SPECIAL PROVISIONS AS TO CERTAIN EXISTING REGISTERSCentral

Section 32 of The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1886

If any person in 1[the territories to which this Act extends] has for the time being the custody of any register or record of birth, baptism, naming, dedication, death or burial of any persons of the classes referred to in section 11, subsection (1), or, of any register or record of marriage of any persons of the classes to which Act III of 1872 or the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872 (15 of 1872) or the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1865 (15 of 1865) applies, and if such register or record has been made otherwise than in performance of a duly specially enjoined by the law of the country in which the register or record was kept, he may, 2[ at any time before the first day April, 1891,] send the register or record to the office of the Registrar General or Births, Deaths and Marriages for the territories within which he resides, 3 ***.

Summary

Section 32 of the 1886 Registration Act gives permission to people holding certain historical or unofficial records to send them to the government.
This applies to custodians of records of birth, baptism, naming, dedication, death, burial, or marriage that were kept without a strict legal duty to do so.
People holding these records had until April 1, 1891 to send them to the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages for their territory.
This provision focuses on bringing informal community or religious records into the official centralized government system.

Practical examples

1An elderly churchwarden in 1890 realizes he has an old wooden box full of handwritten baptism and burial notes from the 1870s. He packages them up and sends them to the territory's Registrar General before the April 1891 deadline to ensure they are preserved.

2The leader of a local sect who maintained a private ledger of marriage dedications outside of normal legal requirements decides to hand the book over to the Registrar General in January 1891.

FAQ

1. Under Section 32 of The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1886, what was the exact deadline for sending unofficial records to the Registrar General?

Under Section 32 of The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1886, the deadline to send these registers or records was anytime before the first day of April, 1891.

2. What types of records does Section 32 of the 1886 Act cover?

Section 32 of the 1886 Act covers unofficial registers or records of birth, baptism, naming, dedication, death, burial, or marriage for certain classes of people.

3. Who should the records be sent to under Section 32 of the 1886 Registration Act?

Under Section 32 of the 1886 Registration Act, the records should be sent to the office of the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages for the territory where the custodian resides.

Test yourself

Q1.Under Section 32 of The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1886, what is the latest date by which a person could send their unofficial registers to the Registrar General?

Q2.Which of the following best describes the type of records targeted by Section 32 of the 1886 Act covering births and deaths?

Q3.Under Section 32 of the 1886 Registration Act, which event is NOT explicitly listed as a type of record that could be sent to the Registrar General?

Q4.Under Section 32 of The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1886, where must the custodian send these historical records?

31PreviousSection 31 [Repealed.].33NextSection 33 Appointment of Commissioners to examine registers.

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