The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed the Municipal Corporation to register the petitioner’s daughter’s name in her birth certificate despite delay beyond the prescribed time limit. The Court held that procedural rules cannot be applied rigidly to deprive a person of their right to livelihood, especially when the certificate was required for overseas employment.

Issue of Law

Whether the municipal authority should be directed to register the petitioner's daughter's name in her birth certificate, despite the application being beyond the time limit specified in the Tamil Nadu Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2000. The core question was whether the Rules could be so inflexible as to deprive a citizen of their right to a livelihood (as the certificate was required for a Malaysian work permit).

Brief Facts

The petitioner sought a Writ of Mandamus to direct the first respondent (the Commissioner, Madurai City Municipal Corporation) to register his daughter's name, M. Naveetha, in her birth certificate, as the document was required for her Malaysian work permit. The request was rejected because the information regarding the child's name was not provided within the five-year grace period prescribed by the second proviso to the Tamil Nadu Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2000.

Judgment

The Writ Petition was allowed. The Court held that the Rules cannot be inflexible to the extent that they deprive a citizen of their right to a livelihood. The respondents were directed to incorporate the daughter's name into the birth certificate within eight weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of the order.

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Court

The Madurai Bench Of Madras High Court 

Case Title

V.T. Mathivanan v. The Commissioner, The Madurai City Municipal Corporation, & Anr. (W.P.(MD). No. 34960 of 2025) 

Case No.

W.P.(MD). No.34960 of 2025 

Bench

The Honourable Mr. Justice R. Vijayakumar 

Date

03.12.2025