New Birth Certificates will refer to all citizens as ‘Sri Lankan’ & not by race or religion

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The Registrar General’s Department says the Details of Marriage and Ethnic Group will no longer be required for the registration of a birth.

Registrar General N. C. Vithanage speaking to media said the requirements of such particulars will be removed from the Application Form for the registration of a birth in Sri Lanka.

He said many children in the country face issues when it comes to the Details of Marriage of the parents, especially when a child is to be enrolled in a school.

He further said, all new Birth Certificates will be issued as “Sri Lankan” and will not refer to any race or religion.

Registrar General N. C. Vithanage also said the much-awaited Digital Birth Certificate will be issued following the conclusion of the 2020 General Election.

“A 12-digit serial number will be issued for all new birth certificates and this serial number can be used to obtain a NIC when a child completes 15 years of age,” said Vithanage.

The digital birth certificate will come with a QR Code, a Bar Code, a dedicated watermark to meet international standards and to counter forged documents.

Registrar General N. C. Vithanage said a system is already in place to launch the new birth certificates.