Kerala Plans Nativity Card, Faces Political Debate

The Kerala government has given its initial approval to introduce a new identity document called the Nativity Card. This will be a photo-based card and is planned as a replacement for the nativity certificates that are currently issued in the state.

The decision was approved by the State Cabinet and officially announced through an order issued by the Revenue Department on December 27, 2025. The government says the new card will help solve long-standing problems faced by residents, who often have to submit nativity certificates again and again to access government services.

With the Nativity Card, residents are expected to use a single document as proof of their nativity, making official processes simpler and faster.

However, the proposal has also led to political debate. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has questioned the need for such a card and raised concerns about its legality. The party argued that matters related to citizenship and identity fall under the authority of the Union government, not the state government.

Despite the criticism, the Kerala government maintains that the Nativity Card is meant only to ease administrative procedures and does not deal with citizenship. The issue is expected to be discussed further in the coming days.