eGovernance makes all application processes easy since applicants can complete them online

Applying for Government documents, whether a birth certificate, death certificate, or passport are quite challenging. Not only do the processes take a lot of time, but they have several requirements, and applicants have to complete most of them within a fixed amount of time. People have to apply for birth and death certificates within 21 days after the incident. If there are delays, they have to be well-documented reasons, additional documents and in some cases, late fees.

When it comes to applying for a birth certificate, the hospital or health centre that assisted with the birth of the individual usually completes the process. There are a few exceptions and instances where parents choose to get through the process themselves, but these are the exception and not the norm. Furthermore, one of the most important documents needed for this application process is a letter from the hospital with the details of the birth, including the date and time. Getting your hands on this document at a later point in time could be challenging since hospitals might not have all this information stored, which is one of the reasons why it is applied for immediately.

Death certificate applications also have similar requirements and have to be done in 21 days. After the death of an individual, a medical practitioner has to verify and mention all the details concerning the death, in a written document. Only after getting this information, can they go ahead and apply for a death certificate. The process of applying for a death certificate sometimes gets delayed based on the details circulating the death of the person. If there were some suspicions around the way the person died or assumptions about foul play, the last rites can only be conducted after conducting an official police case to prove otherwise.

Death certificates are a requirement by the family and loved ones of the deceased since they would need them to get through various processes, including a lot of paperwork. They might need them if they are planning on collecting insurance, dealing with any joint bank accounts and in some cases, if there were any issues relating to the way that a person passed away, for the last rites of the person.

The application process for both these is the same in the sense that applicants can log online and submit the information asked for. They might have to upload supporting documents if they want to get through the process. People could even choose to download all the forms that are needed and submit them at their nearest municipality or Panchayat if they prefer coordinating the application process in person and not online. The website provides all the information that an individual would require so if they have any questions, they can go through the details and get in touch with the right people to receive assistance to get through it.

Unlike getting a birth or death certificate, getting a passport is not a mandatory requirement with people who could have gone through their entire life without having a passport. However, if they want to leave the country, they would have to get one. Applicants can download the passport application through the website and submit it at the passport office. Since passports do need some in-person coordination, they can choose to handle all the paperwork at the office instead of online, which could depend on their preference. There are plenty of requirements for a passport including the birth certificate of the applicant, along supporting documents for all the information in the form. The process takes about a month if everything is systematically including a meeting at the passport office.

The Government’s plan for eGovernance is quite a helpful one since they have added all their application processes for mandatory and crucial documents online. These changes allow people to get through the process since most of India has an internet connection, even if that might be through cell phones. Furthermore, people can get the information they require online instead of having to travel to the passport office like they were doing in the past. They put these changes in place to encourage people to apply for these documents and create awareness about them.