of births and of register books of deaths for the registration of the particulars specified in Schedules Q and R, respectively and the pages of each of the said books shall be numbered progressively from the beginning to the end thereof.

1. (1) Each registrar shall inform himself carefully of every birth or and death which shall happen in his ward and of the particulars concerning the same required to be registered according to the forms in the said Schedules, and shall, as soon after each such birth or death as conveniently may be, register the same in the book supplied for this purpose by the Commissioner, without making any charge or demanding or receiving any fee or reward for so doing other than his remuneration as a municipal officer.
2. (2) Other municipal officers, besides the registrars, may be appointed, with the duty of informing themselves of every birth or of every death or of every birth and every death in the ward to which they are respectively appointed and of the particulars concerning the same required to be registered, and of submitting such information to the registrar to the said ward or to such other person as the Commissioner directs.

It shall be the duty of the father and mother of every child born in the city and in default of the father and mother, of the occupier of the premises in which to his knowledge the child is born, and of each person present at the birth and of the person having charge of the child, to give, to the best of his knowledge and belief, to the registrar or other municipal officer appointed under section 576, within seven days after such birth information of the particulars required to be registered concerning such birth: Provided that, in the case of an illegitimate child, no person shall, as father of such child, be required to give information under this Act concerning the birth of such child and the registrar shall not enter in the register the name of any person, as father of such child, unless at the joint request of the mother and of the person acknowledging himself to be the father of such child, and such person shall in such case sign the register together with the mother.

In case any new-born child is found exposed, it shall be the duty of any person finding such child and of any person in whose charge such child may be placed to give, to the best of his knowledge and belief, to the registrar or other municipal officer aforesaid, within seven days after the finding of such child, such information of the particulars required to be registered concerning the birth of such child as the informant possesses.

1. (1) For every place for the disposal of the dead registered in the register kept under section 566 a municipal officer shall be appointed, whose duty it shall be to receive information of the particulars required to be registered concerning the death of every person whose corpse is disposed of at such place.
2. (2) If the Commissioner shall not think fit to require the municipal officer so appointed to be in constant attendance at any place for the disposal of the dead for which he is so appointed, there shall be affixed to a conspicuous part of the entrance to such place a notice specifying the name of the officer so appointed for the said place and the address where he may be found.

1. (1) It shall be the duty of the nearest relatives of any person dying in the city present at the death, or in attendance during the last illness of the deceased and, in default of such relatives, of such person present at the death, and of the occupier of the premises in which, to his knowledge, the death took place, and, in default of the persons hereinbefore in this section mentioned, of each inmate of such premises, and of the undertaker or other person causing the corpse of the deceased person to be disposed of, to give, to the best of his knowledge and belief, to the officer appointed under the last preceding section, information of the particulars required to be registered concerning such death.
2. (2) The said information shall be given at or about the time that the corpse of the deceased person is disposed of, and it shall be given in writing if the informant can write, and otherwise orally and the informant shall make known to the officer aforesaid his name, designation and place of abode, and shall attest the correctness of the information which he gives, to the best of his knowledge and belief, by his signature or mark.

1. (1) Where a duly qualified medical practitioner attends an ill person up to the time of his death, the said practitioner shall, within three days of such person's death sign and forward to the Commissioner a certificate of the cause of such person's death, in the form of Schedule S or in such other form as shall from time to time be determined by the Commissioner in this behalf, and the cause of the death as stated in such certificate shall be entered in the register, together with the name of the certifying medical practitioner.
2. (2) The Commissioner shall provide printed forms of the said certificates and any duly qualified medical practitioner resident in the City shall be supplied, on application, with such forms, free of charge.

1. (1) The information concerning deaths received by every officer appointed under section 579 be entered by him in a register-sheet, which shall contain the particulars specified in Schedule R and shall be forwarded, at such intervals as shall be determined by the Commissioner, through the registrar of the ward, to the Chief Municipal Office.
2. (2) From the said register-sheets and from the certificates furnished to him under section 581 the Commissioner shall cause the register-books of deaths to be prepared and shall have prepared and published such tabular returns and statements as shall appear to him to be useful for sanitary or other purposes.

1. (1) Any clerical error which may at any time be discovered in a register of births or in a register of deaths may be corrected by any person authorised in that behalf by the Commissioner.
2. (2) An error of fact or substance in any such register may be corrected by any person authorised as aforesaid by entry in the margin, without any alteration of the original entry, upon production to the Commissioner, by the person requiring such error to be corrected, of a declaration on oath setting-forth the nature of the error and the true facts of the case, made before a Magistrate by two persons required by this Act to give information concerning the birth or death with reference to which the error has been made or in default of such persons, by two credible persons having knowledge of the case, and certified by such Magistrate to have been made in his presence.
3. (3) Except as aforesaid no alteration shall be made in any such register.

1. (1) When the birth of any child has been registered and the name, if any, by which it was registered is altered or, if it was registered without a name, when a name is given to it, the parent or guardian of such child or other person procuring such name to be altered or given may, within twelve months next after the registration of the birth, deliver to the registrar, such certificate as hereinafter mentioned, and registrar, upon the receipt of that certificate shall without any erasure of the original entry, forthwith enter in the register-book the name mentioned in the certificate as having been given to the child.
2. (2) The certificate shall be in the form of Schedule T, or as near thereto as circumstances admit, and, in the case of Christian, shall be signed by the minister or person who performed the rite of baptism upon which the name was given or altered, or, if the child is not baptised or is not a Christian, shall be signed by the father, mother or guardian of the child or other person procuring the name of the child to be given or altered.
3. (3) Every minister or person who performs the rite of baptism shall deliver the certificate required by this section on demand on payment of a fee not exceeding one rupee.