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Hard to prove

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In most of Indian states, births have to be registered with local authorities within 21 days. A birth can be registered after 30 days with special permission and on payment of late fee. After a year, a birth can be registered with an order from a local judge or magistrate.
In practice, many people do not have birth certificates as their families did not see the need for one, and the closest municipal office could be miles away.
Those without a birth certificate may be considered to be registered if they have attended school, and many Indians use their school certificates as a form of ID. Ranjana Kumari from India's Centre for Social Research says that many people can obtain ID as long as they can provide witnesses who can vouch for them.
However, some Indians, particularly those from rural areas, may not know how to navigate the system, so may not be aware that it is possible to get forms of ID that can help you through life.

India's identity divide

•    Only 58% of children born in India are registered at birth
•    Many families don't know about the need for a birth certificate
•    More than a dozen other documents can be accepted as proof of identity
•    Lack of papers can hamper access to public services and banking
•    Unique identity (UID) scheme launched in 2010 is world's biggest biometric ID project
•    200 million Indians have already signed up, target is 400 million by the end of 2012

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