Citizen Anil

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sheetal

@sheetald

Rocker

Posted: 19 years ago

Anil Kapoor

Anil Kapoor has agreed to promote birth registrations as part of Plan India's (a child- centric development organisation) Universal Birth Registration campaign (UBR).

He is the brand ambassador and has assured his support for the cause in India. This is the first time that Anil is associating himself with a charitable cause.

How did it happen?
It was Govindji (Nihalani) who is associated with the cause approached me. He put the entire proposal in front of me. I thought it was the right thing for me to take up as it's a good cause. No money has exchanged hands for this cause.

Main bahut ameer nahi banoonga isse…. Seriously speaking, I was shocked to know that so many children in India are not registered. When babies are not registered, it gives rise to many illegal activities like trafficking, etc. That shouldn't happen as we are talking about a child's future.

Why this particular cause?
I took it up because it involved children. Children are the future of our country. It's a burning issue. The future should be protected, encouraged, educated and nourished properly.

We should do everything possible to protect the future and this includes registering the child's birth and getting his/her birth certificate, 19-20 days after its birth. It's a must. Having a birth certificate is like having a legal identity.

What will being a brand ambassador involve?
I will UBR by participating in press conferences and appearing for 60/30 and 15 second television commercials which will raise awareness and visibility of the movement.

This will be shown in the villages and small towns through Doordarshan which is a major sponsor and other TV channels.

People in small towns and villages take the issue of birth registration lightly and don't register children. I will be talking about why it's so vital for everybody to get their children's birth registered and have a certificate for it.

Why you need a birth certificate?

Plan India, and Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) have come together to ensure universal birth registration. The birth certificate is the first legal document that the state gives to its citizens.

The possession of a birth certificate by a person can ensure a large number of rights and privileges to him or her. First of all, it is an affirmation of a person's identity.

Secondly, it is a legal document that can be used to procure a large number of other legal and administrative documents and privileges like school admission, ration card, bank account, and many official documents.

Finally, in case of a legal situation faced by an individual, or in case of an accident where the state is involved, the birth certificate can be a very powerful document in the hands of the individual, which can ensure timely and appropriate redress.