JOIN USDelhi-based NGOs, Chetna and Plan India, who work for the welfare of children, have approached the eunuch community in Chuna Bhatti area in West Delhi as a part of their project 'Universal Birth Registration'.
"The project deals with such children who are officially invisible. That means who do not have any identity to prove their birth. The purpose of this project is to spread awareness about the benefits of birth registration among families in this area. They have strong local connections which will be handy for us to use," says Sanjay Gupta, Executive Director, Chetna.
One of the challenges faced by social activists is to locate families having newborn babies because of the geographical limitations in the urban slums.
"Eunuchs can be one of our stakeholders because of their strong information capability about the birth of a child. Their blessings are treated as sacred and we believe that if they spread the message of birth registration, that will have more impact on the parents," says Gupta.
Songs and pamphlets to promote the message will be designed as the part of the project and if it proves successful, than it will be expanded to other parts of the national capital.
According to rules, a child should be registered within the first 21 days after birth or at least within a year. There is a legal process to be followed after that to get the birth registered.
Lilly Vishwanathan, Advocacy Manager, Plan India says even though the Delhi government claims birth registration around hundred per cent, a lot of families from outside Delhi come to the capital for deliveries of their babies as well.
"The situation is not upto the mark in slum communities and vulnerable groups. There is lack of awareness among them and since most of their births take place at home, they are not able to prove it when officials ask for proof," she says.
According to a study conducted by these two NGOs earlier in the slum areas, 1250 households were surveyed in Delhi, in which only 14 per cent children were reported having birth certificates.
"A birth certificate is a ticket to citizenship. Without one, an individual does not officially exist and therefore lacks legal access to the privileges and protections of a nation. Civil registration is also the basic tool by which an efficient government counts its citizens and plans the schools, health centres and other services they need. We hope things will change slowly and it is a good step," says Gupta.