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→Birth and Death Registration
The history of civil registration in India dates back to the middle of the nineteenth century. It started with the registration of deaths with a view to introducing sanitary reforms for control of pestilence and disease and not so much for studying population trends. <ref>[http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:ZWzg9rOf7y4J:gvmc.gov.in/ph/handbook/civil.doc+bengal+Births+and+Deaths+Registration+Act+1873&cd=112&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au Handbook on Civil Registration. Office of the Registrar General India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi by P. PADMANABHA Registrar General, India March 7, 1981: Chapter 2, Historical background] [http://gvmc.gov.in/ph/handbook/civil.doc. Original link] </ref>
Thacker's 1865 ''Bengal Directory'', on page 147, states "Registration of Births and Deaths under Section 94 of Act VI of 1864...Registration of Births and Deaths took effect from 1st April 1864." [[Calcutta]] was divided into 6 districts. Read the [[Registration of births and deaths in Calcutta|full transcript of page 147]]. Although Thacker says Act VI of 1864, it seems probable that it was in fact Act VI of 1863. <ref> The Corporation of Calcutta was constituted by Bengal Act No. VI of 1863 and was then constituted, as would appear from Section III of the Act, of 'Justices of the Peace for the Town of Calcutta', which meant all Justices of Peace for Bengal, Behar and Orissa, resident in the Town and all Justices of the Peace for the Town itself. The object of the Act was to vest the property of the Town of Calcutta and the management of its Municipal affairs in a Corporation and to make better provision for, inter alia, the conservancy and improvement of the Town. [http://indiankanoon.org/doc/782493 Kanoon] </ref>
“Registration was first introduced into Calcutta in 1864, and neglect was rendered penal. Birth registration is now fairly correct and the mortuary returns received from each police inspector of the twenty one sections into which the city is divided are checked by other returns from the sextons of the cemeteries and the clerks of the burning ghauts...In the Madras Presidency the registration of births commenced in 1870..The mortuary registration was commenced in 1866... In the Bombay Presidency the registration of deaths was commenced in 1865. Birth registration has only just been commenced [c 1872]..” <ref> ''House of Commons Papers: Accounts and Papers: East India (progress and condition). Statement exhibiting the moral and material progress and condition of India, during the year 1872-73''. Actual pages 125,126, computer pages 154,155</ref>
British Library Catalogue references for the Acts:
*Act VI of 1863 (or 1864 ) in Bengal Bills and Acts [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=059-lpj1-5&cid=1-5-1-2#1-5-1-2 IOR/L/PJ/5/99] 1862-1864
*Bengal Births and Deaths Registration Act 1873 (Bengal Act IV of 1873) in Bengal Bills and Acts [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=059-lpj1-5&cid=1-5-1-2#1-5-1-2 IOR/L/PJ/5/107] 1872-1875
*The Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Bill, 1886; with papers regarding registration of births [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=059-iorlpj_1-5&cid=1-1-2-34&kw=IOR/L/PJ/6/170#1-1-2-34 IOR/L/PJ/6/170, File 304 (also 323 & 260)] 9-24 Feb 1886
